A probabilistic application of oil and gas data for exploration stage geothermal reservoir assessment in the Appalachian Basin

Camp, Erin; Jordan, Teresa E.; Hornbach, Matthew J.; Whealton, Calvin

doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.09.001

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Moreover, sensitivity analysis made with regional models is commonly conducted in 3D. Several recent studies used a geostatistical approach to produce equiprobable distributions of thermal properties, which were then used for sensitivity analysis (Camp et al 2018;González-Garcia and Jessell 2016). Models can additionally be calibrated by automatic optimization to reproduce measured temperature data (Fuchs and Balling 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geothermal resource assessment of remote sedimentary basins with sparse data: lessons learned from Anticosti Island, Canada

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Anticosti Island is located in the Anticosti sedimentary basin, an Ordovician/Silurian carbonate platform. This platform is mainly composed of limestone and shale with some dolomite and sandstone and reaches up to 5 km depth in the southwest. It overlies a Precambrian basement of the Grenville Province made of magmatic and metamorphic rocks. Like most remote and off-grid regions in Canada, it relies heavily on fossil fuels for energy supplies. An assessment of deep geothermal resources was achieved in this area with the objective of diversifying energy resources to help develop renewable energy for villages deserved by micro-grid systems. Despite sparse and low-quality bottom-hole data (15 wells of 1111 m to 2762 m depth), a 3D temperature model was developed for this sedimentary basin and its underlying Precambrian basement up to 40 km (mantle depth). Quantifying confidence intervals for thermal parameters, namely bottom-hole temperature, thermal conductivity, heat generation rate and mantle heat flux, was paramount to obtain a reliable range of temperature predictions. A high variability of modeled temperature, up to 41% at the base of the sedimentary basin and 70% at mantle depth, remains when trying to constrain input parameters. The lack of equilibrium temperature measurements at depth affects the temperature predictions, both in the sedimentary basin and the Precambrian basement. It is an important issue to solve in further studies. Furthermore, knowledge of the thermal properties of the Precambrian basement of the Grenville Province and its geometry is poor. In addition, there is a wide confidence interval on thermal conductivity of specific lithologies in the Anticosti sedimentary basin. It has a significant impact on temperature predictions at depth and should be improved for studies focusing on electricity production. Despite a wide confidence interval on temperature predictions, geothermal electricity generation from reservoirs at 120 °C or more appears difficult in the current technical and economic context. Electricity generation at a low temperature with an inlet of 70 °C could be achieved at a reservoir depth of 2-4 km, but with a net efficiency of 10-11% (considering a flow rate of 40 l s −1 and a cooling temperature of 5 °C). Direct use of geothermal heat from the deepest part of the sedimentary basin seems to be the most realistic option, provided that sufficiently permeable horizons can be found.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geothermal resource assessment of remote sedimentary basins with sparse data: lessons learned from Anticosti Island, Canada

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A poster session was available during all breaks, and several meters of core through rocks similar Valentino et al (2008) and Valentino and Chiarenzelli (2018). Projections of those shear zones beneath the Appalachian strata (dashed black lines) are based on Chiarenzelli and Valentino (2020). The set of blue lines in western New York is the Clarenden-Lynden fault zone, and the set of blue lines adjacent to the southern Adirondacks are faults that cut lower Ordovician, Cambrian and basement units (from Jacobi, 2002).…”

Section: Workhop Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Borehole research in New York State can advance utilization of low-enthalpy geothermal energy, management of potential risks, and understanding of deep sedimentary and crystalline geologic systems

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. In January 2020, a scientific borehole planning workshop sponsored by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program was convened at Cornell University in the northeastern United States. Cornell is planning to drill test wells to evaluate the potential to use geothermal heat from depths in the range of 2700–4500 m and rock temperatures of about 60 to 120 ∘C to heat its campus buildings. Cornell encourages the Earth sciences community to envision how these boreholes can also be used to advance high-priority subsurface research questions. Because nearly all scientific boreholes on the continents are targeted to examine iconic situations, there are large gaps in understanding of the “average” intraplate continental crust. Hence, there is uncommon and widely applicable value to boring and investigating a “boring” location. The workshop focused on designing projects to investigate the coupled thermal–chemical–hydrological–mechanical workings of continental crust. Connecting the practical and scientific goals of the boreholes are a set of currently unanswered questions that have a common root: the complex relationships among pore pressure, stress, and strain in a heterogeneous and discontinuous rock mass across conditions spanning from natural to human perturbations and short to long timescales. The need for data and subsurface characterization vital for decision-making around the prospective Cornell geothermal system provides opportunities for experimentation, measurement, and sampling that might lead to major advances in the understanding of hydrogeology, intraplate seismicity, and fluid/chemical cycling. Subsurface samples could also enable regional geological studies and geobiology research. Following the workshop, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded funds for a first exploratory borehole, whose proposed design and research plan rely extensively on the ICDP workshop recommendations.

show abstract

“…The RFC is based on the permeability (k) in mD times reservoir thickness (H) in meters of each formation within a field and is a simple comparison of potential total fluid flow. (Camp et al 2018) assigned reservoirs as favorable with RFC of ≥ 1000 mD-m.…”

Section: Reservoir Productivity Index and Reservoir Flow Capacitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The higher the RPI the more likely a well is to be productive in a specific field or formation. A series of Monte Carlo calculations incorporate the above data using a code initially developed by (Camp et al 2018) and outputs both RPI and RFC. The updated code now inputs from and outputs to related NGDS Content Models (data input-Hydraulic Properties Observations, data output-Geologic Reservoir).…”

Section: Reservoir Productivity Index and Reservoir Flow Capacitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Geothermal Deep Direct Use for Turbine Inlet Cooling in East Texas

Turchi

McTigue

Akar

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A probabilistic application of oil and gas data for exploration stage geothermal reservoir assessment in the Appalachian Basin

Cited by 14 publications

References 4 publications

Geothermal resource assessment of remote sedimentary basins with sparse data: lessons learned from Anticosti Island, Canada

Geothermal resource assessment of remote sedimentary basins with sparse data: lessons learned from Anticosti Island, Canada

Borehole research in New York State can advance utilization of low-enthalpy geothermal energy, management of potential risks, and understanding of deep sedimentary and crystalline geologic systems

Geothermal Deep Direct Use for Turbine Inlet Cooling in East Texas

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About