Hueco Tanks: An Initial Evaluation of a Potential Geothermal Area near El Paso, Texas

Abstract

A potential geothermal resource about 40km northeast of El Paso, Texas is under investigation. The presence of old hot wells indicated the area of interest, and a geochemical survey outlined the possible geothermal anomaly., A shallow drilling programme has revealed gradients consistently over 100°C/km and as high as 300°C/km on the Texas side of the state line, and a 300m hole yielded a heat flow of 8.3 H.F.U. in the limestone bedrock. Electrical sounds in have shown the presence of a shallow conductive layers (probably hot and/or mineralized water) and a recently completed gravity survey delineates the faulting pattern apparently responsible for the uprise of thermal waters. Indications are presently not of an electricity-grade resource, but a hot water reservoir, with temperatures maybe reaching 120-140°C.