THERMAL WATERS OF AZERBAİJAN – SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ALTERNATİVE ENERGY

Azerbaijan that is situated in the east of the Caucasian region of the Alpine folding belt is rich in not only oil, gas, and mineral reserves, but in unique mineral water deposits as well. There is over 1000 mineral and thermal water deposits in Azerbaijan. The majority of these deposits have not been exploited yet. These waters can be used for therapeutic purposes as well as an alternative source of renewable energy. This article is dedicated to ways to solve this problem.There are a high production rate (40-50 lit/sec) aquifers with water temperatures close to 100C at depth of 3000m in Neogene and Paleogene rocks.Geochemical and hydrogeological properties of the mineral and thermal waters of Azerbaijan have separately been analyzed in the article for various regions and specific proposals on their efficient use have been put forward. Thermal waters can be used in heating civil and industrial premises (T=40-60C). Electrical energy can be produced from waters with temperatures above 80C (Jarli, Precaspian-Guba, etc.). The presence of thermal waters distribution patterns in time and space associated with tectonic faults and magmatic processes has been proven from the scientific point of view.

eruptaround 300ths tons of different salts on a day surface of the Earth, that can be widely utilized in the chemical industry, pharmacology and different branches of economics. Now scientists from many countries are anxious that the non-renewable fuel resources of our planet steadily exhaust, and in connection with the rapid development of industry and agriculture in the XXI century,consumption of fuel energy will grow extremely with fast paces. Therefore,further fundamental and applied scientific researches on the usage of alternative energy sources -solar, wind and thermal waters -gain today the relevant and prime value.
The Azerbaijan Republic has considerable reserves of thermal waters ( fig. 1). Thermal energy of thermal waters, including open ten thousand earlier drilled oil and gas wells,can be successfully utilized in different industries and agriculture.The underground thermal waters are the main storage and carrier means of plutonic heat, due to their mobility and greatest thermal capacity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS.
In connection with the continuous growth of the world power consumption and gradual exhaustion of its conventional sources, such as oil, gas, black coal, the attention of scientists is centeredupon searching new energy sources. We consider that in Azerbaijan's circumstances thermal waters, alongside wind and solar energy,are valuable as well.
The advantage of thermal waters is, that their reserves continuously renew, there is a capability to obtain heat, energy directly in place. They are valuable for curative properties and the capabilities of obtaining valuable chemical elements.
These days, in connection with crisis of fuel and energy resources, wider use of the Earth's plutonic heat for electric power production (Italy, Iceland, New Zealand, USA, Japan, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and other) in agriculture, municipal services, chemical industry, and for medical purposes as well has started abroad.

