The Utilization of Abandoned Petroleum Wells in Geothermal Energy Sector. Worldwide Trends and Experience

Chmielowska, Anna; Tomaszewska, Barbara; Sowiżdżał, Anna

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202015405004

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The analyzed area of Carpathian Foredeep is well endowed with boreholes (abandoned or still operating, Figure 2), which translates into high possibility in terms of their potential reconstruction (although this depends directly on the technical condition of the hole and requires a pre-analysis/test) and destination for geothermal purposes. Theoretically, many of them could be suitable for the exploitation and injection of water after performing appropriate reconstruction operations [13,50] or for the implementation of different geothermal technology [28,35]. This is also a big advantage because, in the case of any geothermal investment, the drilling stage is the largest financial burden (even up to 80% [19])-the deeper the borehole is, the more expensive the projected investment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects of Using Hydrocarbon Deposits from the Autochthonous Miocene Formation (Eastern Carpathian Foredeep, Poland) for Geothermal Purposes

2021

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There are many oil and gas fields around the world where the vast number of wells have been abandoned or suspended, mainly due to the depletion of reserves. Those abandoned oil and gas wells (AOGWs) are often located in areas with a prospective geothermal potential and might be retrofitted to a geothermal system without high-cost drilling. In Poland, there are thousands of wells, either operating, abandoned or negative, that might be used for different geothermal applications. Thus, the aim of this paper is not only to review geothermal and petroleum facts about the Eastern Carpathian Foredeep, but also to find out the areas, geological structures or just AOGWs, which are the most prospective in case of geothermal utilization. Due to the inseparability of geological settings with both oil and gas, as well as geothermal conditionings, firstly, the geological background of the analyzed region was performed, considering mainly the autochthonous Miocene formation. Then, geothermal and petroleum detailed characteristics were made. In the case of geothermal parameters, such as formation’s thickness, temperatures, water-bearing horizons, wells’ capacities, mineralization and others were extensively examined. Considering oil and gas settings, insights into reservoir rocks, hydrocarbon traps and migration paths issues were created. Then, for evaluating geothermal parameters for specific hydrocarbon reservoirs, their depths were established based on publicly available wells data. Thereafter, the average temperatures for selected reservoirs were set. As the effect, it turned out that most of the deposits have average temperatures of 40/50 °C, nonetheless, there are a few characterized by higher (even around 80 °C) temperatures at reasonable depths.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects of Using Hydrocarbon Deposits from the Autochthonous Miocene Formation (Eastern Carpathian Foredeep, Poland) for Geothermal Purposes

2021

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“…The most crucial component of a deep geothermal heating system is the deep coaxial geothermal heat exchanger (CGHE), also known as coaxial borehole heat exchanger or wellbore heat exchanger. Nevertheless, drilling a borehole incurs the most significant financial investment of any geothermal system, accounting for up to 70% of the total investment costs on average, and therefore makes these systems economically unprofitable [7]. This prompts the desire to explore alternative solutions for efficient and economical acquisition of geothermal energy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Currently, the number of AOGWs worldwide has reached approximately 30 million [16,27]. In addition, regions with favorable geothermal parameters are inherently rich in geothermal energy [7]. The conversion of those petroleum wells into geothermal heat exchangers can substantially reduce the investment costs of borehole drilling [16,24] and enhance the utilization of geothermal resources, while also mitigating environmental risks [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics and Economic Analysis of a Closed Deep Coaxial Geothermal Heat Exchanger Retrofitted from an Abandoned Oil Well

