Deep Sedimentary Basin EGS Development

Stratigraphic reservoirs with high permeability and temperature at economically accessible depths are attractive for power generation because of their large areal extent (> 100 km2) compared to the fault controlled hydrothermal reservoirs (< 10 km2) found throughout much of the western US. A preliminary screening of the geothermal power potential of sedimentary basins in the U.S. assuming present day drilling costs, a levelized cost of electricity over 30 years of $10/Wh, and realistic reservoir permeabilities, indicates that basins with heat flows of more than about 80 mW/m2, reservoir temperatures of more than 175 degrees C, and a reservoir depth of less than 4 km are required. This puts the focus for future geothermal power generation on high heat flow regions of California (e.g. the Imperial Valley and regions adjacent to The Geysers), the Rio Grande rift system of New Mexico and Colorado (especially the Denver Basin), the Great Basin of the western U.S., and high heat flow parts of Hawaii and the Alaska volcanic arc.

This submission includes a Stage Gate Report on "Novel Geothermal Development of Deep Sedimentary Systems in the United States" in addition to the following resources compiled into a single PDF: Fluid-Mineral and Reactional Path Calculations (Simmons, S.F. 2012) Summary of Coupled Fluid Geochemistry with Depth Analyses in the Great Basin and Adjoining Regions (Kirby, S.M. 2012) Summary of Compiled Permeability with Depth Measurements for Basin Fill, Igneous, Carbonate, and Siliciclastic Rocks in the Great Basin and Adjoining Regions (Kirby, S.M. 2012) Review of Permeability Characteristics in Drilled, Sediment-Hosted, Geothermal Systems (Anderson, T.C. 2012) Structural Geology of the Eastern Basin and Range; Structural Cross Sections Across Western Utah and Northeastern Nevada (Schelling, D.D. 2012) Stratigraphic Reservoirs in the Great Basin-The Bridge to Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems in the U.S. (Allis et al. 2012) Presentation: Stratigraphic Reservoirs in the Great Basin-the Bridge to Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems in the U.S. (Allis et al. 2012) Presentation: Novel Geothermal Development of Deep Sedimentary Systems in the United States (Moore, J. and R. Allis, 2012) The Potential for Basin-Centered Geothermal Resources in the Great Basin (Allis et al. 2011) Presentation: The Potential for Basin-Centered Geothermal Resources in the Great Basin (Allis et al. 2011) Geothermal Resources in Southwestern Utah: Gravity and Magnetotelluric Investigations (Hardwick, C. 2012) Geophysical Delineation of the Crater Bench, Utah, Geothermal System (Hardwick C.L. and D.S. Chapman, 2011) Geothermal Resources in the Black Rock Desert, Utah: MT and Gravity Surveys (Hardwick, C.L and D.S. Chapman, 2012) Simulation of Heat Exchange Processes and Thermal Evolution of Deep Sedimentary Resevoirs (2012) Performance of Air-Cooled Binary Power Plants: An Analysis using Pacificorp's Blundell plant near Milford, Utah (Allis, R. and G. Larsen, 2012) Chapter 4: Reservoir Implications of CO2 in Produced Fluids and as Co-Injected Fluid (2012) Developing Geothermal Resources beneath Hot Basins (stratigraphic reservoirs) Economic Constraints - draft notes for report (Spencer, T. and R. Allis 2012) Using Hydrogeologic Data to Evaluate Geothermal Potential in the Eastern Great Basin, Western U.S. (Heilweil et al. 2012) Subsidence in Sedimentary Basins due to Groundwater Withdrawal for Geothermal Energy Development (Lowe, M. 2012) Induced Seismicity [associated with deep sedimentary basin EGS development] (McPherson, B. 2012)