| Abstract |
The East Mesa KGRA is located in an area of anomalously high heat flow on the east flank of the Salton Trough, at the southeast corner of the Imperial Valley of California (see Fig. 1 ). This geothermal field has been the object of numerous academic and industrial studies, several of which are being reported on at this workshop. Ten producing wells have been drilled within the East Mesa KGRA, including three by Republic Geothermal in the northern portion, five by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the central area, and two by Magma Power Co. to the south (see Fig. 2). The early drilling by the Bureau at locations near the apparent center of the shallow thermal anomaly unfortunately.. resulted in wells of low productivity, This information became well - k and led to the feeling by some that East Mesa would be disappointing. The more recent drilling by Republic and Magma has shown that high product wells can be brought in with flow rates that are commercial for electric power generation. Due to the already extensive investigations, a great deal is known about the East Mesa reservoir and its properties. Republic now believes this large body of knowledge provides the confidence needed to proceed with commercial development at the northern end of the field, starting with a minimum 48-megawatt project. Development drilling is expected to begin early next year with funds provided by the Bank of America under the ERDA loan guaranty program. The intent of this presentation is primarily to illustrate an approach to reserve determination applicable to Republic's lease area. |