Mining earth's heat: development of hot-dry-rock geothermal reservoirs

Conference · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6215783

Pettitt, R A; Becker, N M

The energy-extraction concept of the Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Geothermal Program, as initially developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is to mine this heat by creating a man-made reservoir in low-permeability, hot basement rock. This concept has been successfully proven at Fenton Hill in northern New Mexico by drilling two holes to a depth of approximately 3 km (10,000 ft) and a bottom temperature of 200/sup 0/C (392/sup 0/F), then connecting the boreholes with a large-diametervertical hydraulic fracture. Water is circulated down one borehole, heated by the hot rock, and rises up the second borehole to the surface where the heat is extracted and the cooled water is reinjected into the underground circulation loop. This system has operated for a cumulative 416 days during engineering and reservoir testing. An energy equivalent of 3 to 5 MW(t) was produced without adverse environmental problems. During one test, a generator was installed in the circulation loop and produced 60 kW of electricity. A second-generation system, recently drilled to 4.5 km (15,000 ft) and temperatures of 320/sup 0/C (608/sup 0/F), entails creating multiple, parallel fractures between a pair of inclined boreholes. This system should produce 5 to 10 MW(e) for 20 years. Significant contributions to underground technology have been made through the development of the program.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6215783
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-83-390; CONF-830522-1; ON: DE83007552
• Resource Relation: Conference: ASCE spring meeting, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 16 May 1983
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS
HEAT EXTRACTION
BASEMENT ROCK
BOREHOLES
FLUID INJECTION
HYDRAULIC FRACTURES
POWER RANGE 1-10 MW
TESTING
WELL DRILLING
CAVITIES
DRILLING
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FAILURES
FRACTURES
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
Geothermal Legacy
150906* - Geothermal Engineering- Reservoir Stimulation & Extraction Technology