Sedimentary Geothermal Feasibility in Nevada, Western Utah, Colorado, and the Gulf Coast Region of Texas Final Report

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The objectives of this project were to (1) perform a literature review of sedimentary geothermal resources, (2) identify data sources and develop data-collection methodologies that characterize selected resources, (3) screen sedimentary basins and formations for sedimentary geothermal potential, and (4) evaluate the technical feasibility of one or more selected locations.

Numerous publications have characterized geothermal resources within sedimentary basins. A literature search reviewed publications describing resources located in Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The most attractive resources have high temperature gradients, low drilling costs, and reservoir permeabilities greater than 10 millidarcies (mD). Prospects in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah exhibit attractive characteristics and were chosen for further analysis.

Sedimentary resources in Nevada and Utah are most attractive, followed by tested resources in Texas and untested resources in Colorado. The identified resources in Wyoming and Louisiana had lower geothermal gradients and were not evaluated. Reservoir modeling and techno-economic analysis were performed at Marys River Basin - North in Nevada. Geothermal energy production at this location is expected to have a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranging between 10 and 20 cents/kWh. Additional work may result in lower LCOE estimates at this location and at other attractive prospects in these three regions.

Heat flow within three Colorado sedimentary basins reviewed as part of this study was calculated in targeted studies by the Colorado Geologic Survey and Colorado School of Mines. These calculations are based on bottom-hole temperature datasets with significant limitations and some variability but produce values consistently higher than the global continental average of 65 mW/m2 for all three basins. Heat flow in the Raton Basin is the highest; however, permeability measurements from specific sedimentary formations with high heat flow have not been obtained.

Promising formations for sedimentary geothermal systems were found in all three regions studied - Nevada-Utah, Colorado, and Texas.

Citation Formats

TY - DATA AB - The objectives of this project were to (1) perform a literature review of sedimentary geothermal resources, (2) identify data sources and develop data-collection methodologies that characterize selected resources, (3) screen sedimentary basins and formations for sedimentary geothermal potential, and (4) evaluate the technical feasibility of one or more selected locations. Numerous publications have characterized geothermal resources within sedimentary basins. A literature search reviewed publications describing resources located in Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The most attractive resources have high temperature gradients, low drilling costs, and reservoir permeabilities greater than 10 millidarcies (mD). Prospects in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah exhibit attractive characteristics and were chosen for further analysis. Sedimentary resources in Nevada and Utah are most attractive, followed by tested resources in Texas and untested resources in Colorado. The identified resources in Wyoming and Louisiana had lower geothermal gradients and were not evaluated. Reservoir modeling and techno-economic analysis were performed at Marys River Basin - North in Nevada. Geothermal energy production at this location is expected to have a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranging between 10 and 20 cents/kWh. Additional work may result in lower LCOE estimates at this location and at other attractive prospects in these three regions. Heat flow within three Colorado sedimentary basins reviewed as part of this study was calculated in targeted studies by the Colorado Geologic Survey and Colorado School of Mines. These calculations are based on bottom-hole temperature datasets with significant limitations and some variability but produce values consistently higher than the global continental average of 65 mW/m2 for all three basins. Heat flow in the Raton Basin is the highest; however, permeability measurements from specific sedimentary formations with high heat flow have not been obtained. Promising formations for sedimentary geothermal systems were found in all three regions studied - Nevada-Utah, Colorado, and Texas. AU - Johnston, Henry A2 - Kolker, Amanda A3 - Rhodes, Greg A4 - Taverna, Nicole DB - Geothermal Data Repository DP - Open EI | National Renewable Energy Laboratory DO - KW - geothermal KW - energy KW - sedimentary KW - feasibility KW - sedimentary basin KW - Elko Basin KW - Railroad Valley KW - Steptoe Valley KW - Pavant Butte KW - Denver Basin KW - Piceance Basin KW - Raton Basin KW - Gulf Coast Region KW - Nevada KW - Utah KW - Texas KW - GBCAAS KW - Great Basin Carbonate and Alluvial Aquifer System KW - carbonate KW - AGS KW - advanced geothermal system KW - bottom-hole temperature KW - well data KW - LCOE KW - economics KW - upper KW - lower KW - carbonate aquifer unit KW - EGS KW - enhanced geothermal system KW - play fairway analysis KW - Colorado KW - temperature KW - bottom-hole KW - Marys River Basin KW - drilling KW - permeability KW - reservoir KW - modeling KW - carbonate geothermal system KW - CGS KW - techno-economic KW - analysis KW - downselect KW - subsurface KW - data mining KW - geology KW - gradient KW - heat KW - flow KW - geophysics KW - seismic KW - closed-loop KW - hydrogeology KW - cost KW - structural KW - bedrock KW - map KW - aquifer KW - sedgeo LA - English DA - 2020/07/01 PY - 2020 PB - National Renewable Energy Laboratory T1 - Sedimentary Geothermal Feasibility in Nevada, Western Utah, Colorado, and the Gulf Coast Region of Texas Final Report UR - https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/1225 ER -
Export Citation to RIS
Johnston, Henry, et al. Sedimentary Geothermal Feasibility in Nevada, Western Utah, Colorado, and the Gulf Coast Region of Texas Final Report. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1 July, 2020, Geothermal Data Repository. https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/1225.
Johnston, H., Kolker, A., Rhodes, G., & Taverna, N. (2020). Sedimentary Geothermal Feasibility in Nevada, Western Utah, Colorado, and the Gulf Coast Region of Texas Final Report. [Data set]. Geothermal Data Repository. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/1225
Johnston, Henry, Amanda Kolker, Greg Rhodes, and Nicole Taverna. Sedimentary Geothermal Feasibility in Nevada, Western Utah, Colorado, and the Gulf Coast Region of Texas Final Report. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, July, 1, 2020. Distributed by Geothermal Data Repository. https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/1225
@misc{GDR_Dataset_1225, title = {Sedimentary Geothermal Feasibility in Nevada, Western Utah, Colorado, and the Gulf Coast Region of Texas Final Report}, author = {Johnston, Henry and Kolker, Amanda and Rhodes, Greg and Taverna, Nicole}, abstractNote = {The objectives of this project were to (1) perform a literature review of sedimentary geothermal resources, (2) identify data sources and develop data-collection methodologies that characterize selected resources, (3) screen sedimentary basins and formations for sedimentary geothermal potential, and (4) evaluate the technical feasibility of one or more selected locations.

