Geothermal Resources

In the Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory, the Earth's surface and internal temperatures are studied.  Using the financial support from the Department of Energy, we compiled a Regional Geothermal data base for the United States and a more detailed Western Geothermal Area data base - containing the majority of wells drilled for geothermal exploration from 1960-2000.

Regional Geothermal Database of U.S. Western Geothermal Areas Database
Description: a database of primarily regional or background wells that determine the heat flow for the United States; temperature gradients and conductivity are used to generate heat flow measurements; some wells close together have been averaged; wells within geothermal anomalies are located, but not utilized in the regional analysis. 

Database includes: latitude/longitude, township/range, AMS sheet, well depth, elevation, max./min. temp, BHT, gradient(s), thermal conductivity, heat flow, heat production, porosity, date of drilling and logging measurements, water table depth, lithology and references. 

Maps using the data base and more information are on the Heat Flow page. Downloadable database. 

 Description: a database of over 5000 wells in primarily high temperature geothermal areas from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean; all wells within a geothermal area are located where available;  the majority of the data are from company documents, well logs and publications.  Many of the wells were not previously accessible to the public. 

Database includes: latitude/longitude, township/range, well depth, elevation, maximum temp, BHT, gradient(s), thermal conductivity, heat flow, date of drilling and logging measurement(s), lithology and references. 

The Western US Geothermal database is available over the Internet!  Contact Maria Richards if you have questions about it. 

See below plots of database parameters. 

     
Well data in Western Geothermal Database
Well data in Western Geothermal Database
Well data in Western Geothermal Database

 

Companies with Significant Contributions to Database

AMAX Aminoil USA Oxy Geothermal  NuFuels
Gulf Chevron Earth Power Production Co.  Phillips
Ensearch  Union Geothermal Transpacific Geothermal  Getty Oil 
Hunt Anadarko Petro. Southland Royalty Sunoco