Geothermal Resources Assessment of Middle of Western Sichuan Depression, Sichuan Basin

Abstract

As the underground mines in new energy and one of oil and gas associated minerals, the evaluation of geothermal resources of SINOPEC Southwest Branch Company is of great significance to the overall exploration and development and utilization of oil and gas associated minerals. SINOPEC Southwest Branch Company have many exploration and mining blocks in Sichuan Basin, the research object is exploration block in middle of Western Sichuan Depression. Based on the regional geological setting, structural evolution characteristics, geothermal field and the features of geothermal, the study area is divided into five evaluation units and calculate the geothermal resource of clastic rock thermal reservoir of Triassic Xujiahe Formation-Cretaceous with the thermal energy storage method. The geothermal reservoirs in the study area are Cretaceous, Jurassic Penglaizhen Formation and Shaximiao Formation, Upper Triassic Xujiahe 4 member, Xujiahe 2 member of buried shallower than 4000m in the margin of the basin. The geothermal gradient is 1.9 to 2.4?/100m, and the geothermal water temperatures range is 27 to 110?.Based on the parameters of geothermal reservoir area, thickness, heat capacity and density, porosity and temperature, the geothermal resources in the study area is calculated to be 7.97×1017kJ, which is equivalent to 272.18×108t of standard coal, the exploitable geothermal reserves is 3.98×1016kJ , which is equivalent to 13.61×108t of standard coal.