Geothermal Energy Potential of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, Canada

Abstract

The Mount Meager area of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, in southwestern British Columbia, Canada was initially defined as one of the highest temperature geothermal resources in Canada, with temperatures exceeding 250 °C. However, the project has yet to be brought on line given challenges with finding sufficient flow rates from wells drilled to date. While a technical success, in that the exploration program discovered a high temperature reservoir, development of the site was limited by the low permeability rocks at depth. Renewed interest in geothermal potential in Canada, led to initiation of a new research program to help reduce exploration risk for geothermal energy associated with volcanic systems. The main aim of this work is to enhance techniques that can be employed to predict the occurrence of hot and permeable aquifers in the sub-surface. To this end, a multidisciplinary geoscience field program, the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt Geothermal Energy Project, was initiated. Work includes new geophysical, geological, and geochemical exploration around Mount Meager as well as Mount Cayley volcanoes. This report summarises the field program activities, the range of data collected and the integrated results being developed into new resource assessment models.