Repurposing End-of-Life Wells for Geothermal Energy Production: An Evaluation of Mississippi Wells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Mirabolghasemi ◽  
Mohammad Heshmati ◽  
Dakota Thorn ◽  
Blake Shelton ◽  
Fatou Diop
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
The State ◽  
Circulation Rate ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Geothermal Potential ◽  
Well Depth

Abstract End-of-life production or injection wells may be converted into wellbore heat exchangers for geothermal energy extraction. Whether this conversion is technically and economically feasible depends on several factors such as geothermal potential of the formation, well depth, and working fluid circulation parameters. Here we present a case study where we analyze these parameters and determine their optimum operational brackets. We focus on repurposing active wells that are located in regions with high geothermal potential in the state of Mississippi. Geothermal gradient map of the state of Mississippi was used to select potential candidate wells. Well logs of these candidate wells were used to find formation temperature and other properties such as well diameter and depth. Next, we conducted heat transfer calculations to estimate the temperature rise of various working fluids as a result of circulating inside these wellbores. We ran sensitivity analyses to determine the effect of circulation rate, tubing insulation, and time. Finally, we estimated the power production potential of each well. Our results indicate that geothermal energy production through repurposed end-of-life wells may be viable depending on well depth and geothermal potential of the region. With insulated tubing, the thermal energy delivered by a number of candidate wells is sufficient for a small-scale binary power plant with organic Rankine cycle.

scholarly journals Quantitative Approximation of Geothermal Potential of Bakreswar Geothermal Area in Eastern India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiranjit Maji ◽  
Hirok Chaudhuri ◽  
Saroj Khutia
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Noble Gas ◽  
Radioactive Decay ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Water Mixture ◽  
Geothermal Area ◽  
Drilling Depth ◽  
Kalina Cycle ◽  
Geochemical Parameters ◽  
Geothermal Potential

Proper utilization of geothermal energy for power generation is still overlooked in India even after having enough potential as much as the equivalent to its other nonconventional energy resources. The source of geothermal energy is the decay of the radio-nuclei present inside the Earth’s crust apart from the primordial heat source. The noble gas 4He is also produced during the radioactive disintegration process. Therefore, measuring the amount of 4He gas along with some other geochemical parameters in an Indian geothermal area, the potential of the reservoir can be evaluated. Mathematical calculations relating to the radioactive disintegration to estimate the geothermal potential of Bakreswar geothermal reservoir utilizing the concept of the 4He exploration technique has been described here. The study showed that the heat (radiogenic) energy generated by the radioactive decay of 232Th, 238U, and 235U inside the reservoir was evaluated as 38 MW. This value raises to 76 MW when primordial heat is included. The detail calculations suggest that a Kalina cycle based binary power plant using ammonia–water mixture as working fluid is supposed to be installed at the identified locations with a drilling depth of about 1,100 m and the plant would be capable of delivering the power of 9.88 MW to 40.26 MW.

Implementaon of digital economy elements in electric power industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Filimonov ◽  
N. D. Chichirova ◽  
A. A. Chichirov ◽  
A. A. Filimonovа
Keyword(s):  
Electric Power ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Predictive Analytics ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Cloud Services ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
Automation Systems

