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A preliminary study on the potential of the geothermal resources around the Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Arabian Journal of Geosciences • 2013
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Publication Information
Authors Aref Lashin
Keywords Geothermal resources . Temperature profiles . Heat generation . Geothermometers . Energy production Gulf of Suez
Journal Arabian Journal of Geosciences
Publisher Springer
Volume 6
Issue 8
Pages 2807–2828
publication.type International
Paper Link Open Link
Supplementary Materials Not Available
Abstract
The Gulf of Suez is characterized by the presence
of many hot springs and deep thermal wells scattered around
its coastal areas. So it is considered one of the promised
geothermal areas in Egypt. In this study, the main emphasis
is to investigate the geothermal potential around the Gulf of
Suez using the available logging and geothermometer datasets.
The temperature profiles and well logging data of some
hot springs and deep wells around or within the coastal area
of the Gulf of Suez are used in this study. The temperature
profiles are analyzed and some important thermophysical
properties are estimated (geothermal gradient, thermal conductivity,
heat flow, and specific heat capacity). Such analysis
revealed that a medium to high geothermal gradient
(22.0–30°C/Km) is given for the Gulf of Suez as a whole,
with some spots of much higher gradient in the order of
35.0–44°C/Km (Ras Fanar and Hammam Faraun areas).
The compiled thermal plots show that the thick evaporites
and rock salt lithology, which is a major constituent in this
area, attain the highest thermal conductivity (>3.10 W/m/K)
and heat flow (>90 mW/m2) and the lowest specific heat
capacity (