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At least 289 records · Page 16

Distribution of Natural Radionuclides at the Nevada National Security Site

According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) publications, contributions of terrestrial gamma doses are mainly from the presence of 40 K, and of 238 U and 232 Th together with their progeny in various rocks and soils. A survey of soil distributions of radionuclides 40 K, 238 U, and 232 Th was performed at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) using in situ gamma-ray spectrometry with a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The average activity concentrations of 40 K, 238 U, and 232 Th in natural soils at the NNSS are 867 Bq kg -1 (range from 150 ± 8 to 1297 ± 56 Bq kg -1 ), 50 Bq kg -1 (range from 29 ± 3 to 74 ± 8 Bq kg -1 ), and 56 Bq kg -1 (range from 11 ± 2 to 96 ± 10 Bq kg -1 ), respectively. The concentration at each location is significantly associated with its geological lithology. The terrestrial gamma dose rates around the NNSS were estimated from 26 to 144 nSv h -1 with mean value of 93 nSv h -1 . In conclusion, our results provide useful information about the natural background radiation and radiological effects of naturally occurring radionuclides at the NNSS.

environmental assessment↗

Utah FORGE: Reports on Northwestern Nevada Well Doublet Drilling and Testing by Fervo Energy

These reports review Fervo Energy's construction of a commercial enhanced geothermal system (EGS). Fervo has qualified full functionality of the system through production testing at commercially relevant operating conditions. The project site is located in a nearfield setting adjacent to an operating geothermal power station in north-central Nevada and is designed to deliver an uplift in high-temperature geothermal flow rates to increase the power capacity at the facility. The project involved drilling a first-of-a-kind EGS horizontal doublet well system consisting of an injection and production well pair within a high-temperature hard-rock geothermal formation. The lithology of the target reservoir is characterized as a mixed metasedimentary and igneous formation, comprised of phyllite, quartzite, diorite, and granodiorite, representative of the geology across the most prospective geothermal areas throughout the western US. This work included a 16-stage plug-and-perforate stimulation treatment which was the first of its kind in a high-temperature mixed metasedimentary and granitic formation in a fully horizontal doublet geothermal well.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Potential structures - Applications of Machine Learning Techniques to Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis in the Great Basin Region, Nevada

This submission contains shapefiles, geotiffs, and symbology for the revised-from-Play-Fairway potential structures/structural settings used in the Nevada Geothermal Machine Learning project. Layers include potential structural setting ellipses, centroids, and distance-to-centroid raster. A submission linking the full GitHub repository for our machine learning Jupyter Notebooks will appear in the related datasets section of this page once available.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

WHOLESCALE Catalog of Rock Samples at San Emidio Nevada collected in January 2021

This submission contains information on thirty-six rock samples collected from San Emidio, Nevada during January, 2021 for Subtask 2.3 of the WHOLESCALE project. The following resources include a .zip of rock sample photos taken in the field, a .zip of rock sample photos taken in the laboratory at UW-Madison, and an excel catalog of rock samples with information on sample name, rock type, coordinates of sample location, structural measurements, field notes, observations for plug preparation (e.g., weathering, ability to be cut and cored), and rock descriptions. It should be noted that not every sample was photographed in the field. Names and descriptions of rock formation units are taken from Rhodes et al. (2011). The README.txt file is a description of this submission.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Machine Learning Model Geotiffs - Applications of Machine Learning Techniques to Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis in the Great Basin Region, Nevada

This submission contains geotiffs, supporting shapefiles and readmes for the inputs and output models of algorithms explored in the Nevada Geothermal Machine Learning project, meant to accompany the final report. Layers include: Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Bayesian Neural Network (BNN), Principal Component Analysis (PCA/PCAk), Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF/NMFk), input rasters of feature sets, and positive/negative training sites. See readme .txt files and final report for additional metadata. A submission linking the full codebase for generating machine learning output models is available under "related resources" on this page.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

GIS Resource Compilation Map Package - Applications of Machine Learning Techniques to Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis in the Great Basin Region, Nevada

