The use of the subsurface and the exploitation of subsurface resources require prior knowledge of... more The use of the subsurface and the exploitation of subsurface resources require prior knowledge of fluid flow through fracture networks. For nuclear waste disposal, for the enhancement of hydrocarbon recovery from a field, or the development of an enhanced geothermal system (EGS), it is fundamental to constrain the fractures and the fracture network. This study is part of the GEMex project, an international collaboration of two consortia, one from Europe and one from Mexico. The research is based on exploration, characterization and assessment of two geothermal systems located in the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt, Los Humeros and Acoculco. In Acoculco, two wells reached very high temperatures, but did not find any fluids. For that reason, the Acoculco Caldera is foreseen as an EGS development site, hoping to connect existing wells to a productive zone. This implies that the fluid flow through the geothermal reservoir would be mainly fracture dominated. This study investigates the dependency of fracture permeability, constrained by fracture lengths and apertures, with stress field conditions. Simulations are computed in 2D, using COMSOL Multiphysics ® Finite Elements Method Software, populated with mechanical data obtained in the rock physics laboratory and with dense discrete fracture networks generated from 1D scanline surveys measured in Las Minas analogue outcrops for Acoculco reservoir. The method offers a prediction for multiple scenarios of the reservoir flow characteristics which could be a major improvement in the development of the EGS technology.
How to operate a geothermal system in the most efficient and safe manner? This is the most import... more How to operate a geothermal system in the most efficient and safe manner? This is the most important and urgent question after a geothermal resource has been identified. The recently funded Innovative Training Network 'EASYGO' will answer that question from different perspectives and give high-level training for early stage researchers (ESR; here PhD candidates) in geothermal operations.
Fluvial sandstone reservoirs composed of stacked meander belts are considered as potential geothe... more Fluvial sandstone reservoirs composed of stacked meander belts are considered as potential geothermal resources in the Netherlands. Net-to-gross, orientation and stacking pattern of the channel belts is of major importance for the connectivity between the injection and production well in such reservoirs. Understanding the influence of the fluvial sandstone architecture on the heat recovery is necessary for designing geothermal doublet projects in fluvial reservoirs. A detailed outcrop study of the Huesca fluvial fan is used as an analogue for fluvial reservoir architecture. The study shows meandering fluvial sandstone bodies, laterally amalgamated and vertically stacked within the meander belts. Meander belts in the outcrop have a width of 1 to 1.5 km and are up to 4 km long. Sandstone bodies are surrounded by impermeable floodplain deposits and poorly permeable crevasse splay sandstones . The floodplain deposits decrease the net-to-gross and connectivity in the meander belt. In order to identify the most influential geological features controlling the flow and heat transfer in geothermal aquifers, several reservoir models of fluvial sandstones are constructed with increasing geological detail. These models are based on the results of geological fieldwork on the Huesca fluvial fan in Miocene, Ebro Basin, Spain. Several models with different geometry of the fluvial sandstone bodies, orientation of the channel belts and stacking patterns of the channel bodies are considered. A finiteelement approach is utilized to study the geothermal energy production. The effects of different levels of architectural complexity on the geothermal energy production, by conducting several accurate numerical simulations, are discussed. The results show that utilizing simplified reservoir models can lead to a significant error in predictability of the heat recovery from deep fluvial sandstone formations.
Designing low-cost networks is an essential step in planning linked infrastructure. For the case ... more Designing low-cost networks is an essential step in planning linked infrastructure. For the case of capacitated trees, such as oil or gas pipeline networks, the cost is usually a function of both pipeline thickness (i.e. capacity) and pipeline length. Minimizing cost becomes particularly difficult as network topology itself dictates local flow material balances, rendering the optimization space non-linear. The combinatorial nature of potential trees requires the use of graph optimization heuristics to achieve good solutions in reasonable time. In this work we perform a comparison of known literature network optimization heuristics and metaheuristics, and propose novel algorithms, including a metaheuristic based on transferring edges of high valency nodes. Our metaheuristic achieves performance above similar algorithms studied, especially for larger graphs, usually producing a significantly higher proportion of optimal solutions, while remaining in line with time-complexity of algorithms found in the literature. Data points for graph node positions and capacities are first randomly generated, and secondly obtained from the German emissions trading CO2 source registry. Driven by the increasing necessity to find applications and storage for industry CO2 emissions, finding minimum-cost networks increases the business case for large-scale CO2 transportation pipeline infrastructure.
Investigation of the combined systems is essential for enhancing production and sustainable energ... more Investigation of the combined systems is essential for enhancing production and sustainable energy recovery from deep geological formations. Two synergy solutions for oil and gas development projects by the utilization of geothermal energy in the Netherlands are considered here to improve energy recovery from the subsurface: I) In the Moerkapelle viscous oil field we studied the synergy potential between the production of oil and geothermal energy by utilization of hot geothermal fluids for enhanced recovery of the heavy oil. II) In the low-pressure Oude Leede gas field the synergy potential under study was for marginally economic natural gas production from gas fields within the proximity of a geothermal doublet project. The study focus is the development of strategies for injecting cooled geothermal water for water flooding as a viable alternative to compression of the low-pressure gas reservoir. We investigated these strategies for various conditions. We found that: a) for the first synergy case, the extra amount of oil produced by utilizing the geothermal energy could make the geothermal business case independent of subsidies and may be a viable option to reduce the overall project cost, b) and for the second case under certain conditions produced water from geothermal reservoir can be partially utilized for water injection in the gas field to maintain the gas reservoir pressure above the abandonment pressure, or slow down the pressure depletion. Injecting water could also increase the ultimate recovery factor for higher abandonment pressure in a gas field. Here we give an overview about our work.
Within the EC funded Horizon 2020 project SURE (Novel Productivity Enhancement Concept for a Sust... more Within the EC funded Horizon 2020 project SURE (Novel Productivity Enhancement Concept for a Sustainable Utilization of a Geothermal Resource) the radial jet drilling (RJD) technology is investigated and tested as a method to increase performance of insufficiently performing geothermal wells. Radial jet drilling uses the power of a focused jet of fluids, applied to a rock through a coil inserted in an existing well. This technology is likely to provide much better control of the enhanced flow paths around a geothermal well and does not involve the amount of fluid as conventional hydraulic fracturing, thereby reducing the risk of induced seismicity considerably. RJD shall be applied to access and connect high permeable zones within geothermal reservoirs to the main well with a higher degree of control compared to conventional stimulation technologies. We investigated the technology over various spatial and temporal scales ranging from short term laboratory experiments to field scale applications. Here we give an overview about our work.
Germany 2050: For the first time Germany reached a balance between its sources of anthropogenic C... more Germany 2050: For the first time Germany reached a balance between its sources of anthropogenic CO2 to the atmosphere and newly created anthropogenic sinks. This backcasting study presents a fictional future in which this goal was achieved by avoiding (∼645 Mt CO2), reducing (∼50 Mt CO2) and removing (∼60 Mt CO2) carbon emissions. This meant substantial transformation of the energy system, increasing energy efficiency, sector coupling, and electrification, energy storage solutions including synthetic energy carriers, sector‐specific solutions for industry, transport, and agriculture, as well as natural‐sink enhancement and technological carbon dioxide options. All of the above was necessary to achieve a net‐zero CO2 system for Germany by 2050.
Indonesia with its large, but partially unexplored geothermal potential is one of the most intere... more Indonesia with its large, but partially unexplored geothermal potential is one of the most interesting and suitable places in the world to conduct geothermal exploration research. This study focuses on geothermal exploration based on fluid-rock geochemistry/geomechanics and aims to compile an overview on geochemical data-rock properties from important geothermal fields in Indonesia. The work will be conducted over the next two years and this paper intends to present the methods and approaches we would like to use. The research carried out in the field and in the laboratory is performed in the framework of the GEOCAP cooperation (Geothermal Capacity Building program Indonesia- the Netherlands). Research along with capacity building will be combined in this Indonesian-Dutch project. The application of petrology and geochemistry accounts to a better understanding of areas where operating power plants exist but also helps in the initial exploration stage of green areas. Because of their...
