Establishing geothermometric constraints on the local geothermal gradients: Case study of the Eastern Cordillera Basin, Colombia

Abstract

Geochemical analyses were performed on 170 coal bed-trapped groundwater samples from 97 underground mines located in the Eastern Cordillera Basin, Colombia. The waters analyzed in this paper are from exploited coal beds, located up to 0.73 km deep, which emerge along with the local fault systems. The hydrochemical facies were classified based on the concentration of major ions by inferring the equilibrium state and rock water source. The main hydrochemical facies presented in the groundwater study are SO4CaMg, HCO3Ca, HCO3CaMg, and SO4HCO3 mixed waters. We used geothermometric equations to estimate the most probable temperature under in-situ conditions and the propagation of errors theory to test the results. The geothermal gradient in the study area is close to 30 °C/km, which is consistent with measurements from oil wells within the study area. Principal Component Analysis was used to explain factors affecting formation water composition and hydrogeochemical evolution of aquifers. Keywords: Geothermometers, Hydrochemistry, Coal bed, Formation waters, Eastern Cordillera Basin