"Champagne pool", Waiotapu,
New Zealand. |
Harnessing the furnace beneath our feetMost people are familiar with spectacular thermal areas like Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, or the geysers of Iceland. Countries like Italy, Iceland, New Zealand, Japan, the U.S., and Indonesia have been making use of such geothermal heat with major power stations for decades. These typically use very active geothermal areas to generate steam.
Yet the Earth's heat is not limited to such areas. The temperature of the Earth increases routinely as a function of depth wherever we are. Increasingly, with ever more efficient technologies, this fact is being used to heat water, not just steam, and harness this energy - even around the UK. Unlike other renewables such as wind or solar, this energy stream is constant and reliable, and as long as the earth's core and mantle has radioactive elements - and that's a pretty long time - it will continue. PAETORO is further researching applications of geothermal heat in the UK, and compiling a database of related information. We are also interested in the joint exploration for hydrocarbons & minerals, in conjunction with geothermal exploration, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa. |
Many geothermal efforts are focussed on radioactively hot intrusive bodies for electricity generation, and engineering fractures to enhance permeability. PAETORO's current geothermal focus is instead on hot water aquifer exploration, not very dissimilar in nature to exploring for hydrocarbons. In these resources the permeability is there already, so provision of adequate hot water volume is less of a commercial risk. It also means a hydrocarbon failure case in oil and gas exploration - targeting similar geological reservoirs - need not always be a commercial failure, if a hot water resource also has value. This depends on temperature, permeability, sand thickness, and availability of a local hot water market. New strides are being taken in joint exploration for geothermal with mineral and hydrocarbon resource exploration in Netherlands, Iceland, USA and Canada. PAETORO recognises this as an activity likely to accelerate in future years.
These hot aquifers may not always be suitable for steam and electricity generation, but warm water in such reservoirs is a vastly underutilised resource globally, and new non-disruptive technologies exist for exploring for them cheaply in the built-up urban and industrial areas where they are most commercially attractive. In particular see the ADR and UK geothermal blog posts below.
These hot aquifers may not always be suitable for steam and electricity generation, but warm water in such reservoirs is a vastly underutilised resource globally, and new non-disruptive technologies exist for exploring for them cheaply in the built-up urban and industrial areas where they are most commercially attractive. In particular see the ADR and UK geothermal blog posts below.
Relevant Blogs
- Commercially integrated geothermal play mapping for warm water aquifer applications
- Investing in Geothermal UK - ready for thinking bigger? (with particular application to the Permo-Triassic play)
- Atomic Dielectric Resonance (ADR): High (depth) resolution electromagnetic remote sensing to km-scale depths for subsurface resource exploration
- From the outside looking in: the risk, the money, & the public: UK Deep (onshore) Geothermal
The Permo-Triassic Geothermal Play in UK
PAETORO, since 2017, has been engaged in a ongoing project looking at the feasibility of the Permo-Triassic reservoir play in the UK (including Northern Ireland), for use as a geothermal (and energy storage) resource. This involves discussions with a variety of professionals in the UK, Europe, and USA. Envisaged application is as a warm & hot water resource for use with district heating networks and other more direct uses (e.g. building heating and horticultural applications). That is important to consider in a country where 45% of primary energy consumption is related to heating (BEIS 2018). While geothermal is unlikely to empower a transition from gas and oil for all of that need, it may be able to make a significant local contribution - especially if district heating networks are established to facilitate it. These can draw input from a wide variety of renewable sources and need not depend solely on geothermal input.
Some of the blog posts listed above also address the subject. The objective has not been to make any a-priori assumptions about the technical or economic feasibility of this resource, but simply to document its scale, character, related issues, and establish a workflow for area prioritisation that can be refined as more data and analysis comes to light. That empowers optimisation of effort with more detailed quantitative studies taking place in specific locations. Establishment of a resource large enough empowers the application of portfolio-style exploration approaches. These help manage the inevitable geological and commercial risk and maximise reward - as in other industries such as mineral and hydrocarbon exploration. Such an approach is rarer in geothermal exploration, but this resource provides an example where it may be feasible and advisable.
Recently a document was submitted as part of the Northern Ireland Department of the Economy Energy Strategy: Call for Evidence (deadline March 20, 2020). The document, while paying some particular attention to Northern Ireland, is directed at the wider Permo-Triassic resource throughout UK. It provides a "first-pass" listing of sites where geothermal play-element mapping that integrates both geotechnical and commercial aspects has been considered. It, and some supporting files, are downloadable below. An abstract to the study is also provided below.
Some of the blog posts listed above also address the subject. The objective has not been to make any a-priori assumptions about the technical or economic feasibility of this resource, but simply to document its scale, character, related issues, and establish a workflow for area prioritisation that can be refined as more data and analysis comes to light. That empowers optimisation of effort with more detailed quantitative studies taking place in specific locations. Establishment of a resource large enough empowers the application of portfolio-style exploration approaches. These help manage the inevitable geological and commercial risk and maximise reward - as in other industries such as mineral and hydrocarbon exploration. Such an approach is rarer in geothermal exploration, but this resource provides an example where it may be feasible and advisable.
