A Review of Methods Applied by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Assessment of Identified Geothermal Resources
Open-File Report
2008-1296
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Abstract
The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting an updated assessment of geothermal resources in the United States. The primary method applied in assessments of identified geothermal systems by the USGS and other organizations is the volume method, in which the recoverable heat is estimated from the thermal energy available in a reservoir. An important focus in the assessment project is on the development of geothermal resource models consistent with the production histories and observed characteristics of exploited geothermal fields. The new assessment will incorporate some changes in the models for temperature and depth ranges for electric power production, preferred chemical geothermometers for estimates of reservoir temperatures, estimates of reservoir volumes, and geothermal energy recovery factors. Monte Carlo simulations are used to characterize uncertainties in the estimates of electric power generation. These new models for the recovery of heat from heterogeneous, fractured reservoirs provide a physically realistic basis for evaluating the production potential of natural geothermal reservoirs.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | A Review of Methods Applied by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Assessment of Identified Geothermal Resources |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 2008-1296 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20081296 |
| Edition | Version 1.0 |
| Year Published | 2008 |
| Language | ENGLISH |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Contributing office(s) | Western Earth Surface Processes |
| Description | iii, 27 p. |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |