Geothermal Energy Potential in Oktibbeha County: Is Mississippi Really Hot?

Abstract

Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable energy source. Previous geothermal energy assessments of Mississippi have focused on areas in southern Mississippi and the Mississippi River flood plain. The focus of the current project is Oktibbeha County in eastern North Central Mississippi, an area currently home to active lignite coal mining and exploration. Lignite is one of the least efficient orms of coal and it is being mined in an area that potentially has thousands of megawatts of clean geothermal energy potential. Well logs were reviewed to gather bottom-hole temperatures, mathematically normalized and used to create a thermal gradient map of the county. The map shows clear indication of abovenormal temperatures in western Oktibbeha County beginning at depths of around four thousand meters.