CATHERINE NYAKECHO

GEOLOGIST

Department of Geological Survey and Mines, Uganda

Email: ncathy.geology@gmail.com

World Geothermal Congress 2010, Bali, Indonesia. 25th-30th April, 2010

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Funders of the project, UNDP/UNDESD co-funded
by OPEC and Iceland

Gestur Gíslason and Halldór Ármannsson, UNU-GTP
Iceland.

All the trained geothermal team in Uganda.
 CONTENT

1.Introduction
2.Field activities
3.Results, chemical analysis and discussion
4.Conclusion
LOCATION
 Kibiro

Buranga

Katwe

The Prospects are all located in the Albertine graben that runs along
the border of Uganda with the DRC.

The three areas were chosen for study because of their volcanic and
tectonic features that indicate heat sources and high permeability.
 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The principal purpose of this geochemical survey in the

three propects was to predict subsurface temperatures, obtain
information on the origin of the geothermal fluid and
understand subsurface flow directions.

The basis philosophy behind geochemical prospecting of

geothermal resources is that the concentration of many
components in the geothermal fluid, i.e. neutral aqueous
solutions and gaseous steam, reflect thermal conditions at
depth.
 FIELD ACTIVITIES
The sampling was done in 1993-1994 (UNDP/UNDESD project
co-funded by OPEC and Iceland).

The main activities:

Chemical sampling of geothermal surface manifestations
(hot springs);

Surface and ground waters temperature;

Flow rates;

PH field and conductivity measurements;

Preparation of samples (Filtering, sample for CO2/H2S);

Analysis of the samples for major and minor components
and stable isotopes;

Sample analysis and interpretation;
•pH

•Filtering
Field activities continued…………
•Hot springs with flow over 0.5 L/s were preferentially sampled since
these were less likely to have been affected by dilution and evaporation.

•Water samples were collected in a jug (on a rod, at Nyansimbe pool) so

that they could be obtained from the center of the spring (its hottest part,
presumed to be the point where hot water enters the pool).

•The waters were transferred to a rinsed 100ml plastic bottle.

•The untreated H2O samples were to be analyzed for PH-lab, SO4, HCO3.

•Another set of H2O samples were treated at the time of collection

(filtered-0.4µm filters, acidified with HNO3-1ml of acid/100ml of H2O)
& were collected into a rinsed 50-ml polythene bottles. This was to be
analyzed for Cl, SiO2 & major cations.

•All samples were then bottled at the sampling temperature to minimize

errors arising from evaporation.
Katwe Kigorongo Geothermal, surface and ground water sampling points.
Buranga Geothermal surface and ground water sampling points.
Kibiro Geothermal surface and ground water sampling points.
 RESULTS CHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Laboratory analysis was carried out at BGR, Germany.
High salinity, high CO3 ,SO4contents tend to invalidates solute
geothermometer results. Subsurface temperatures are estimated at 140-
200°C using plausible solute geothermometers (Ármannsson, 1994).
Lake Kitagata and Lake Katwe craters have high levels of H2S of about
30-40 ppm which, suggests the source of the geothermal water to be
volcanic and hydrothermal (Bahati, 2003).
Neutral PH and salinity of 14,000 – 17,000 mg/kg TDS.
 After a good agreement from earlier study by Ármannsson (1994) for
all solute geothermometers tested for several hot springs and pools, it
was concluded that the subsurface temperature was 120-150°C.
No H2S from gas analysis indicating that the subsurface temperature
cannot exceed 200°C.
There are no indications of mixing of the geothermal and cold water.
•Neutral pH, salinity of up to 4,000 - 5,000 mg/kg TDS.
•High Cl compared to the SO4 and HCO3 concentration and is classified
as mature waters suitable for application of geoindicators.

•Relatively low B values compared to Cl and Li suggest that the fluids

are more likely to originate from volcanic basement rocks rather than
from the young overlying sediments.
Discussion Kibiro Results Continued:
•Results by Ármannsson (1994) for different geothermometers for hot
water samples from Kibiro fell into two groups ; Temperature of about
150 C and another 200 - 220 C.

• One component solute geothermometers, e.g. quartz, and

geothermometers based on ratios of components that equilibrate fast, e.g.
K-Mg gave the lower temperatures . The higher temperature was
obtained by geothermometers based on ratios between components that
equilibrate more slowly, e.g. Na-K, and gas geothermometers.

•These observations suggest that the geothermal fluid is a mixture of a

hot water component at 200 - 220°C and cold water producing a second
equilibrium at 150°C.

• A subsurface temperature of 200 - 220°C is therefore inferred by

geothermometry and mixing models for Kibiro.
•The fluids maybe dilute and would probably be hard to utilize.
 CONCLUSIONS
1. Katwe –Kikorongo
•The chemistry of the waters from the surface manifestations
and hot springs indicate high subsurface temperatures.
•Geothermometry has predicted reservoir temperatures in the
range of 150 - 200 C.

•The fluids in the crater lakes and springs are saline and
alkaline and are probably concentrated by evaporation and/or
modified by near surface processes, but the reservoir fluids
may be more dilute. This is supported by the low salinity of
the geothermal waters sampled from the hot springs in the
Lake Kitagata crater as compared to its lake water.

•The fluids would be suitable for direct power production.

2. Buranga Geothermal prospect

•The reservoir temperatures for Buranga are estimated at 120 -

150 C by geothermometry.

•There is plentiful supply of fluid, which is fairly saline with

total dissolved solids of up to 14,000 - 17,000 mg/kg.

•This fluid would be suitable for binary turbine power

production and industrial use.
3. Kibiro Geothermal prospect

•Chemistry and stable isotope data interpretation has indicated

mixing of geothermal water and cold groundwater in Kibiro.

•A subsurface temperature of 200 C and above is predicted by

geothermometry and mixing models.

•The geothermal fluid is less saline, neutral, with total

dissolved solids of approximately 4,000 - 5,000 mg/kg.

•This fluid would be suitable for direct power production.

THANK YOU