Pantelleria island (Sicily, Italy): a gas geochemical survey

A detailed geochemical survey was carried out in Pantelleria island during the years 1990-92 Geochemical methodologies were applied to the fluids sampled from springs, fumaroles and shallow wells. This led to the identification of an area of potential interest from a geothermal point of view, located in the southern part of the island. The estimated temperatures in the local reservoirs range from 225 to 255°C. In 1993 a deep exploratory well was drilled in the identified area. The thermodynamic characteristics of the produced fluid partially confirmed the hypotheses about the reservoir that were based on the surface geochemical survey. Interesting physical parameters of the reservoir have also been computed. This paper is limited to the presentation of the results that are based only on gas compositions.