Current status of geothermal-electric production in Mexico

2nd International Geothermal Conference, GEOHEAT2018

Gutiérrez-Negrin, Luis C.A.^1

Geocónsul, SA de CV, CeMIE-Geo and GEMex Project, Carlos López 466, Mich., Morelia

58090, Mexico^1

关键词: Geothermal fluids;    Geothermal potential;    Geothermal reservoir;    hydrothermal;    Installed capacity;    Me-xico;    Tectonic settings;    Volcanic structures;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/249/1/012017/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1755-1315/249/1/012017

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Located at the southern section of the North America Plate, Mexico is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, with important portions of its territory subject to volcanic and seismic events, due to subduction and transforming processes occurring between the plates of Cocos, Pacific, North America and Rivera. In particular, the Cocos Plate's subduction has produced the Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB), which is an E-W oriented strip composed of Plio-Quaternary volcanic structures and products that extends in central Mexico from coast to coast and includes some currently active volcanoes. Within the MVB are located three of the five geothermal fields in operation in Mexico, known as Los Humeros with 94 MW of installed capacity, Los Azufres with 247 MW, and Domo San Pedro with 35 MW. The geothermal fluids of all of these three fields are hosted mainly in volcanic rocks. The largest and oldest field in operation is Cerro Prieto, with 570 MW, fluids contained in sedimentary rocks (sandstones intermixed into shales) and located in the northwestern region of the country, near the border to the United States. The smallest field is Las TresVirgenes with only 10 MW and fluids hosted by granitic rocks, located in the Baja California Peninsula. Thus, the geothermal electric installed capacity is 956 MW, all exploiting hydrothermal type geothermal reservoirs, but the still untapped geothermal potential from the same type of resources is estimated at more than 2500 MW.