This picture immortalizes the signing of the 25-year lease at $25 per year of the 1884 Little Rock School building for the purpose of establishing it as a museum. Pictured, left to right are: A. F. Weaver, President of the Mineral Wells Heritage Association; L. Gordon Nelson, Vice President; Mrs. Gordon Nelson, Chairperson for the Restoration Committee. Seated is Bill Hall, Superintendent of Mineral Wells Schools. The photograph was taken in July, 1975. The Little Rock School, in 2007, remains a museum dedicated to the preservation of the History of Mineral Wells. This picture appears in "Time Was in Mineral Wells...." on page 173.

Photograph of the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas.

Photograph of the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas.

Photograph of the Old Post Office Building in Mineral Wells, Texas.

Sixty-six papers were presented on cycling of natural and man-made elements, including terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, as well as current ideas on modeling. Principles governing elemental flow included radiocesium in natural environments, especially in the southeastern United States. Individual entries were made for 47 items.

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This report presents results of a Workshop on Geophysical Measurements in Geothermal Wells, hosted in Albuquerque, September 17-19, by Sandia Laboratories and jointly sponsored by the United States Geological Survey and the Energy Research and Development Administration. During the workshop, tutorial papers dealing with the geothermal resource, geothermal logging, and high temperature technology were followed by working panel sessions. Three panels deliberated, respectively, well and reservoir parameters, log interpretation, and high temperature technology. In a final session, the reports of the panels were heard and discussed by the full workshop. A summary of the workshop conclusions and recommendations, as well as the complete panel statements, are presented. (auth)

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Geothermal wells must be sampled for a variety of purposes including geologic and geochemical interpretation, engineering design of facilities, environmental release evaluation, and documentation of baseline conditions. Basic factors influencing the choice and application of sampling methods are reviewed including the type of the geothermal resource, the analyses of interest, well production parameters, utilization processes, and possible sample contamination or instability. Three basic methods of sampling are described including condensation, phase separation, and use of evacuated containers. Several practical problems experienced by various workers are discussed. These include the natural variability of fluid composition with time, effects of well-bore heat losses, effects of well flow rate and production time, sampling locations, laboratory simulation studies, contamination by corrosion reactions, and documentation of hydrologic systems possibly connected to the geothermal resource. (auth)

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The purpose of this report is to recommend a reasonable program of brine chemistry research that will result in the development of methods for predicting and controlling scale deposition, and in guidelines for the selection of corrosion-resistant construction materials. First, background information, which is necessary for the understanding of the problems of scaling and corrosion in the Salton Sea KGRA, is presented through a review of the history of geothermal exploration and development in the Salton Sea. Second, literature relevant to the geochemistry of the Salton Sea field is reviewed and important results are emphasized. Third, current research efforts directed toward actual power plant construction are summarized and evaluated. Fourth, research which has been proposed but is not currently funded is discussed. Fifth, because silica scaling has been the most troublesome problem in the past, the basic chemistry of silica and its relationship to scaling is discussed. Sixth, recommendations for future research are made in which a fundamental engineering approach is emphasized. In this approach, experiments would be conducted on actual process equipment and detailed chemical analyses would be performed on site in well-equipped field laboratories. 88 references.

A preliminary study of the Frio sand distribution and formation temperatures and pressures was undertaken in order to define prospective areas in which a more detailed reservoir analysis is necessary prior to the selection of a site for a geothermal well. As a result two potential geothermal fairways were identified--one in the south part of the area in Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron Counties, and the other in the north part in north-central Nueces County.

This report covers the objectives and the status of a long-range program to develop techniques for assessing the resource potential of liquid-dominated geothermal systems. Field studies underway in northern Nevada comprise a systematic integrated program of geologic, geophysical, and geochemical measurements, necessary to specify a drilling program encompassing heat flow holes, deep calibration holes, and ultimately, deep test wells. The status of Nevada field activities is described. The areas under study are in a region characterized by high heat flow where temperatures at depth in some geothermal systems exceed 180 C. Areas presently being examined include Beowawe Hot Springs in Whirlwind Valley. Buffalo Valley Hot Springs, Leach Hot Springs in Grass Valley, and Kyle Hot Springs in Buena Vista Valley. Geologic studies encompass detailed examinations of structure and lithology to establish the geologic framework of the areas. The geothermal occurrences are characterized by zones of intense fault intersection, which furnish permeable channelways for the introduction of meteoric water into regions of high temperature at depth.