Schematic map of natural outlets of thermal water deposits
DISCUSSION.Today to producecost-effective electric power it is expedient to use temperature of a heat carrier not below 80 0 C. The Azerbaijan Republic is rich in thermal waters, which are known in a number of regions of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, Absheronpeninsula, Talish, and the vast Kurlowlandand Precaspian-Guba areas [2]. Severalwells had been drilled for oil and gas and no hydrocarbons were discovered. These well could be used for the production of thermal waters within the abovementioned areas. Nowadays negotiations are being conducted with Azerbaijan Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy for the production of electrical power from high temperature well waters.
The Lesser Caucasus introduces especial concernsregarding a geothermal mode.Ancient thermal water sourceshave always been well known in its various parts. These waters are mainly associated with Quaternary rocks of magmatic nature.
The known resort zone Istisu(Kalbajar region) is stretched more than 40kmalong the Terterriveris characterized by an abnormal thermal environment.The inverse geothermal gradient on the southern slope (health resort Istisu and Bagirsakhfield)is reduced up to 2-5m, and less,and for the entire resort region is close to 18m,i.e. much less than the average for the earth crust [3].
The area is complicated by large tectonic faults and numerous carbon dioxide shows are observed therein.According to data obtained from numerous wells drilled in the area, the temperature of thermal waters on Bagirsakh field is fast increasing and reaches 80 0 C at depth of about 100m [4].
The total production rate of water in the region of the Upper Istisuis 800-900 thel/day,Lower Istisu -25thsl/day. The elemental composition water is of carbon, chloride, sulfide, hydrocarbonate, sodium structure.
The thermal waters in Masalli,Lenkeran, and Astara regions,are characterized by a regional fault intersecting the entiremountainousTalish.Waters with 44-65 o C temperatures are encountered at depth of 500m in wells drilled in the Arkevan water field in the Masalli region.The temperature of waters in different sources of this region changes from 50 º C up to 64 º C. The production rate of wells is 10-15 1/sec.Water mineralized (17-18 g/l) chloride-calcium structure. In Lenkeranarea(region of Meshasu,Ibadisu,Gavzavua, and Khavtxoni sources) several wells with depth 465-1000m were drilled, which have opened waters with temperature up to 50 0 C. The temperature of water in sources 30-43 0 C, production rate up to 10 1/sec.In regions of sources,Astara wells with depth 300-500m opened thermal waters with temperature 35 0 C-50 0 C.
Water mineralization reaches 18-29g/l and they are of sodium chloride content.The total production rate of sources in wells in Talishis 23625m 3 /day.Inthe Precaspian-Guba zone (southern slope of Greater Caucasus)8 drilled wells ( fig. 2) opened thermal waters with atotal production rate of 112360m 3 /day, temperature 50 0 C -84 0 C. In Khacmaz region a single thermal water well only hasa production rate 1228m 3 /day,with temperature 58 0 C [5].
Thermal waters with temperature 50-81 0 C, with a total production rate of 30000 m 3 /dayhave been obtained from prospecting boreholes in the Precaspian-Guba zone from Mesocenozoicdeposits a single well 3 reached thermal waters with temperature 81 0 C(on the surface), and with a production rate 4500m 3 /day.Temperature change as a function of depth in the area is reflected in fig. 3.
On Absheron peninsula thermal waters are encountered in wellsat different depths.Thus, the temperature of salt waters to the east of Hovsan village from the drilled wells reaches 100 0 C.In Bibi-Heybat, which is immediate closeto Baku city,waters with salinity 16,5g/l,with temperature 71 0 C and production rate 450ths1/day are of chloridehydrocarbonate sodium content [6].
There are large artesian basins with the composite distribution of temperature (with high temperature manifestation) and the structure of water in the Kur lowland.
These thermal waters are associated with Absheron age deposits, have high pressure and are of sodium content [7].
The Kur lowland has fair supplies of thermal waters,it is possible to use them completely in a cost-effectiveway and to heat the civil and industrial facilities,obtainchemically rare elements, and also in the balneal purposes. There is a well 3 in Jarli field (Kurdemir region) with a depth of 3050mand with a production rate of 20000m 3 /day and temperature reaching 100C on the surface.Information on mineral and thermal waters for some regions is submitted below in tables 1 through 6:        Thefirst experience of usage of thermal waters for heating of greenhouses has shown large prospects of the method and also the capability of obtaining 2-3 crops annually at minimum costs.
It is necessary to separately note that there are more 1000 natural outputs of mineral waters in Azerbaijan.More than 50% of these sources have temperatures more than 42C, which demonstrates their considerable temperatureat depth and mixing of thermal waters with cold waters in the upper horizons.
The usage of underground mineral waters in Azerbaijani resorts play an important role in recovery capacity for people suffering from diseases,such as,to be necessarilynoted, atherosclerosis,idiopathic hypertension, coronary failure etc., and several valuable fields of mineral waters have temporarily remained in lands occupied by Armenia.
All the abovementioned giving grounds for a statement onthe necessity of acceptance of complex measures on the involvement of huge resources of underground mineral and thermal waters of Azerbaijan in the national economy.
Underground waters,including,mineral and thermal waters,areinvaluable in the development ofthe chemical industry.They can be utilized to obtain a several chemical agents(boric acid,iodine,bromine, strontium,etc.).Some water deposits in Nakhchivan(Sirab, Daridag) already produce carbon dioxide. Taking into account the high concentration of rare chemical elements (arsenic, lithium,antimony,selenium) their production is possible as well.
Thermal waters can be used in heating civil and industrial premises (T=40-60C). It was put into practice in the Talish-Lenkeran region while heating greenhouses and administrative premises using waters with temperature 40-66C, production rate 160000 m 3 /day from the depth of 200-1000m.
These waters can be widely used for curing various diseases. They are currently being used in The presence of thermal waters distribution patterns in time and space associated with tectonic faults and magmatic processes has been proven from the scientific point of view. These waters are the source of reliable information in the elaboration of the history of geologic development of the area, which cannot be denied.

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