Numerous publications have characterized geothermal resources within sedimentary basins. A literature search reviewed publications describing resources located in Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The most attractive resources have high temperature gradients, low drilling costs, and reservoir permeabilities greater than 10 millidarcies (mD). Prospects in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah exhibit attractive characteristics and were chosen for further analysis.

Sedimentary resources in Nevada and Utah are most attractive, followed by tested resources in Texas and untested resources in Colorado. The identified resources in Wyoming and Louisiana had lower geothermal gradients and were not evaluated. Reservoir modeling and techno-economic analysis were performed at Marys River Basin - North in Nevada. Geothermal energy production at this location is expected to have a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranging between 10 and 20 cents/kWh. Additional work may result in lower LCOE estimates at this location and at other attractive prospects in these three regions.

Heat flow within three Colorado sedimentary basins reviewed as part of this study was calculated in targeted studies by the Colorado Geologic Survey and Colorado School of Mines. These calculations are based on bottom-hole temperature datasets with significant limitations and some variability but produce values consistently higher than the global continental average of 65 mW/m2 for all three basins. Heat flow in the Raton Basin is the highest; however, permeability measurements from specific sedimentary formations with high heat flow have not been obtained.

Promising formations for sedimentary geothermal systems were found in all three regions studied - Nevada-Utah, Colorado, and Texas. }, url = {https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/1225}, year = {2020}, howpublished = {Geothermal Data Repository, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/1225}, note = {Accessed: 2025-05-10} }

Details

Data from Jul 1, 2020

Last updated Oct 21, 2020

Submitted Jun 30, 2020

Organization

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Contact

Nicole Taverna

Authors

Henry Johnston

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Amanda Kolker

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Greg Rhodes

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Nicole Taverna

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

DOE Project Details

Project Name Sedimentary Geothermal Feasibility

Project Lead Mike Weathers

Project Number FY20 AOP 3131

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