In the context of the Geothermal Technology Program at GFZ, the former gas exploration well Gros ... more In the context of the Geothermal Technology Program at GFZ, the former gas exploration well Gros Schonebeck 3/90 (50 km northeast of Berlin) was reopened and deepened to 4309 m depth. For the last 6 years, this well has served as a geothermal in-situ laboratory for in situ experiments and the development of stimulation concepts. The objective of these stimulation operations was to create secondary flow paths and to improve the inflow performance of the well. The well makes the deep sedimentary Rotliegend reservoir accessible, which is characterized by water bearing porous and fractured rocks. To complet e a potential doublet for power generation, the second well Gros Schonebeck 4/05 was drilled in late 2006. At pay -zone depth level the maximum distance between the two wells is approximately 500m. The most promising sandstone layers for stimulation were identified by measured porosity distribution, water saturation and calculated permeability data. This information is a prerequisite...
The dynamic growth and ambitious plans of the geothermal sector in Indonesia require a lot more s... more The dynamic growth and ambitious plans of the geothermal sector in Indonesia require a lot more skilled personnel and welltrained scientific specialists than currently exist hence a nation-wide capacity building program has been drafted by BAPPENAS. It is difficult to assess the capacity needed both in volume as well as in level of education. The Netherlands Embassy, through Agenschap.NL started to assist BAPPENAS in 2009, to accelerate investments in geothermal areas. In 2014 the NetherlandsIndonesian geothermal capacity building program GEOCAP was launched. The objective of the program is to increase the capacity of Indonesia’s Ministries, Local Government Agencies, public and private companies and knowledge institutions in developing, exploring and utilization of geothermal energy sources, and to assess and monitor its impact on the economy and environment. A broad Indonesian-Netherlands consortium consisting of 11 universities, knowledge institutes and geothermal companies forme...
Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose... more Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
Designing low-cost infrastructure networks for transport of hydrogen represents a key step in the... more Designing low-cost infrastructure networks for transport of hydrogen represents a key step in the adoption and penetration of hydrogen technology in a low-carbon energy future.
Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose... more Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
As part of an effort to develop a geothermal energy source beneath its campus, Cornell University... more As part of an effort to develop a geothermal energy source beneath its campus, Cornell University is planning to probe the “boring” old continental crust upon which many people live.
The GEISER (Geothermal Engineering Integrating Mitigation of Induced SEismicity in Reservoirs) pr... more The GEISER (Geothermal Engineering Integrating Mitigation of Induced SEismicity in Reservoirs) project is co-funded by the European Commission to address the mitigation and understanding of induced seismicity (IS) in geothermal engineering. The aim of the project is to contribute to the improvement of the concept of EGS by investigating the role of IS, which is twofold: 1. as an instrument to image fluid pathways induced by hydraulic stimulation treatments, which has been done to some extent in previous projects; and 2. as an implication of such treatments to potential seismic hazards. Work started in 2010 by addressing four major points: -Analysis of induced seismicity -Understanding the geomechanics and -Consequences of induced seismicity -Strategies for the mitigation of induced seismicity Within the first year of the project, a number of reference sites were defined where data sets with seismic and downhole data are available for further processing and analysis. In addition, laboratory experiments and mechanical models as well as hazard assessment tools are developed on the basis of existing data. At the end of the project, guidelines for regulatory bodies will present the basis for future licensing procedures of geothermal projects.
We have used Þ nite element modeling (FEM) to successfully reproduce elastic volume changes of sy... more We have used Þ nite element modeling (FEM) to successfully reproduce elastic volume changes of synthetic ß uid inclusions in quartz pressurized in a hydrothermal diamond-anvil cell (HDAC) at external pressures up to 250 MPa. At higher pressures, the synthetic inclusions are somewhat stiffer than would be predicted by linear elasticity due to the effect of pressure on the elastic moduli. The Þ nite element models were created to reproduce the inclusion's approximate shape, and crystallographic orientation within the host, which is elastically anisotropic. The models successfully predict changes in ß uid inclusion volume measured using the HDAC, which gives us conÞ dence that FEM may be used to predict the elastic behavior of inclusions in other situations.
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2019
Geothermal projects, as renewable energy projects, are not economically attractive in most places... more Geothermal projects, as renewable energy projects, are not economically attractive in most places of the world at the current state of development; for this reason, subsidies are required by energy and environmental authorities in order to increase the interest in such projects. In this paper, we assess and model strategies for integration of geothermal energy with oil productions of the Moerkapelle oil field in the Netherlands. To do so, numerical simulations have been employed to analyse the feasibility of a fluvial oil reservoir for the synergy potential of oil and geothermal energy exploitation. In order to implement the simulation studies, single phase and two-phase non-isothermal fluid flow modelling are utilised for the geothermal well doublet system and for water flooding in an oil reservoir (including facies heterogeneity), respectively. A series of simulations have been conducted to investigate how hot water from a geothermal reservoir beneath a heavy oil reservoir in the fluvial sedimentary system of the West Netherlands Basin can be used for Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery (TEOR) and geothermal energy production. This study finds that the high degree of heterogeneity in fluvial oil reservoirs could significantly affect oil recovery improvement and hence the synergy strategy. High values of a) Net to gross (N/G) b) Bottom Hole Pressure (BHP) and c) horizontal wellbore length are favourable for oil recovery. In contrast, wide horizontal wellbore spacing and oil viscosity have an adverse effect on oil recovery enhancement. Furthermore, the results display that the enhanced oil production helps to reduce the required subsidy for a single doublet geothermal project up to 100 %. Consequently, the extra amount of oil produced by utilising the geothermal energy, could make the geothermal business case independent and profitable.
Power-to-gas-to-power technologies incorporating electrolysis, methanation, SNG-fired Allam cycle... more Power-to-gas-to-power technologies incorporating electrolysis, methanation, SNG-fired Allam cycles and subsurface storages allow for a confined and circular use of CO2/CH4 and thus an emission-free seasonal storage of intermittent renewable energy.
The use of the subsurface and the exploitation of subsurface resources require prior knowledge of... more The use of the subsurface and the exploitation of subsurface resources require prior knowledge of fluid flow through fracture networks. For nuclear waste disposal, for the enhancement of hydrocarbon recovery from a field, or the development of an enhanced geothermal system (EGS), it is fundamental to constrain the fractures and the fracture network. This study is part of the GEMex project, an international collaboration of two consortia, one from Europe and one from Mexico. The research is based on exploration, characterization and assessment of two geothermal systems located in the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt, Los Humeros and Acoculco. In Acoculco, two wells reached very high temperatures, but did not find any fluids. For that reason, the Acoculco Caldera is foreseen as an EGS development site, hoping to connect existing wells to a productive zone. This implies that the fluid flow through the geothermal reservoir would be mainly fracture dominated. This study investigates the dependency of fracture permeability, constrained by fracture lengths and apertures, with stress field conditions. Simulations are computed in 2D, using COMSOL Multiphysics ® Finite Elements Method Software, populated with mechanical data obtained in the rock physics laboratory and with dense discrete fracture networks generated from 1D scanline surveys measured in Las Minas analogue outcrops for Acoculco reservoir. The method offers a prediction for multiple scenarios of the reservoir flow characteristics which could be a major improvement in the development of the EGS technology.
How to operate a geothermal system in the most efficient and safe manner? This is the most import... more How to operate a geothermal system in the most efficient and safe manner? This is the most important and urgent question after a geothermal resource has been identified. The recently funded Innovative Training Network 'EASYGO' will answer that question from different perspectives and give high-level training for early stage researchers (ESR; here PhD candidates) in geothermal operations.
Fluvial sandstone reservoirs composed of stacked meander belts are considered as potential geothe... more Fluvial sandstone reservoirs composed of stacked meander belts are considered as potential geothermal resources in the Netherlands. Net-to-gross, orientation and stacking pattern of the channel belts is of major importance for the connectivity between the injection and production well in such reservoirs. Understanding the influence of the fluvial sandstone architecture on the heat recovery is necessary for designing geothermal doublet projects in fluvial reservoirs. A detailed outcrop study of the Huesca fluvial fan is used as an analogue for fluvial reservoir architecture. The study shows meandering fluvial sandstone bodies, laterally amalgamated and vertically stacked within the meander belts. Meander belts in the outcrop have a width of 1 to 1.5 km and are up to 4 km long. Sandstone bodies are surrounded by impermeable floodplain deposits and poorly permeable crevasse splay sandstones . The floodplain deposits decrease the net-to-gross and connectivity in the meander belt. In order to identify the most influential geological features controlling the flow and heat transfer in geothermal aquifers, several reservoir models of fluvial sandstones are constructed with increasing geological detail. These models are based on the results of geological fieldwork on the Huesca fluvial fan in Miocene, Ebro Basin, Spain. Several models with different geometry of the fluvial sandstone bodies, orientation of the channel belts and stacking patterns of the channel bodies are considered. A finiteelement approach is utilized to study the geothermal energy production. The effects of different levels of architectural complexity on the geothermal energy production, by conducting several accurate numerical simulations, are discussed. The results show that utilizing simplified reservoir models can lead to a significant error in predictability of the heat recovery from deep fluvial sandstone formations.
Designing low-cost networks is an essential step in planning linked infrastructure. For the case ... more Designing low-cost networks is an essential step in planning linked infrastructure. For the case of capacitated trees, such as oil or gas pipeline networks, the cost is usually a function of both pipeline thickness (i.e. capacity) and pipeline length. Minimizing cost becomes particularly difficult as network topology itself dictates local flow material balances, rendering the optimization space non-linear. The combinatorial nature of potential trees requires the use of graph optimization heuristics to achieve good solutions in reasonable time. In this work we perform a comparison of known literature network optimization heuristics and metaheuristics, and propose novel algorithms, including a metaheuristic based on transferring edges of high valency nodes. Our metaheuristic achieves performance above similar algorithms studied, especially for larger graphs, usually producing a significantly higher proportion of optimal solutions, while remaining in line with time-complexity of algorithms found in the literature. Data points for graph node positions and capacities are first randomly generated, and secondly obtained from the German emissions trading CO2 source registry. Driven by the increasing necessity to find applications and storage for industry CO2 emissions, finding minimum-cost networks increases the business case for large-scale CO2 transportation pipeline infrastructure.
Investigation of the combined systems is essential for enhancing production and sustainable energ... more Investigation of the combined systems is essential for enhancing production and sustainable energy recovery from deep geological formations. Two synergy solutions for oil and gas development projects by the utilization of geothermal energy in the Netherlands are considered here to improve energy recovery from the subsurface: I) In the Moerkapelle viscous oil field we studied the synergy potential between the production of oil and geothermal energy by utilization of hot geothermal fluids for enhanced recovery of the heavy oil. II) In the low-pressure Oude Leede gas field the synergy potential under study was for marginally economic natural gas production from gas fields within the proximity of a geothermal doublet project. The study focus is the development of strategies for injecting cooled geothermal water for water flooding as a viable alternative to compression of the low-pressure gas reservoir. We investigated these strategies for various conditions. We found that: a) for the first synergy case, the extra amount of oil produced by utilizing the geothermal energy could make the geothermal business case independent of subsidies and may be a viable option to reduce the overall project cost, b) and for the second case under certain conditions produced water from geothermal reservoir can be partially utilized for water injection in the gas field to maintain the gas reservoir pressure above the abandonment pressure, or slow down the pressure depletion. Injecting water could also increase the ultimate recovery factor for higher abandonment pressure in a gas field. Here we give an overview about our work.
