scholarly journals Slimhole well casing design for high-temperature geothermal exploration and reservoir assessment

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Kruszewski ◽  
Tomasz Śliwa ◽  
Sverrir Þórhallsson ◽  
Mohsen Assadi
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Geothermal Exploration ◽  
Reservoir Assessment

The Radial Movement of Permeability Fronts and Multiple Reaction Zones in Porous Media (includes associated papers 11284 and 11590 )

1982 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuf Hekim ◽  
H. Scott Fogler ◽  
Conwell C. McCune
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Basin And Range ◽  
Well Logs ◽  
Well Log ◽  
Geothermal Resource ◽  
Basin And Range Province ◽  
Geothermal Exploration ◽  
Geophysical Well Logs ◽  
Log Interpretation ◽  
Reservoir Assessment

Review of Well Logging in the Basin and Range Known Geothermal Resource Areas Summary This paper discusses applications and interpretations of well logs to Basin and Range Province geothermal exploration and development. Problems experienced in use of conventional oilfield tools and techniques are reviewed, and methods to circumvent these problems are illustrated. Particular examples focus on log responses and matrix effects in complex lithologies. Introduction In 1977, the U.S. DOE's Div. of Geothermal Energy (DGE) initiated the "industry coupled program" to accelerate development of high-temperature geothermal resources. There are two key aspects of the program:cost sharing with industry for exploration, reservoir assessment, and reservoir confirmation, andthe release of geologic, geophysical, and geochemical data to improve knowledge and understanding of geothermal reservoirs. A third aspect of the program was to evaluate techniques and current methods on a cost-effective basis. Two regions of high industry interest and high geothermal potential were selected by DGE for procurements within the industry coupled program. The first request for proposals (RFP) resulted in six contracts for work in south central Utah, the second in 12 contracts for exploration and reservoir assessment work in the northern Basin and Range Province. The geothermal resource areas included in the program are shown in Fig. 1. The range of exploration activities of participating companies and data to be made public through this program are indicated in Table 1. Ward et al. studied these data and recommended a generalized exploration strategy for high-temperature geothermal systems in the Basin and Range Province. Fiore provided an overview and status report for the overall reservoir assessment program. The program's emphasis was direct drilltesting of the geothermal reservoir. At least one deep exploration well has been (or will be) drilled in each reservoir, at costs between $500,000 and $2,000,000. The high well costs demand prudent, systematic exploration before siting the well and as much geologic information as possible from each well test. Drill cuttings, geophysical well logs, temperature, pressure and flow test data, and complete well histories for each well drilled are transmitted to the U. of Utah Research Inst's. Earth Science Laboratory Div. (ESL). ESL reviews and approves the deliverables and makes data available to the public through established open-file procedures. Geophysical well logs are transmitted to Rocky Mountain Well Log Services (of Petroleum Information Corp.), where they are reproduced and distributed at nominal cost. In this manner detailed well data for 29 geothermal exploration wells and deep thermal gradient tests have been made public since 1977. The current status of drilling and the availability of well log data are listed in Table 2. Many thermal gradient holes with only mud and temperature logs are not included in Table 2. Note that DGE has instituted complementary and supporting programs designed to advance well log interpretation and high-temperature tool development. At ESL detailed well log/lithologic interpretations form an important part of several reservoir case histories and topical studies published or in preparation. These integrated interpretations are instrumental to the planning of subsequent well tests and to overall reservoir evaluation. We describe well log data that have been made available through the industry coupled program. Logging parameters used, data quality, previously published log interpretations, and some results of the ESL log interpretation work are reviewed and discussed. Well Logging in Geothermal Areas JPT P. 1104^

Exploring geothermal resources using active and passive EM methods in the coastal areas of volcanic islands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Védrine ◽  
Pascal Tarits ◽  
Mathieu Darnet ◽  
François Bretaudeau ◽  
Sophie Hautot
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Geothermal Field ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Geothermal System ◽  
Geothermal Resources ◽  
Geothermal Exploration ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Urbanized Areas ◽  
Transient Electromagnetism ◽  
Volcanic Islands