Energy generation, along with other sectors of Russia’s economy, is on the cusp of the era of digital transformation. Modern IT solutions ensure the transition of industrial enterprises from automation and computerization, which used to be the targets of the second half of the last century, to digital enterprise concept 4.0. The international record of technological and structural solutions in digitization may be used in Russia’s energy sector to the full extent. Specifics of implementation of such systems in different countries are only determined by the level of economic development of each particular state and the attitude of public authorities as related to the necessity of creating conditions for implementation of the same. It is shown that a strong legislative framework is created in Russia for transition to the digital economy, with research and applied developments available that are up to the international level. The following digital economy elements may be used today at enterprises for production of electrical and thermal energy: — dealing with large amounts of data (including operations exercised via cloud services and distributed data bases); — development of small scale distributed generation and its dispatching; — implementation of smart elements in both electric power and heat supply networks; — development of production process automation systems, remote monitoring and predictive analytics; 3D-modeling of parts and elements; real time mathematic simulation with feedback in the form of control actions; — creating centres for analytical processing of statistic data and accounting in financial and economic activities with business analytics functions, with expansion of communication networks and computing capacities. Examples are presented for implementation of smart systems in energy production and distribution. It is stated in the paper that state-of art information technologies are currently being implemented in Russia, new unique digital transformation projects are being launched in major energy companies. Yet, what is required is large-scale and thorough digitization and controllable energy production system as a multi-factor business process will provide the optimum combination of efficient economic activities, reliability and safety of power supply.

Data Echoes: Sound, Evidence, and Acoustic Methods in Energy Landscapes

2021 ◽  
pp. 016224392110345
Author(s):  
James Maguire
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Acoustic Method ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Energy Landscapes ◽  
Geological Evidence ◽  
Temporal Form ◽  
Acoustic Methods ◽  
Intractable Problem

This paper explores an informal acoustic method developed by a group of industrial geologists working in geothermal energy landscapes in the southwest of Iceland. Through a series of ethnographic descriptions, this paper renders the work these geologists carry out in sonic terms, emphasizing how they use their bodies as sonic detectors in the production of geological evidence. Sound, the paper argues, is what allows geologists to make the intractable problem of volcanic cooling doable. It does this by differentiating two forms of evidence. Primary evidence, which ends up as data in geological reports, and secondary sonic evidence, which is what establishes that this primary evidence is, in fact, evidence. The paper introduces the concept data echoes as a way to think about how sound articulates between these evidential protocols. As echo, sound works as an outside, which, while remaining external to official protocols of knowledge production, nevertheless helps to constitute distinctions that are meaningful to the production of those categories. As data echoes through the various moments of data capture, analysis, and model building, sound’s temporal form helps to predict the time frame of volcanic cooling, as it affects both the immediate energy production scenarios and the long durée of volcanic time.

The State Policy towards the Homeless in Moldova between the ‘Left Hand’ and the ‘Right Hand’. The Case of Chișinău Shelter

Südosteuropa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-195
Author(s):  
Petru Negură
Keyword(s):  
Homeless People ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
The State ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Right Hand ◽  
Binary Approach ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right ◽  
Depth Interviews

Abstract The Centre for the Homeless in Chișinău embodies on a small scale the recent evolution of state policies towards the homeless in Moldova (a post-Soviet state). This institution applies the binary approach of the state, namely the ‘left hand’ and the ‘right hand’, towards marginalised people. On the one hand, the institution provides accommodation, food, and primary social, legal assistance and medical care. On the other hand, the Shelter personnel impose a series of disciplinary constraints over the users. The Shelter also operates a differentiation of the users according to two categories: the ‘recoverable’ and those deemed ‘irrecoverable’ (persons with severe disabilities, people with addictions). The personnel representing the ‘left hand’ (or ‘soft-line’) regularly negotiate with the employees representing the ‘right hand’ (‘hard-line’) of the institution to promote a milder and a more humanistic approach towards the users. This article relies on multi-method research including descriptive statistical analysis with biographical records of 810 subjects, a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with homeless people (N = 65), people at risk of homelessness (N = 5), professionals (N = 20) and one ethnography of the Shelter.

scholarly journals Geothermal Energy: a glimpse at the state of the field and an introduction to the journal

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaf Kolditz ◽  
Leslie A Jakobs ◽  
Ernst Huenges ◽  
Thomas Kohl
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
The State ◽  
State Of The Field

Hybrid Solar-Geothermal Power Generation to Increase the Energy Production From a Binary Geothermal Plant

