reservoir geomecanics

Figure 11.8. (a) Location map of the Dixie Valley geothermal area in central Nevada. Contours indicate depth
to basement. Arrows indicate the direction of S hmin from observations of wellbore breakouts and drillinginduced
tensile fractures in the wells indicated. (b) Schematic cross-section of the Dixie Valley system
showing that hot water comes into the fault zone reservoir at ∼4 km depth. Prior to exploitation of
geothermal energy (hot water that flashes to steam in producing wells), fluid flowed out of the fault zone
and into fractured basalts beneath the valley. After Hickman, Barton et al. (1997).