Mazara Del Vallo Geothermal Assessment, Sicily

Autor: Domenico Montanari[1], G. Bertini[1], S. Botteghi [1], F. Caiozzi [1], M. Doveri [1], G. Gianelli [1], G. Gola [1], A. Manzella [1], A. Minissale [1], G. Montegrossi [1], E. Trumpy [1], R. de Franco [2], G. Caielli [2], G. Norini [2], S. Monteleone [3], R. Catalano [3], A. Contino [4], C. Gennaro[4], M. Iorio [4], M. Sabatino [4]
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2012
Předmět:
Zdroj: 39th Course of the International School of Geophysics on UNDERSTANDING GEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY, Erice, 25/09-01/10 2012
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Domenico Montanari[1], G. Bertini[1], S. Botteghi [1], F. Caiozzi [1], M. Doveri [1], G. Gianelli [1], G. Gola [1], A. Manzella [1], A. Minissale [1], G. Montegrossi [1], E. Trumpy [1], R. de Franco [2], G. Caielli [2], G. Norini [2], S. Monteleone [3], R. Catalano [3], A. Contino [4], C. Gennaro[4], M. Iorio [4], M. Sabatino [4]/congresso_nome:39th Course of the International School of Geophysics on UNDERSTANDING GEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY/congresso_luogo:Erice/congresso_data:25%2F09-01%2F10 2012/anno:2012/pagina_da:/pagina_a:/intervallo_pagine
Popis: From a geothermal point of view western Sicily is a very interesting area, with the manifestation at surface of several thermal springs, localized areas of moderately high heat flux (more than 90 mW/m2) and thick carbonates units uninterruptedly developing from surface up top great depths. In this area oil exploration provided new insights for the definition of geometric relationships between tectonic units and structural reconstruction at depth (Catalano et al., 1995; Catalano et al., 1998; Catalano et al., 2002), but also delivered a great amount of data, resulting very suitable for geothermal resource assessment Unfortunately these data were often collected with the modalities and purposes typical of oil exploration, not always the finest for geothermal exploration as in the case of temperature measurements. The multidisciplinary and integrated review of these data, specifically reread for geothermal purposes, and the integration with new data acquired in particular key areas, such as the Mazara Del Vallo site in the southern part of western Sicily, allowed us to better understand this medium-enthalpy geothermal system (with measured temperatures up to 100 °C), to reconstruct the modalities and peculiarities of fluids circulation, and to evaluate the geothermal potentialities of western Sicily. Using the preliminary attempt to evaluate the geothermal potentialities of western Sicily performed by the National Research Council in the frame of the inventories of geothermal resources (Catalano et al., 1982; Fancelli et al, 1991; Fancelli et al., 1994) as a starting point, our approach was to combine the available data with newly acquired geological, geophysical and hydro-geochemical ones, incorporating all information into a 3D geothermal model ofsouth-western Sicily. We identified the main recharge areas of the geothermal system on the higher reliefs in the inner part of western Sicily (e.g. Montagna Grande area). Our review of well data highlighted that away from such carbonatic outcrops the geothermal reservoir deepens towards SW reaching a depth of about 2000 m.b.s.l. in the Mazara del Vallo area. Along the same direction, available measurements pointed out an increase of temperatures from 35-40°C up to 95-100°C (this latter measured in the Contrada Triglia1 well, Mazara del Vallo). The analysis of temperature data measured inside the regional geothermal reservoir allowed us to identify a similar behavior for temperature variation with depth within the different part of reservoir. Indeed, even if starting from different measured temperatures at the top of carbonatic reservoir a gradient of about 10°C km-1 was observed in proximal and distal parts of the system -as well as in the intermediate ones- in respect to recharge areas. This feature allowed us to depict the system as a regional scale reservoir with a significant convective flow, identifying the Mazara Del Vallo area as a promising site for geothermal exploitation of this medium-enthalpy resource.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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