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Direct Use Geothermal Resources Low to moderate temperature wells and springs have been in use in Texas for decades.17, 18 Shown in Exhibit 7-3, Texas has multiple major hydrothermal regions with the two most prominent ones discussed below—the Central Texas fault zones and Trans-Pecos region of far West Texas. Central Texas. Central Texas has had a history of geothermal activity from springs and mineral waters which has supported over 50 spas since the late 1800s through today. The faults in the area allow for deep circulation of fluids that upwell along fractures bringing the heat to an accessible depth. They contain waters with acceptable temperatures, salinities, quantities, and drilling depths for many Direct Use geothermal projects (Exhibit 7-1). Springs such as San Pedro Springs, Comal Springs, San Marcos Springs, Barton Springs, and Salado Springs are found along the Balcones—Ouachita fault trend. Shallow aquifers (4,000 feet or less) along the Balcones—Ouachita structural trend have elevated temperatures reaching as high as 153°F (67.2°C) in Marlin. Some areas have artesian flow. Waco used to be named “Geyser City” because of this feature, although today with increased water consumption the water table has dropped and wells are no longer artesian. Beyond the main Balcones—Ouachita faults are other warm zones. To the east and north are the Luling—Mexia—Talco Faults which bring warm water to Bryan (117°F (47°C) at 3,000 ft (915 m)) and as far north as Paris (115°F (46°C) at 3,400 ft (1030 m)). On the western side of the Hill Country the Hickory aquifer, (with water of 130°F (54°C) from approximately 4,000 ft (1220 m)) is used for municipal water for communities such as Eden. In the Dallas County area the drinking water wells ranged in temperature from 106°F (41°C) at 2,600 ft to 135°F (57°C) at 4,000 ft and reported to be cooled before using. These areas are considered prime locations for geothermal Direct Use applications. The total resource stretches in a band from Val Verde County to Red River County and includes many of Texas’ major cities that currently spend resources to cool the water rather than using the excess heat (Exhibits 7-2 and 7-3).17, 18 Trans-Pecos, West Texas. Another area with significant geothermal potential is the tectonically active area of the Rio Grande Rift, an extensional zone that runs from Colorado to New Mexico and into Texas, near El Paso, and continues along the Rio Grande for over 300 miles to the Big Bend region (Exhibit 7-3). Igneous and sedimentary rocks both at the surface and deep within the structure have elevated the regional temperatures.11, 20, 21 Along the Rio Grande floodplain are Indian Hot Springs, located in Hudspeth County, where geothermal fluids surface from a series of springs, the hottest is 117°F (47°C). Other springs are the Boquillas Hot Springs in Big Bend National Park and in the Chianti Mountains of West Texas; the Chianti Hot Springs has 110°F (43°C) geothermal waters. The area is known for its recharging ground water that circulates to a depth of over 3,400 ft (1030 m) creating known geothermal resources in the Presidio Bolson, Hueco Bolson, and the Big Bend area. This represents the best potential for conventional hydrothermal geothermal development in Texas and includes El Paso, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Brewster Counties.20, 21 Geothermal Resources for Electrical Production Geopressured Resources A geopressured resource consists of highly pressurized hot brine, due to water trapped during the burial process. These resources often are saturated with methane and found in large, deep aquifers. Wells drilled into this resource flow pressurized to the surface. Water temperature can range from 190 to over 400°F (90—200°C). Three forms of energy are useable in geopressured wells: 1) thermal from the high temperatures, 2) hydraulic from the high fluid flow pressure, and 3) chemical from the dissolved methane in the fluids. There are two parallel geopressured bands of very thick sand deposits that follow the Texas Gulf Coast line (Exhibit 7-3). These are in fact, layers or lenses of sands that were deposited by ancient delta systems, cut off from other water sources by subsidence and rapid burial. The weight of the impervious rock above the entrapped sand pockets, coupled with the decomposition of ancient organic matter into methane, resulted in high pressure zones. These are considered the most important resource of its type in the U.S. These rocks can be up to 50,000 feet thick (15 km), but more commonly are drilled to depths of 8,500 to 18,000 ft (2.6 to 6 km).15 Because of their thickness and lateral extent, huge geopressured brine reservoirs exist within the deep, porous rocks of the Gulf Coast. Thick sandstone units within the Frio and Wilcox Formations contain prospective geothermal resource areas called fairways, with their large brine reservoirs.22, 23 Sands in the fairways can be several hundred feet thick with temperatures over 300°F (150°C) and relatively high permeability. In these geopressured zones, thermal gradients averaging 18°F/1,000 ft (30°C/km), coincide with geopressure gradients that approach 1 psi per foot (more than twice the hydrostatic gradient resulting from water pressure alone).22 A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program that spanned from the 1970s to the mid 1990s culminated in a geopressure power plant in Brazoria County at Pleasant Bayou between 1989–1990 that produced one MW of electricity.24 The production well was 16,500 ft (5 km) deep and sustained flow rates of 20,000 to 23,000 barrels of brine per day, with an average wellhead temperature of 268°F 7-6 Geothermal Energy Texas Renewable Energy Resource AssessmentPDF Image | GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Texas
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