Heat Flow and Geothermal Potential in the South-Central United States

Geothermal Energy / Exploration

Date posted: 06/28/11

Petru T. Negraru, David D. Blackwell, and Kamil Erkan Published online: 14 August 2008 Geothermal exploration is typically limited to high-grade hydrothermal reservoirs that are usually found in the western United States, yet large areas with subsurface temperatures above 150C at economic drilling depths can be found east of the Rocky Mountains. The object of this paper is to present new heat flow data and to evaluate the geothermal potential of Texas and adjacent areas. The new data show that, west of the Ouachita Thrust Belt, the heat flow values are lower than east of the fault zone. Basement heat flow values for the Palo Duro and Fort Worth Basins are below 50 mW/m2 while, in the frontal zone of the belt, they can exceed 60 mW/m2. Further east, along the Balcones fault system the heat flow is in general higher than 55 mW/m2. The eastern most heat flow sites are in Louisiana and they show very high heat flow (over 80 mW/m2)