Poroelastic Tomography by Adjoint Inverse Modeling of Data Award Number: DE-EE0006760 CX(s) Applied: B3.1 Geothermal Technologies Office Date: 01/28/2016 Location(s): WI Office(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
January 28, 2016
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Poroelastic Tomography by Adjoint Inverse Modeling of Data
Award Number: DE-EE0006760
CX(s) Applied: B3.1
Geothermal Technologies Office
Date: 01/28/2016
Location(s): WI
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The University of Wisconsin – Madison (UWM) would utilize DOE and cost share funding to quantify reservoir complexity for characterizing and managing the Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) at Brady Hot Springs, Nevada. The objective of the project is to assess an integrated technology for characterizing and monitoring changes in an EGS reservoir in three dimensions with a spatial resolution better than 50 meters. A previous NEPA Determination (GFO-0006760-001; CX A9; 09/11/14) approved all project tasks except Task 6. This NEPA Determination is specific to Task 6 activities only.
Task 6 of the project is an innovative geophysical survey known as Poroelastic Tomography (PoroTomo) that would take place at the Brady geothermal power plant site located approximately 19 miles northeast of Fernley, Nevada in Churchill County on private lands and public lands administered by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District, Humboldt River Field Office. The PoroTomo survey would combine seismic geophysical techniques (270 seismometers installed) with high-resolution fiber optic cable sensors (29,300 linear feet of cabling) to produce detailed three-dimensional images of the site’s geology and structure (faults).