Geothermal Resources and ATES Potential of Mesozoic Reservoirs in the North German Basin

Frick, Maximilian; Kranz, Stefan; Norden, Ben; Bruhn, David; Fuchs, Sven

doi:10.3390/en15061980

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 42 publications

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“…This may due to reservoir rocks located in the transition (oil-gas) zone of hydrocarbon generation (Karnkowski, 2010) or absence of good charge and seal condition (Bachmann et al, 2010). Apart from petroleum, the Mesozoic sandstones in the West Pomerania were analyzed as a significant potential of geothermal heating and aquifer thermal energy storage in recent years (Kilhams et al, 2018;Frick et al, 2022).…”

Section: Petroleum System Of Western Pomeraniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Gas - escape features along the Trzebiatów Fault offshore Poland: evidence for a leaking petroleum system

Nguyễn¹,

Malinowski²,

Kramarska³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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New 2D high resolution seismic and hydro-acoustic data demonstrate the presence of methane in the shallow sediments and its origin in the Pomeranian Bight, southern of the Baltic Sea area. Various shallow gas features were identified in the Gryfice block, along the inverted Trzebiatów fault zone, including chimneys, bright spots, acoustic blanking, pockmarks, and polarity reversal. Structural and stratigraphic interpretation with support of seismic attributes was carried out to show the potential of fluid migration pathways from the Upper Triassic formation reservoirs to shallow sediments below seabed and helps in explanation of how this natural gas escapes to the sea bottom. Amplitude-vs-offset (AVO) analysis verified remnants of free gas existence in the Upper Triassic potential reservoir and helped locating free gas deposits within sediments. Hydro-acoustic data illustrated the gas chimneys’ anomalies and corresponding free gas accumulation in Pleistocene to Quaternary successions. Leaking of gas to sea surface was also proved by exposure of pockmarks on multibeam (bathymetry) data. We combine seismic, hydro-acoustic data and information on petroleum system from previous studies to explain signatures of free gas and its migration from lower reservoirs to shallow sediments.

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Section: Petroleum System Of Western Pomeraniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Gas - escape features along the Trzebiatów Fault offshore Poland: evidence for a leaking petroleum system

Nguyễn¹,

Malinowski²,

Kramarska³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Hydrogeochemical and microbial characterization of a Middle Triassic carbonate aquifer (Muschelkalk) in Berlin and geochemical simulation of its use as a high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage

Virchow,

Siever-Wenzlaff,

Blöcher

et al. 2024

Geotherm Energy

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The geological formation of the Muschelkalk is widespread in the center of the North German Basin (NGB) and is increasingly attracting interest for application of geothermal energy extraction or high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES). This study investigates the Middle Triassic “Rüdersdorfer Schaumkalk”, which was the former injection horizon of the natural gas storage facility in Berlin, Germany. For the first time, detailed chemical and microbiological analyses of formation water of this Lower Muschelkalk limestone formation were conducted and hydrogeochemically characterized. In addition, a hydrogeochemical model was developed to quantify the potential reactions during HT-ATES focusing on calcite dissolution and precipitation. The main objectives of this study are: (1) to determine the origin of the water from the three wells targeting the Muschelkalk aquifer, (2) to understand changes in hydrochemistry after system operation, and (3) to evaluate the long-term sustainability of a potential HT-ATES system with increasing temperature. The target formation is encountered by several wells at about 525 m below the surface with an average thickness of 30 m. Two hydraulic lifting tests including physical, chemical, and microbial groundwater as well as gas monitoring were carried out. In addition, several downhole samples of formation fluid were collected from the aquifer at in situ pressure and temperature conditions. Fluid analysis of the saline formation water indicate a seawater origin within the Muschelkalk with subsequent evaporation and various water–rock interactions with anhydrite/gypsum, dolomite, and calcite. With a salinity of 130 g/L, dominated by Na–Cl, a slightly acidic pH between 6 and 7, and a low gas content of 3%, the formation water fits to other saline deep formation waters of the NGB. Gas concentrations and microbial communities like sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea in the produced water indicate several geochemical alterations and microbial processes like corrosion and the forming of biogenic methane. Geochemical simulations of calcite equilibrium over 10 HT-ATES cycles indicated a pronounced propensity for calcite precipitation up to 31 mg/kgw, within the heat exchanger. At the same time, these models predicted a significant potential for calcite dissolution, with rates up to 21 mg/kgw, in both the cold and hot reservoirs. The results from the carbonate aquifer characterized in this study can be transferred to other sites in the NGB affected by salt tectonics and have provided information on the microbiological-chemical processes to be expected during the initial use of old wells.

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3D numerical study of geothermal reservoir performance of homogeneous sectors of Mesozoic sandstone formations in the North German Basin developed by smart multi-well systems

Mantei,

Rioseco,

Moeck

2024

Preprint

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In the context of the heat transition in Germany, the decarbonization of the heating and cooling industry via renewable energy sources requires the usage of comprehensive strategies and novel engineering solutions. With regard to district heating in urban areas, middle-deep geothermal resources offer a great potential which has not been fully utilized yet due to the required minimum temperature on district heating networks. However, the controlling factors on the optimal and sustainable development of those middle-deep geothermal resources are not fully elucidated yet. Within the ArtemIS project, we systematically analyze the impact of reservoir quality and operational controlling factors on the performance of homogeneous sectors of Mesozoic sandstone reservoirs in the North German Basin (NGB) targeted by smart multi-well arrangements. For the first time, we compare in a comprehensive manner previous analytical results with our numerical findings to quantify the influence of different controlling factors on the thermal breakthrough occurrence time, the maximum cooling rate after the occurrence of the thermal breakthrough and the end production temperature. Moreover, we especially focus and illustrate the controls on the behavior of the production temperature after the thermal breakthrough has occurred and conduct a parametric analysis with regard to the thermal utilization time or life span of a geothermal facility. Based on our numerical results, we set up a ranking scheme showing the influence of varying controlling parameters on the considered performance parameters. Our comprehensive numerical study therefore illustrates in detail the complex thermo-hydraulic interaction of geothermal doublet arrays, the controls on the defined thermal lifetime as well as the optimization possibilities of middle-deep geothermal resources. Ultimately, numerical experiments demonstrate that the heat demand of towns and villages in the NGB can be met to a large extent by middle-deep geothermal energy in an optimized sustainable way.

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Geothermal Resources and ATES Potential of Mesozoic Reservoirs in the North German Basin

Cited by 4 publications

References 42 publications

Gas - escape features along the Trzebiatów Fault offshore Poland: evidence for a leaking petroleum system

Gas - escape features along the Trzebiatów Fault offshore Poland: evidence for a leaking petroleum system

Hydrogeochemical and microbial characterization of a Middle Triassic carbonate aquifer (Muschelkalk) in Berlin and geochemical simulation of its use as a high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage

3D numerical study of geothermal reservoir performance of homogeneous sectors of Mesozoic sandstone formations in the North German Basin developed by smart multi-well systems

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