<p>Electromagnetic geophysical exploration plays a key role in high-temperature geothermal projects to estimate the geothermal potential of a region. The objective of an EM campaign applied to high-temperature geothermal exploration is to obtain an image of the impermeable clay cap, the permeable geothermal reservoir, and the system's heat source at depth, as these three components of the overall geothermal system have distinct electrical signatures. However, deep electromagnetic imaging in the coastal areas of volcanic islands represents a major challenge due to the presence of strong cultural noise induced by urbanized areas concentrated around the coast, the proximity to the sea, strong variations of topography and bathymetry, the small size of targets and the heterogeneity of the near surface. Our objective is the multi-scale integration of airborne transient electromagnetism (ATEM), shallow marine and in land magnetotelluric (MT) and controlled source electromagnetism (CSEM) to improve the reconstruction of deep geological structures by inversion. The contribution of the CSEM method is the key to overcoming cultural electromagnetic noise and exploiting data acquired in urbanized areas. In order to study how to integrate the different EM data, we first apply our methodology to data from a geothermal exploration campaign carried out a few years ago in Martinique in the French West Indies. Then, we present results from runs with synthetic tests for a campaign planned this year in Guadeloupe, also in the French West Indie, whose objective is to increase the production capacity of an existing geothermal field.</p>

Geothermal prospecting at Cumbre Vieja volcano (La Palma, Canary Islands) by ground radon and thoron measurements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lía Pitti-Pimienta ◽  
Anson Weidner ◽  
Rishi Shah ◽  
Rae L. McClintock ◽  
Alba Martín-Lorenzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Canary Islands ◽  
Structural Control ◽  
Average Distance ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Soil Gas ◽  
Geothermal Resources ◽  
Geothermal Exploration ◽  
La Palma ◽  
Cumbre Vieja

<p>During geothermal exploration, the geochemical methods play a major role in both exploration and exploitation phases. Discovery of new geothermal systems requires exploration of areas where the resources are either hidden or lie at great depths. A good example of young volcanic territory with high geothermal potential where geothermal resources are either hidden or lie at great depths is La Palma island (Canary Islands). La Palma is one of the youngest and westernmost island of the Canarian archipelago, located at the West African continental margin. Cumbre Vieja volcano (220 km<sup>2</sup>) is the last stage in the geological evolution of the island and has suffered 8 volcanic eruptions in the last 500 years, the last one in 1971. Among geochemical methods for geothermal exploration, soil gas surveys are useful for delineating main upflow regions and areas of increased subsurface permeability related to high temperature hydrothermal activity at depth. Soil gas Rn surveys are particularly useful since it is a naturally occurring radioactive gas present in geofluids that may serve as a subsurface tracer of geothermal reservoirs. An intensive soil gas was carried out from June to September 2019 in order to study the potential geothermal resource in Cumbre Vieja and the presence of vertical permeability structures related to high temperature hydrothermal reservoirs. A total of 1200 samples were taken with an average distance between sites of ≈250 m. Soil gas Rn-222 activity were measured by means of a portable SARAD RTM 2010-2 radon monitor; the instrument pumped gas through a stainless steel probe inserted at 40 cm depth and measured the Rn activity by electrostatic detection of the positively charged daughter isotopes. The soil gas Rn values ranged from atmospheric levels to 8.7 kBq m-3, with an average of 1.5 kBq m-3. The spatial distribution of soil Rn displays enrichments along the three main volcanic-rift zones: N-S, N-W and N-E, and confirms a strong structural control in the degassing processes of the volcano. The three volcanic-rift areas are zones of enhanced permeability for deep gas migration and preferential routes for degassing. It is worth noting the presence of an important soil gar Rn anomaly located at the eastern part of Cumbre Vieja, out of the three volcanic-rift areas. The data presented here are important to  identify  main  upflow  regions  and  areas  of  increased  and  deep  permeability at Cumbre Vieja.</p>

The National Geothermal Exploration Technology Program

Geophysics ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1721-1737 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ball ◽  
J. W. Salisbury ◽  
P. R. Kintzinger ◽  
A. F. Veneruso ◽  
S. H. Ward
Keyword(s):  
System Modeling ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Energy Utilization ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Thermal Methods ◽  
Geothermal Resources ◽  
Geothermal Exploration ◽  
Program Goal ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Reservoir Assessment