This submission contains an ESRI map package (.mpk) with an embedded geodatabase for GIS resources used or derived in the Nevada Machine Learning project, meant to accompany the final report. The package includes layer descriptions, layer grouping, and symbology. Layer groups include: new/revised datasets (paleo-geothermal features, geochemistry, geophysics, heat flow, slip and dilation, potential structures, geothermal power plants, positive and negative test sites), machine learning model input grids, machine learning models (Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Bayesian Neural Network (BNN), Principal Component Analysis (PCA/PCAk), Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF/NMFk) - supervised and unsupervised), original NV Play Fairway data and models, and NV cultural/reference data. See layer descriptions for additional metadata. Smaller GIS resource packages (by category) can be found in the related datasets section of this submission. A submission linking the full codebase for generating machine learning output models is available through the "Related Datasets" link on this page, and contains results beyond the top picks present in this compilation.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

WHOLESCALE: Coordinates of wells at San Emidio, Nevada

This dataset includes position coordinates and elevation information for wells at the WHOLESCALE San Emidio project location. Well positions in the attached file are characterized by UTM coordinates (Easting, Northing) in meters, and WHOLESCALE coordinates (Easting, Northing) relative in meters from a chosen reference point. The elevation of the top and bottom of open intervals within each well (representing locations of perforated or open-hole sections) are measured in meters (positive) above WGS84 geoid (mean sea level). The WHOLESCALE acronym stands for Water & Hole Observations Leverage Effective Stress Calculations and Lessen Expenses. The goal of the WHOLESCALE project is to simulate the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of stress in the geothermal system at San Emidio in Nevada, United States.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

WHOLESCALE: Seismic Survey Data from San Emidio Nevada 2021

This dataset includes raw and processed seismic data from the 2021 seismic survey at the San Emidio geothermal field in Nevada. In April and May 2021, 37 tri-axial short period seismographs were deployed in a 1.8km diameter cluster centered on 40.367278 N, 119.409019 W. The first data record started at 2021-04-06T07:09:10Z UTC and the last record ended at 2021-05-11T02:58:52Z UTC. The 37 stations included 29 SmartSolo IGU-16HR 3C all-in-one 5 Hz seismographs and 8 DataCube seismographs with 4.5 Hz HGS HG-6(B coil) tri-axial geophones. The raw format (level 0) data includes 353 GB of 500 sps SmartSolo data in native DLD format, 113 GB of 400 sps DataCube data in native DataCube format, and 3.4 GB of GPS data collected during the RTK GPS survey. The SAC data (level 1) files include 564 GB of hourly SAC files. The experiment was designed to monitor seismic activity before, during, and after the planned three-day plant maintenance shutdown April 19-21, 2021. The pumping stopped at 2021/04/19 12:51:45 UTC and resumed about 2021/04/21 21:00:00 UTC. The dataset is hosted in an AWS data lake, with an associated GDR data set providing the metadata. Links to both of these resources are included below. Additionally, this collection features data and metadata from a 2016 seismic survey at the same site for comparative analysis.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

WHOLESCALE: Seismic Survey Metadata from San Emidio Nevada 2021

This is a collection of metadata from the 2021 seismic survey at the San Emidio geothermal field in Nevada. In April and May 2021, 37 tri-axial short period seismographs were deployed in a 1.8km diameter cluster centered on 40.367278 deg N, 119.409019 deg W. The first data record started at 2021-04-06T07:09:10Z UTC and the last record ended 2021-05-11T02:58:52Z UTC. The 37 stations included 29 SmartSolo IGU-16HR 3C all-in-one 5 Hz seismographs and 8 DataCube seismographs with 4.5 Hz HGS HG-6(B coil) tri-axial geophones. The raw format (level 0) data includes 353 GB of 500 sps SmartSolo data in native DLD format, 113 GB of 400 sps DataCube data in native DataCube format, and 3.4 GB of GPS data collected during the RTK GPS survey. The SAC data (level 1) files include 564 GB of hourly SAC files. The experiment was designed to monitor seismic activity before, during, and after the planned three-day plant maintenance shutdown April 19-21, 2021. The pumping stopped at 2021/04/19 12:51:45 UTC and resumed about 2021/04/21 21:00:00 UTC. The raw and processed data are in an associated GDR submission, linked below. The metadata here includes files containing experiment details, station locations, seismic data logger specifications, instrumentation specifications, and descriptions of data. Also included are data and metadata from a 2016 seismic survey at the same site.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Model of Corrective Action Units 101 and 102: Central and Western Pahute Mesa, Nye County, Nevada (Rev. 1)

