Review and Update of the Main Features of the Los Humeros Geothermal Field, Mexico

Abstract

Los Humeros is one of the four geothermal fields currently producing electricity in Mexico. This paper presents a review on the main geologic, geochemical and production characteristics of the field and updates them, considering the imminent construction of new production wells for installing an additional power unit. Those characteristics can be summarized as follows. At the subsurface there are four lithologic units, the third of which, composed of Tertiary andesites 1,200 m thick in average, contains the geothermal fluids.