The Benedikt hydrothermal system (north-eastern Slovenia)

Deep welling in the Benedikt area has proven the existence of recently active hydrothermal system in pre-Tertiary basement composed of banded gneiss, marble and schist originating from a regionally metamorphosed sequence of clastic sediments. Two aquifers with very high fracture porosity were tapped-at depths between 1,485-1,530 and 1,848-1,857 m, where the welling stopped owing to a technical failure. The water temperature exceeds 90 degrees C, while the yield of 100 l/s is limited only by the well performances. The Na-HCO3 dominated water is classified as a CO2-rich healing mineral water suitable for drinking, bottling and balneology. The free degassing gas is almost pure CO2 (99.9 %) and its delta C-13 composition indicates volcanic origin. The tapped water is relatively old, probably of Pleistocene age at least, and the planned exploitation must consider reinjection in order to protect this valuable natural resource from overexploitation. This recent hydrothermal system is characterised by dominating vertical circulation of waters and is superimposed on older, already inactive hydrothermal system(s), recognised by veins of either metal sulphides and quartz, or calcite. These vein minerals precipitated from hydrothermal fluids migrating from a deeper source towards the ancient surface through a fracture system, which is now self-sealed already. The distribution of metal sulphides indicates that the source might have been a deep-seated Neogene pluton genetically related to the tonalites and quartz diorites that outcrop in the Pohorje Mountains, or a subvolcanic-level volcanic body related to the Neogene volcanic activity in the Graz Basin.