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Manente ◽  
Randall Field ◽  
Ronald DiPippo ◽  
Jefferson W. Tester ◽  
Marco Paci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Solar Thermal Energy ◽  
Geothermal Fluid ◽  
Industrial Grade ◽  
Design Values

This article examines how hybridization using solar thermal energy can increase the power output of a geothermal binary power plant that is operating on geothermal fluid conditions that fall short of design values in temperature and flow rate. The power cycle consists of a subcritical organic Rankine cycle using industrial grade isobutane as the working fluid. Each of the power plant units includes two expanders, a vaporizer, a preheater and air-cooled condensers. Aspen Plus was used to model the plant; the model was validated and adjusted by comparing its predictions to data collected during the first year of operation. The model was then run to determine the best strategy for distributing the available geothermal fluid between the two units to optimize the plant for the existing degraded geofluid conditions. Two solar-geothermal hybrid designs were evaluated to assess their ability to increase the power output and the annual energy production relative to the geothermal-only case.

NMR contribution in sub-horizontal well for porosity-permeability heterogeneity characterization in limestones: implications for 3D reservoir prediction and flow simulation in a world class geothermal aquifer

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxime Catinat ◽  
Benjamin Brigaud ◽  
Marc Fleury ◽  
Miklos Antics ◽  
Pierre Ungemach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
High Density ◽  
Reservoir Prediction ◽  
Nmr Data ◽  
Geothermal Potential ◽  
Facies Associations ◽  
Deep Geothermal Energy

<p>With around 50 heating networks today operating, the aera around Paris is the European region which concentrates the most heating network production units in terms of deep geothermal energy. In France, the energy-climate strategy plans to produce 6.4TWh in 2023, compared to 1.5TWh produced in 2016. Despite an exceptional geothermal potential, the current average development rate of 70MWh/year will not allow this objective to be achieved, it would be necessary to reach a rate of 6 to 10 times higher. The optimization of the use of deep geothermal energy is a major challenge for France, and in Ile-de-France, which has a population of nearly 12 million inhabitants. This project aims to reconstruct and simulate heat flows in the Paris Basin using an innovative methodology (1) to characterize, predict and model the properties of reservoirs (facies, porosity, permeability) and (2) simulate future circulations and predict the performance at a given location (sedimentary basin) on its geothermal potential. This study focuses on a high density area of well infrastructures around Cachan, (8 doublets, 1 triplet in 56 km<sup>2</sup>). A new sub-horizontal doublet concept has been recently (2017) drilled at Cachan to enhance heat exchange in medium to low permeability formations. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR T2) logs have been recorded in the sub-horizontal well (GCAH2) providing information on pore size distribution and permeability. We integrated all logging data (gamma ray, density, resistivity, sonic, NRM T2) of the 19 wells in the area and 120 thin section observations from cuttings to derive a combined electrofacies-sedimentary facies description. A total of 10 facies is grouped into 5 facies associations coded in all the 19 wells according to depths and 10 3rd order stratigraphic sequences are recognized. The cell size of the 3D grid was set to 50 m x 50 m for the XY dimensions. The Z-size depends on the thickness of the sub-zones, averaging 5 m. The resulting 3D grid is composed of a total of nearly 8.10<sup>5</sup>cells. After upscaled, facies and stratigraphic surfaces are used to create a reliable model using the “Truncated Gaussian With Trends” algorithm. The petrophysical distribution “Gaussian Random Function Simulation” is used to populate the entire grid with properties, included 2000 NMR data, considering each facies independently. The best reservoir is mainly located in the shoal deposits oolitic grainstones with average porosity of 12.5% and permeability of 100 mD. Finally, hydrodynamic and thermal simulations have been performed using Pumaflow to give information on the potential risk of interference between the doublets in the area and advices are given in the well trajectory to optimize the connectivity and the lifetime of the system. NMR data, especially permeability, allow to greater improve the simulations, defining time probabilities of thermal breakthrough in an area of high density wells.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document