Recently a document was submitted as part of the Northern Ireland Department of the Economy Energy Strategy: Call for Evidence (deadline March 20, 2020). The document, while paying some particular attention to Northern Ireland, is directed at the wider Permo-Triassic resource throughout UK. It provides a "first-pass" listing of sites where geothermal play-element mapping that integrates both geotechnical and commercial aspects has been considered. It, and some supporting files, are downloadable below. An abstract to the study is also provided below.
| 20200320_nienergycalltoev_geothermal_paetoro.pdf |
| 20200319_paetoro_ukgeotherm_permotrias.pdf |
| 20200318_ptgeothermal_playmappingaois.xlsx |
ABSTRACT
The 2020’s are rapidly becoming an extraordinary time of energy diversification. This study looks at a particular geological age of reservoir widespread throughout the UK that may have potential as a geothermal warm/hot water resource for use in district heating networks and other applications, with use of heat pump technologies where necessary. This is important because heating forms 45% of the UK’s primary energy needs and even more, - 50%, in Northern Ireland. The ability of district heating networks to be used with other renewable sources means geothermal resources need not carry all the burden of instigating such networks alone and are just one weapon in a growing arsenal of options for energy diversification.
This is not a final technical document, rather its aims are to:
The study makes no a-priori assumption about the feasibility of this resource. The economics depend on many variables and more detailed study at particular sites – but analysis workflows of the more general nature illustrated here are necessary to empower such analysis at specific sites. The net is cast very wide, with no assumptions made about what might be economic now or in the future. The first job has been to demonstrate the scale of the resource.
334 sites exist nationwide with some existing heat demand and temperatures > 30 deg C inferred at Permo-Triassic levels. 96 are documented where the best performing unit is greater than 100m thick, and temperatures are greater than 50 deg C at the same level. 96 sites is sufficient to start contemplating a portfolio-based approach that shares risk and elevates the scale of potential reward - to a level that is very interesting. It seems significant enough to warrant serious consideration in national and regional strategic planning of energy, and the attention of long-term energy investors.
The particular applications for Northern Ireland are considered as part of the Northern Ireland Dept. of the Economy Energy Strategy call to evidence due on 20 March 2020. Many organisations around the UK and Europe are involved in study and development of such geothermal resources, and this document is seen an exercise in “kite-flying” to spark further discussion with a wide range of technical and commercial professionals in government, business, and academia. It represents an initial “scoping” stage of an ongoing process that will subject to further modification and correction.
Dave Waters March 2020.
The 2020’s are rapidly becoming an extraordinary time of energy diversification. This study looks at a particular geological age of reservoir widespread throughout the UK that may have potential as a geothermal warm/hot water resource for use in district heating networks and other applications, with use of heat pump technologies where necessary. This is important because heating forms 45% of the UK’s primary energy needs and even more, - 50%, in Northern Ireland. The ability of district heating networks to be used with other renewable sources means geothermal resources need not carry all the burden of instigating such networks alone and are just one weapon in a growing arsenal of options for energy diversification.
This is not a final technical document, rather its aims are to:
- Highlight a workflow that can be used to prioritise areas of interest on even basic publicly available information. Other organisations with access to better data may be able to significantly improve it.
- Specifically, name areas so that more detailed studies can initiate in earnest on an initial pool of prioritised sites, with focussed data collation and acquisition, and consideration of commercial questions.
- Draw attention to the inevitable geological risk involved, but also to how “think-big” portfolio-based strategies in public-private partnership are a way of managing this risk and attracting greater attention from investors.
- Illustrate that the resource has the scale to justify consideration of such an approach.
- Discuss some of the key technical and commercial issues affecting exploration and exploitation of the resource.
The study makes no a-priori assumption about the feasibility of this resource. The economics depend on many variables and more detailed study at particular sites – but analysis workflows of the more general nature illustrated here are necessary to empower such analysis at specific sites. The net is cast very wide, with no assumptions made about what might be economic now or in the future. The first job has been to demonstrate the scale of the resource.
334 sites exist nationwide with some existing heat demand and temperatures > 30 deg C inferred at Permo-Triassic levels. 96 are documented where the best performing unit is greater than 100m thick, and temperatures are greater than 50 deg C at the same level. 96 sites is sufficient to start contemplating a portfolio-based approach that shares risk and elevates the scale of potential reward - to a level that is very interesting. It seems significant enough to warrant serious consideration in national and regional strategic planning of energy, and the attention of long-term energy investors.
The particular applications for Northern Ireland are considered as part of the Northern Ireland Dept. of the Economy Energy Strategy call to evidence due on 20 March 2020. Many organisations around the UK and Europe are involved in study and development of such geothermal resources, and this document is seen an exercise in “kite-flying” to spark further discussion with a wide range of technical and commercial professionals in government, business, and academia. It represents an initial “scoping” stage of an ongoing process that will subject to further modification and correction.
Dave Waters March 2020.