This document presents the groundwater flow and transport models along with simulation forecasts needed for the purpose of developing the ensemble of contaminant boundaries (CBs) for the Central and Western Pahute Mesa (PM) corrective action units (CAUs) 101 and 102. The PM CAUs are areas of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) that were historically used for underground nuclear testing.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

CY 2022 Underground Test Area Annual Sampling Letter Report Nevada National Security Site, Rev. 1 WITH ROTC-1

This plan describes the approach for collecting and analyzing groundwater samples to meet the objectives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental describes the approach for collecting and analyzing groundwater samples to meet the objectives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Management (EM) Nevada Program’s UGTA Activity. The Plan is designed to ensure compliance with the UGTA Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), and the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order: Nevada National Security Site Use Restriction Management Plan with ROTC 1

This Use Restriction Management Plan (URMP) provides the information needed to create, modify, and manage use restrictions (URs) for sites on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), and sites accessed through the NNSS main gate, that were closed using the corrective action alternative (CAA) of closure in place under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) (1996, as amended). (Note: This pertains to those FFACO sites not managed by the U.S. Department of Energy [DOE], Legacy Management.) The closure in place alternative is used for sites closed with residual contamination at levels requiring corrective action as determined using the FFACO process. The URs contain and control all requirements for long-term monitoring. This URMP also serves as the single repository of the URs implemented under the FFACO that identify use restricted areas and contain the current requirements for inspections, maintenance, and monitoring of the UR. The requirements in these URs replace all requirements listed in previous documentation. This consolidates post-closure monitoring requirements into a single source that ensures completeness and consistency of UR requirements and information. Standardized UR forms were developed to clearly document post-closure requirements that are consistent with current protocols and to ensure consistent information is contained in the URs. Standard notification, summary, and site controls statements were developed for all URs with provisions to insert site-specific options in the text. Current protocols for Industrial Sites and Soils URs are defined in this document and in the Soils Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA) Evaluation Process (DOE/EMNV, 2018). The standardized UR forms that have been approved to date are listed in Appendix A. Additional UR forms will be added once the review and approval process has been completed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order Nevada National Security Site Use Restriction Management Plan, Revision 2

This Use Restriction Management Plan (URMP) provides the information needed to create, modify, and manage use restrictions (URs) for sites on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), and sites accessed through the NNSS main gate, that were closed using the corrective action alternative (CAA) of closure in place under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). It addresses URs established under the FFACO for releases related to the development, testing, and production of nuclear weapons that are located on the NNSS and that are accessed through the NNSS main gate. FFACO URs are established at sites where contamination remains at levels exceeding final action levels (FALs) or is forecasted to exceed Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) maximum contaminant levels (CFR, 2025a) over the next 1,000 years following completion of corrective actions. Administrative URs are established at Industrial Sites and Soils sites where contamination remains at levels exceeding industrial action levels as defined in the Soils RBCA document. All URs stipulate restrictions sufficient to ensure the protection of human health, safety, and the environment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Increasing Power Generation at the Patua Nevada Geothermal Field through Targeted and Adaptive EGS

In 2020, Patua Acquisition Company LLC, submitted the proposal “Increasing Power Generation at the Patua Nevada Geothermal Field through Targeted and Adaptive EGS”, in response to the DOE’s Geothermal Wells of Opportunity Funding Opportunity Announcement. The primary goal of the project was to convert an idle well, Patua 16-29, to an active producer and generate at least an additional 5 MWe at the Patua plant. The project was intended to provide an example of a reproducible methodology for well stimulation in Enhanced Geothermal Systems The project was proposed to be performed in three phases over a period of performance of four years. A first project go/no-go decision was made at the end of Phase 1 based on feasibility of the wellbore, site, and ability to realize a 5 MWe benefit from the project. Several factors were recognized that led to a no-go decision at this phase: • Electrical needs for placing the stimulated well on production were not considered in the initial scoping. Costs of pipeline costs were also underestimated in the original cost share. Easements and rights-of-way to establish a geothermal pipeline underneath or across an interstate highway were also found to be intractable on the time scale of the project. • The plant is injection limited, and no design or cost estimate was in place to handle the additional production needed to realize a 5 Mwe benefit. A new injection well would need to be drilled in addition to the other facility improvements to bring in the stimulated well. Patau Acquisition Company attempted to locate additional wells of opportunity that could realize the SOPOs goals, but was unsuccessful. As a result, this project is being terminated at the end of Phase 1.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

An Assessment of the Nevada Test Site for Low-Level Waste Management

This report presents a summary of description information, facilities, and operating practices at the Nevada Test Site. It is concluded that NTS is not only a feasible location for surface and near-surface storage of low-level wastes, but also a potential site for underground storage of higher level wastes.

