Defining Structural Lineations Associated with Geothermal Manifestations Using Remotely-sensed and Seismicity Datasets

Abstract

Geothermal manifestations on West New Britain Province (WNBP), Papua New Guinea, are structurally controlled by N-S and NE-SW trending structures. While these structures may be visually mapped on the ground, others occur within thick sedimentary and volcanic sequence cover, and are not easily detectable. Here we explore the application of radar imagery to locate geothermal manifestations, which may be correlated with deep structures. The Mineral Resources Authority conducted a geothermal sampling program in West New Britain, whereby at least 30 geothermal features were sampled for their water, gas and rock samples. Analytical results obtained from these samples identified several neutral-chloride mature geothermal fields that have the potential to be developed for geothermal energy. However, given the areal extent of some of the geothermal fields and difficulty in accessing them, it appears that a large number of features remain unidentified, may never be sampled, and their geothermal characteristics may never be known. This has the potential to under-estimate the real potential of the geothermal system. Using remote sensing techniques we are able to identify geothermal features. And with the availability of near-shallow seismicity data, we are able to link these geothermal manifestations to existing faults and other geological structures.