Middle Devonian carbonate rocks that host the Clarke Lake Gas Field south of the city of Fort Nelson have long been known to exhibit remarkable permeability and temperatures in excess of 110°C. This permeable dolomite aquifer is controlled by the diagenetic alteration of the original depositional trend of reef facies in the Keg River through Slave Point formations, and is over 200 m at its greatest thickness. A Monte-Carlo model estimate using the Volume Method of the recoverable thermal energy within the aquifer at Clarke Lake indicates the resource is significant in size (mean 10.1 × 10 14 kJ; standard deviation 3.2 × 10 14 kJ).Using binary geothermal technology, this thermal energy can be used to generate electricity. It is estimated that purpose-built wells would be able to access enough thermal energy to generate more than 1 MW of electricity each. Geothermal plants could be supplied by multiple directional wells to provide greater capacity than is capable from a single well. The resource assessment indicates that the Clarke Lake field could be used to generate between 12 MW to 74 MW (mean 34 MW; standard deviation 10.8 MW) of electricity.
Mitigating climate change requires elimination of fossil fuel related greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning electricity generation to low-carbon sources and substituting fossil fuels with electricity in non-electric sectors is considered to be a key strategy. This dissertation investigates resource options to and land area impacts of decarbonizing electricity generation and electrifying adjacent sectors. Three studies analyze transition options in the western Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. The first study investigates technology transition pathways and land area impacts of reducing electricity generation related carbon emissions in fossil fuel-dominated Alberta. A final 70% share of wind, solar, and hydro power reduces emissions by 90% between 2015 and 2060. This scenario requires designating 5% additional land area to electricity generation annually. Land is largely designated to the required space between wind turbines, with smaller areas attributed to ground-mounted solar and hydro power. System planners can reduce the land area impacts by deploying more compact geothermal, rooftop solar and natural gas with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies. These technology compositions can hold land area impacts constant in time if depleted natural gas and CCS infrastructure is expediently reclaimed, but total net present system costs increase by 11% over the 45-year period. Without reclamation, fuel extraction and carbon sequestration increase land area impacts at least fourfold within this time period. The second study investigates sedimentary basin geothermal resources in northeastern British Columbia. Geothermal energy is a potentially low-cost, low-carbon, dispatchable resource for electricity generation with a relatively small land area impact. A two-step method first geospatially overlays economic and geological criteria to highlight areas favourable to geothermal development. Next, the Volume Method applies petroleum exploration and production data in Monte Carlo probability simulations to estimate electricity generation potential at the four areas with highest favourability (Clarke Lake, Jedney, Horn River, and Prophet River). The total power generation potential of all four areas is determined to be 107 MW. Volume normalized reservoir potentials range from 1.8 xvi Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my parents, Richard and Dagmar Palmer-Wilson, and to my grandparents, Gerhard and Ilka Radke. The weight of this work calmly rests on their unending love, support, patience and wisdom. "Wenn die Kinder jung sind, gib ihnen tiefe Wurzeln. Danach gib ihnen Flügel." Table 1-1 Attribution of contributions to chapters 3 to 5 Contributor Contributions Ch.
The Horn River Basin of northeastern British Columbia, Canada, contains natural gas in three Devonian shale units. Isopachs, depths, and net-to gross-pay ratios were determined from well logs for the Muskwa, Otter Park, and Evie Shales and then gridded. Pressure gradients were determined from well test and production data and then gridded into a single grid shared between shales. Because grid points were shared between each grid, volumetric and adsorbed gas equations could be integrated into each grid point. Static values or distributions could then be applied to equation variables and Monte Carlo simulations run to determine probabilistic gas in place (GIP) and marketable resources for each grid point, which were then summed for each shale.Grid points for the isopach and depth maps were treated as static values in the equations while net-togross and pressure gradient grid points became most likely values in Beta distributions where end points were assigned using regional low and high values. Most non-mapped variables in the equations were filled with Beta distributions based on typical values in the area and then applied across the basin without any local variations. On each distribution, whether based on mapped or unmapped variables, a second, overlying distribution was applied on a basin scale. This made entire iterations run a full range from pessimistic to optimistic. A few non-mapped variables in the equations were given static values.Recoverable gas resources were estimated by applying a recovery factor to free GIP estimates. Recoverable volumes from adsorbed GIP estimates were determined from a recovery factor applied to the portion of gas that would desorb during production as pressure decreased to the assumed well abandonment pressure. To determine marketable gas, gas impurities and fuel gas that would be used for processing and transport were estimated and subtracted from the recoverable estimates. Further, certain lower quality areas of the basin were excluded from the assessment, based on a low likelihood of being developed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.