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storag↗

Wind and Structural Loads on Parabolic Trough Solar Collectors at Nevada Solar One

Wind loading is a main contributor to structural design costs of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) collectors, such as heliostats and parabolic troughs. These structures must resist the mechanical forces generated by turbulent wind. At the same time, the reflector surfaces must exhibit the necessary rigidity to maintain their optimal optical performance in windy conditions. Over two years, NREL conducted comprehensive field measurements of the atmospheric turbulent wind conditions and the resulting structural wind loads on parabolic troughs at the Nevada Solar One (NSO) plant. The measurement set-up included meteorological masts and structural load sensors on four trough rows. Additionally, we commissioned a lidar scanning the horizontal plane over the trough field. This data set catalogs the high-resolution data set characterizing the complex flow field and resulting structural loads on parabolic trough collectors. By providing this first-of-its-kind data set to the CSP community, we aim to enhance the community's understanding of wind-loading experienced by CSP collector structures. This data set will also help design next-generation solar collectors and photovoltaic trackers.

Array↗

Preliminary report on applications of machine learning techniques to the Nevada play fairway analysis

We are applying machine learning (ML) techniques, including training set augmentation and artificial neural networks, to mitigate key challenges in the Nevada play fairway project. The study area includes ~85 active geothermal systems as potential training sites and >12 geologic, geophysical, and geochemical features. The main goal is to develop an algorithmic approach to identify new geothermal systems in the Great Basin region. Major objectives include: 1) integrate ML techniques into the geothermal community; 2) develop open community datasets, whereby all play fairway and ML datasets and algorithms are publicly released and available for modification by various user groups; 3) identify data acquisition targets with high value for future work; 4) identify new signatures to detect blind geothermal systems; and 5) foster new capabilities for characterizing subsurface temperature and permeability. Initially, ML techniques are being applied to the same play fairway datasets and workflow. ML will then be applied to both enhanced and additional datasets, with modification of the PFA workflow to incorporate the new datasets. Finally, ML will be applied to define new workflows using the enhanced and additional datasets. An algorithmic approach that empirically learns to estimate weights of influence for diverse parameters can potentially scale and perform better than the play fairway analysis. Initial work on this project has involved 1) evaluating potential positive and negative training sites, 2) transformation of datasets into formats suitable for ML, and 3) initial development and testing of ML techniques.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Characterizing Signatures of Geothermal Exploration Data with Machine Learning Techniques: An Application to the Nevada Play Fairway Analysis

We are introducing machine learning methods to the play fairway analysis to generate geothermal potential maps to support the evaluation of geothermal resource potential and the exploration for undiscovered blind geothermal systems in the Nevada Great Basin region. Our project aims to identify new ways to combine the play fairway data and empirically organize relationships between feature weights and labels in an improved workflow. As a means of doing this, we introduce machine learning methods to evaluate the influence of certain geological and geophysical features/feature sets in predicting geothermal favorability. This report highlights promising approaches based on supervised and unsupervised learning methods. First, we demonstrate a filter method applied to supervised classification modeling. The supervised filter method is based on permutation analysis to evaluate every possible feature combination/drop out scenario and rank feature influence based on the performance variance of supervised classification models. Additionally, we present an unsupervised factor analysis based on principal component analysis coupled with a semi-supervised kmeans clustering algorithm. This analysis allows us to identify the optimal number of groups/clusters for training sites and structural settings to identify feature patterns including correlation, variance, and latent and dominant feature relationships. The results from these methods offer a promising avenue for identifying favorable sources of predictive information to identify the locations of blind geothermal systems and furthering our understanding of complex geothermal feature and label relationships in the Great Basin region and beyond.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