Development Drilling, Testing and Initial Production of the Beowawe Geothermal Field

Abstract

The Beowawe geothermal field in north central Nevada is generating 16MW using two production wells (Ginn 1-13 and 2-13) and one injection well (Batz). Drilling the second production well (Chevron Ginn 2-13) in 1985 led to the discovery of a second productive strand of the Malpais fault zone. The wells are completed in the Malpais fault zone and are capable of producing 420+oF geothermal fluid at rates exceeding 1,000,000 Ibs/hr. Initial testing suggests that the completion zones of the two production wells have no pressure communication, therefore providing what is essentially a second production zone for future development. Injection of produced fluids into a fault parallel with the Malpais shows no pressure communication with other wells. One year of production in the system shows no pressure depletion or enthalpy decline in the producing area.