Advanced Horizontal Well Recirculation Systems for Geothermal Energy Recovery in Sedimentary Formations
There is increased recognition that geothermal energy resources are more widespread than previously thought, with potential for providing a significant amount of sustainable clean energy worldwide. Recent advances in drilling, completion, and production technology from the oil and gas industry can now be applied to unlock vast new geothermal resources, with some estimates for potential electricity generation from geothermal energy now on the order of 2 million megawatts. Terralog USA, in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine (UCI), are currently investigating advanced design concepts for paired horizontal well recirculation systems, optimally configured for geothermal energy recovery in permeable sedimentary and crystalline formations of varying structure and material properties. This two-year research project, funded by the US Department of Energy, includes combined efforts for: 1) Resource characterization; 2) Small and large scale laboratory investigations; 3) Numerical simulation at both the laboratory and field scale; and 4) Engineering feasibility studies and economic evaluations. The research project is currently in its early stages. This paper summarizes our technical approach and preliminary findings related to potential resources, small-scale laboratory simulation, and supporting numerical simulation efforts.
- Research Organization:
- Terralog Technologies USA, Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE EE Office of Geothermal Technologies (EE-2C)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0005126
- OSTI ID:
- 1057782
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-EE0005126-GRC2012
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: GRC Annual Meeting Reno, Nevada, USA September 30 - October 3, 2012
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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