Geothermal play fairway analysis, part 1: Example from the Snake River Plain, Idaho

John W. Shervais; Jacob DeAngelo; Jonathan M.G. Glen; Dennis L. Nielson; Sabodh Garg; Patrick Dobson; Erika Gasperikova; Eric Sonnenthal; Lee M. Liberty; Dennis L. Newell; Drew Lorenz Siler; James P. Evans

doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2023.102865

USGS · 70250630

Geothermal play fairway analysis, part 1: Example from the Snake River Plain, Idaho

John W. Shervais·Jacob DeAngelo·Jonathan M.G. Glen·Dennis L. Nielson·Sabodh Garg·Patrick Dobson·Erika Gasperikova·Eric Sonnenthal·Lee M. Liberty·Dennis L. Newell·Drew Lorenz Siler·James P. Evans

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Abstract

The Snake River Plain (SRP) volcanic province overlies the track of the Yellowstone hotspot, a thermal anomaly that extends deep into the mantle. Most of the area is underlain by a basaltic volcanic province that overlies a mid-crustal intrusive complex, which in turn provides the long-term heat flux needed to sustain geothermal systems. Previous studies have identified several known geothermal resource areas within the SRP. For the geothermal study presented herein, our goals were to: (1) adapt the methodology of Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) for geothermal exploration to create a formal basis for its application to geothermal systems, (2) assemble relevant data for the SRP from publicly available and private sources, and (3) build a geothermal PFA model for the SRP and identify the most promising plays, using GIS-based software tools that are standard in the petroleum industry.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 42.23078197264857° to 44.08978176904034° latitude; -116.65263007713202° to -111.51102851463182° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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John W. Shervais, Jacob DeAngelo, Jonathan M.G. Glen, Dennis L. Nielson, Sabodh Garg, Patrick Dobson, Erika Gasperikova, Eric Sonnenthal, Lee M. Liberty, Dennis L. Newell, Drew Lorenz Siler, James P. Evans. 2024. Geothermal play fairway analysis, part 1: Example from the Snake River Plain, Idaho. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2023.102865

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