Temperatures, heat flow, and water chemistry from drill holes in the Raft River geothermal system, Cassia County, Idaho

Abstract

The Raft River area of Idaho contains a geothermal system of intermediate temperatures (approx. = 150/sup 0/C) at depths of about 1.5 km. Outside of the geothermal area, temperature measurements in three intermediate-depth drill holes (200 to 400 m) and one deep well (1500 m) indicate that the regional conductive heat flow is about 2.5 ..mu..cal/cm/sup 2/ sec or slightly higher and that temperature gradients range from 50/sup 0/ to 60/sup 0/C/km in the sediments, tuffs, and volcanic debris that fill the valley. Within and close to the geothermal system, temperature gradients in intermediate-depth drill holes (100 to 350 m) range from 120/sup 0/ to more than 600/sup 0/C/km, the latter value found close to an artesian hot well that was once a hot spring. Temperatures measured in three deep wells (1 to 2 km) within the geothermal area indicate that two wells are in or near an active upflow zone, whereas one well shows a temperature reversal. Assuming that the upflow is fault controlled, the flow is estimated to be 6 liter/sec per kilometer of fault length. From shut-in pressure data and the estimated flow, the permeability times thickness of the fault is calculated to be 2.4 darcy m.more » Chemical analyses of water samples from old flowing wells, recently completed intermediate-depth drill holes, and deep wells show a confused pattern. Geothermometer temperatures of shallow samples suggest significant re-equilibration at temperatures below those found in the deep wells. Silica geothermometer temperatures of water samples from the deep wells are in reasonable agreement with measured temperatures, whereas Na-K-Ca temperatures are significantly higher than measured temperatures. The chemical characteristics of the water, as indicated by chloride concentration, are extremely variable in shallow and deep samples. Chloride concentrations of the deep samples range from 580 to 2200 mg/kg.« less