In response to the Geothermal Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1974, a federal geothermal program has been established with the objective of stimulating the commercial development of geothermal resources. The program goal is to increase the annual rate of energy utilization from the present 0.04 quads (500 MWe) to 0.3–0.5 quads in the near term (about 1985), 4.0–9.0 quads in the mid‐term (1985–2000), and 16.0–28.0 quads in the long term (by about 2020). The realization of these goals depends upon the discovery and exploitation of many new geothermal resource areas. The Department of Energy program for geothermal exploration and assessment has been structured to address technological barriers presently hindering the economical discovery and delineation of geothermal resources. We describe the program elements—exploration technology, reservoir assessment, reservoir confirmation, and reservoir engineering—in light of the need to evaluate some 1500 new prospects in order to meet the federal midterm electric power goal of 20,000 MWe on‐line by the year 2000. We illustrate the program elements with suggested sequences for exploration, assessment, and confirmation of a 200-MWe resource in the eastern Basin and Range physiographic province. The estimated costs for these sequences are $385,000, $565,000, and $3,190,000, respectively. Deep drilling constitutes the major element in the confirmation costs. An economical exploration strategy requires use of cost‐effective techniques; thus, we have initiated a number of technology assessment studies. Pursuant to these studies, we present a summary of our initial findings and discuss the status and needs for topics such as system modeling, thermal methods, rock and fluid properties, seismic, and electrical methods. Accurate reservoir assessment requires new developments in logging instrumentation for high‐temperature, hostile environment boreholes and improved means for interpreting acquired data. The logging instrumentation program is aimed at upgrading logging systems for operation at 275°C and 48.3 MPa in the near term (1982) and 350°C and 138 MPa by 1986. Existing hardware is being upgraded, components and materials are being developed, and critically needed prototype tools for temperature, flow, and pressure measurements will be evaluated. A program addressing log interpretation problems uses industrial expertise to analyze specific shortcomings in our ability to infer critical reservoir parameters from acquired data. The program will also establish and maintain test and calibration wells and support research logging and petrophysical studies.

Influence of Thermo-Mechanical Processing on the Microstructure of Beryllia Dispersed Nickel Alloys

1973 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 184-185
Author(s):  
M.S. Grewal ◽  
S.A. Sastri ◽  
N.J. Grant
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Nickel Alloys ◽  
Thermomechanical Processing ◽  
Cold Work ◽  
High Temperature Strength ◽  
Strengthening Effect ◽  
Mechanical Processing ◽  
Uniform Dispersion ◽  
Oxide Particles ◽  
Nickel Base

Currently there is a great interest in developing nickel base alloys with fine and uniform dispersion of stable oxide particles, for high temperature applications. It is well known that the high temperature strength and stability of an oxide dispersed alloy can be greatly improved by appropriate thermomechanical processing, but the mechanism of this strengthening effect is not well understood. This investigation was undertaken to study the dislocation substructures formed in beryllia dispersed nickel alloys as a function of cold work both with and without intermediate anneals. Two alloys, one Ni-lv/oBeo and other Ni-4.5Mo-30Co-2v/oBeo were investigated. The influence of the substructures produced by Thermo-Mechanical Processing (TMP) on the high temperature creep properties of these alloys was also evaluated.

Application of TEM to Deformation, Wear, and Fracture of Ceramics

1974 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 472-473
Author(s):  
B. J. Hockey
Keyword(s):  
Wear Resistance ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Mechanical Behavior ◽  
Brittle Materials ◽  
High Temperature Strength ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Corrosive Environments ◽  
Further Development

Ceramics, such as Al2O3 and SiC have numerous current and potential uses in applications where high temperature strength, hardness, and wear resistance are required often in corrosive environments. These materials are, however, highly anisotropic and brittle, so that their mechanical behavior is often unpredictable. The further development of these materials will require a better understanding of the basic mechanisms controlling deformation, wear, and fracture.The purpose of this talk is to describe applications of TEM to the study of the deformation, wear, and fracture of Al2O3. Similar studies are currently being conducted on SiC and the techniques involved should be applicable to a wide range of hard, brittle materials.

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