Liu,

Jia,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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It is economical to transform abandoned oil/geothermal wells into closed deep geothermal heat exchangers with coaxial tubes. A numerical model of a coaxial geothermal heat exchanger (CGHE) with varying borehole diameters is established according to an abandoned well in Northern China. The finite difference method is adopted to solve the temperature distribution, and the accuracy of the model is validated with experimental data. Based on the existing structure of the abandoned well with different depths, the feasibility of its conversion into a deep CGHE is discussed, and this study uses the orthogonal experimental method to analyze the influence of four main factors and their significance level on the average heat extraction rate, with the heat extraction rate up to 422.18 kW in the optimal combination. This study also integrates with actual project considerations and conducts an economic analysis to determine the most appropriate circulation fluid flow rate. The results highlight the key factors on the heat transfer performance of the CGHE, with the inlet water temperature to the CGHE being the most significant, followed by the configuration of the CGHE retrofitted from abandoned. From the economic perspective, given that the CGHE in this study is retrofitted from the abandoned oil Wells, the drilling cost can be reduced by up to CNY 1800 thousand, and the flow rate design of 35 m3/h is the optimal choice, ensuring a cost-effective system operation while meeting the operational requirements of the deep CGHE.

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“…A quantitative analysis conducted based on the Villafortuna-trecate oil field in Italy revealed that a 500 kW power plant could be sustainably serviced, with the capacity to generate a total of 25 GWh of electrical power in 10 years. Chmielowska et al [12] surveyed the world trend on the utilization of oil wells as geothermal energy sources and reiterated that it is increasingly being implemented in reality, particularly with the use of borehole heat exchangers. Duggal et al [13] identified the conversion technology choice, transient ambient conditions, and fluid handling system among the issues that should be handled well for maximum benefits from geothermal power production from an oil well.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Thermodynamic Optimization of Organic Rankine Cycle Configurations for Geothermal Power Generation from an Abandoned Oil Well

Oyekale

Adetona

2023

European Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences

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This study was aimed at quantifying the net electrical power that could be produced from an abandoned oil well in Nigeria using different organic Rankine cycle (ORC) configurations and working fluids. The geological features of a typical Nigerian oil well were employed in the study and a borehole heat exchanger was used for simulating the thermodynamic parameters of the ORC heat source. To the authors’ best knowledge, no study exists in the literature on thermodynamic assessment of power production from an abandoned Nigerian oil well. Additionally, a comparative optimization study of several ORC configurations is a viable research gap sought to be filled in this article, for exploiting abandoned oil wells for geothermal power production. Specifically, a subcritical ORC without a recuperator (SBC), a subcritical ORC with a recuperator (SBC-R), a supercritical ORC without a recuperator (SPC), and a supercritical ORC with a recuperator (SPC-R) were analyzed, using R115, R236fa, and R1234yf as working fluids. Results showed that between 272 kW and 875 kW of electrical power could be produced from the abandoned oil well using the most basic ORC configuration (SBC). Furthermore, it was obtained that the introduction of a recuperator would increase the ORC net power by about 13% for R236fa, 33% for R1234yf, and 107% for R115. Similarly, a switch from a subcritical ORC to a supercritical ORC configuration would increase net power for all the working fluids. Specifically, an increase in net power was estimated at 3.6% for R236fa, 46% for R1234yf, and 152% for R115 regarding a switch from the SBC to the SPC. Moreover, decreasing the condensation pressure of the ORC plants was observed to improve net power in all cases.

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The Utilization of Abandoned Petroleum Wells in Geothermal Energy Sector. Worldwide Trends and Experience

Cited by 4 publications

References 17 publications

Prospects of Using Hydrocarbon Deposits from the Autochthonous Miocene Formation (Eastern Carpathian Foredeep, Poland) for Geothermal Purposes

Prospects of Using Hydrocarbon Deposits from the Autochthonous Miocene Formation (Eastern Carpathian Foredeep, Poland) for Geothermal Purposes

Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics and Economic Analysis of a Closed Deep Coaxial Geothermal Heat Exchanger Retrofitted from an Abandoned Oil Well

Comparative Thermodynamic Optimization of Organic Rankine Cycle Configurations for Geothermal Power Generation from an Abandoned Oil Well

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