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The phase I activities are summarized as follows: management, the geophysical program, the engineering program, the environmental--socioeconomic program, and the drilling program. (MHR)

The research program was divided into three areas: geophysical--exploratory surveys to define the most favorable areas for geothermal investigations; engineering--analytical models to assist in interpretation of geophysical results, and studies on energy recovery from hot brine; and, environmental-socioeconomic--legal and regulatory aspects of ownership and administration of geothermal resources, and economic planning studies on the impact of geothermal power. Summaries of results obtained to date in each of the research areas are presented; a list of reference publications where these results are reviewed in greater detail is included. (JGB)

Results of Phase I of the Hawaii Geothermal Project (HGP) are reported. It was a multidisciplinary research effort in the following program areas: (1) geophysical--exploratory surveys to define the most favorable areas for geothermal investigations; (2) engineering-- analytical models to assist in interpretation of geophysical results, and studies on energy recovery from hot brine; and (3) socioeconomic--legal and regulatory aspects of ownership and administration of geothermal resources, and economic planning studies on the impact of geothermal resources, and economic planning studies on the impact of geothermal power. The major emphasis of Phase I was on the Geophysical Program, since the issue of if and where geothermal resources exist is crucial to the project. However, parallel studies were initiated in all supporting programs, so that progress was made in identifying and clarifying the technological, environmental, legal, regulatory, social and economic problems that could impede the development of geothermal power in Hawaii. Although the analysis and interpretation of field data are still incomplete, the consensus developed early--both on the basis of preliminary geophysical results and from complementary studies conducted on the Big Island over the past several decades--that an exploratory drilling program would be essential to check out the subsurface conditions predicted …

A series of tests on ckres taken from the Wairakei geothermal site in New Zealand are reported. The cores tests are representative of each of the four basic rock types significant to the functioning of the site. Ultrasonic velocity measurements were made for each rock type tk determine elastic moduli under simulated in situ conditions. Hydrostatic and triaxial deformation tests were performed on three samples of the aquifer rock to determine the effect of in situ stress on the elastic deformation moduli. Thermal conductivity was measured on all four rock types. Tabulation and graphical representation of the measured properties are included. All test procedures and apparatuses are described in detal. (MHR)

The Bruneau-Grand View area occupies about 1,100 square miles in southwest Idaho and is on the southern flank of the large depression in which lies the western Snake River Plain. The igneous and sedimentary rocks in the area range in age from Late Cretaceous to Holocene. The aquifers in the area have been separated into two broad units: (1) the volcanic-rock aquifers, and (2) the overlying sedimentary-rock aquifers. The Idavada Volcanics or underlying rock units probably constitute the reservoir that contains thermal water. An audio-magnetotelluric survey indicates that a large conductive zone having apparent resistivities approaching 2 ohm-meters underlies a part of the area at a relatively shallow depth. Chemical analysis of 94 water samples collected in 1973 show that the thermal waters in the area are of a sodium bicarbonate type. Although dissolved-solids concentrations of water ranged from 181 to 1,100 milligrams per litre (mg/1) in the volcanic-rock aquifers, they were generally less than 500 mg/1. Measured chloride concentrations of water in the volcanic-rock aquifers were less than 20 mg/1. Temperatures of water from wells and springs ranged from 9.5/sup 0/ to 83.0/sup 0/C. Temperatures of water from the volcanic-rock aquifers ranged from 40.0/sup 0/ to 83.0/sup 0/C, whereas …

Corrosion and scaling problems have a significant impact on geothermal plant economics. A power plant must amortize the capital investment over a 20-year period and achieve satisfactory operating efficiency to achieve financial success. Corrosion and scale incrustations have been encountered in all geothermal plants, and to various degrees, adversely affected plant life times and power output. Using published data this report analyzes known geothermal corrosion and scaling phenomena for significant cost impacts on plant design and operation. It has been necessary to speculate about causes and mechanisms in order to estimate impacts on conceptual geothermal plants. Silica is highly soluble in hot geothermal water and solubility decreases as water is cooled in a geothermal power plant. Calculations indicate as much as 30,000 tons/year could pass through a 100 MWe water cycle plant. The major cost impact will be on the reinjection well system where costs of 1 to 10 mills/kwhr of power produced could accrue to waste handling alone. On the other hand, steam cycle geothermal plants have a definite advantage in that significant silica problems will probably only occur in hot dry rock concepts, where steam above 250 C is produced. Calculation methods are given for estimating the required …

Geothermal heat flow in the Gulf basin is primarily a function of its hydrology. Water expelled from sediments with deepening burial and increasing overburden load escapes upward and toward the basin margin. Where it moves freely in the hydropressure zone, the basin is relatively cool; but where rapid sedimentation and contemporaneous faulting have retarded water loss from compacting sediments, the interstitial fluid pressure reflects a part of the overburden load, and the formation waters are superheated and geopressured. The geopressured zone is common below depths of about 3 km (9,600 ft) in the basin, beneath an area of 375,000 km{sup 2} (150,000 mi{sup 2}), and extends downward perhaps 15 km (50,000 ft) to the base of Cenozoic deposits. The upper boundary of the geopressured zone is the most important physical interface in the basin. Across it the head of formation water increases downward from a few hundred to several thousand feet above sea level; the geothermal gradient increases downward from 20° to 40° C/km to 100°C/km or more; the salinity of formation water decreases downward, commonly by 50,000 mg/l or more; and the porosity of shale and sand increases downward by 10 to 25 percent. Petroleum matures in geopressured clay …

Yield and water relations in the Los Alamos supply wells were evaluated because of the increasing demand for water. Water-level declines were extrapolated for 10 yr, to 1983, on the basis of past records. On the basis of current pumpage, the extrapolations indicate that nonpumping water levels in individual wells will decline from 10 to 30 ft. Well characteristics were compiled to provide an individual history of each well, and recommendations for improving water production are presented. (auth)