Within the EC funded Horizon 2020 project SURE (Novel Productivity Enhancement Concept for a Sust... more Within the EC funded Horizon 2020 project SURE (Novel Productivity Enhancement Concept for a Sustainable Utilization of a Geothermal Resource) the radial jet drilling (RJD) technology is investigated and tested as a method to increase performance of insufficiently performing geothermal wells. Radial jet drilling uses the power of a focused jet of fluids, applied to a rock through a coil inserted in an existing well. This technology is likely to provide much better control of the enhanced flow paths around a geothermal well and does not involve the amount of fluid as conventional hydraulic fracturing, thereby reducing the risk of induced seismicity considerably. RJD shall be applied to access and connect high permeable zones within geothermal reservoirs to the main well with a higher degree of control compared to conventional stimulation technologies. We investigated the technology over various spatial and temporal scales ranging from short term laboratory experiments to field scale applications. Here we give an overview about our work.
Germany 2050: For the first time Germany reached a balance between its sources of anthropogenic C... more Germany 2050: For the first time Germany reached a balance between its sources of anthropogenic CO2 to the atmosphere and newly created anthropogenic sinks. This backcasting study presents a fictional future in which this goal was achieved by avoiding (∼645 Mt CO2), reducing (∼50 Mt CO2) and removing (∼60 Mt CO2) carbon emissions. This meant substantial transformation of the energy system, increasing energy efficiency, sector coupling, and electrification, energy storage solutions including synthetic energy carriers, sector‐specific solutions for industry, transport, and agriculture, as well as natural‐sink enhancement and technological carbon dioxide options. All of the above was necessary to achieve a net‐zero CO2 system for Germany by 2050.
Indonesia with its large, but partially unexplored geothermal potential is one of the most intere... more Indonesia with its large, but partially unexplored geothermal potential is one of the most interesting and suitable places in the world to conduct geothermal exploration research. This study focuses on geothermal exploration based on fluid-rock geochemistry/geomechanics and aims to compile an overview on geochemical data-rock properties from important geothermal fields in Indonesia. The work will be conducted over the next two years and this paper intends to present the methods and approaches we would like to use. The research carried out in the field and in the laboratory is performed in the framework of the GEOCAP cooperation (Geothermal Capacity Building program Indonesia- the Netherlands). Research along with capacity building will be combined in this Indonesian-Dutch project. The application of petrology and geochemistry accounts to a better understanding of areas where operating power plants exist but also helps in the initial exploration stage of green areas. Because of their...
In the context of the Geothermal Technology Program at GFZ, the former gas exploration well Gros ... more In the context of the Geothermal Technology Program at GFZ, the former gas exploration well Gros Schonebeck 3/90 (50 km northeast of Berlin) was reopened and deepened to 4309 m depth. For the last 6 years, this well has served as a geothermal in-situ laboratory for in situ experiments and the development of stimulation concepts. The objective of these stimulation operations was to create secondary flow paths and to improve the inflow performance of the well. The well makes the deep sedimentary Rotliegend reservoir accessible, which is characterized by water bearing porous and fractured rocks. To complet e a potential doublet for power generation, the second well Gros Schonebeck 4/05 was drilled in late 2006. At pay -zone depth level the maximum distance between the two wells is approximately 500m. The most promising sandstone layers for stimulation were identified by measured porosity distribution, water saturation and calculated permeability data. This information is a prerequisite...
The dynamic growth and ambitious plans of the geothermal sector in Indonesia require a lot more s... more The dynamic growth and ambitious plans of the geothermal sector in Indonesia require a lot more skilled personnel and welltrained scientific specialists than currently exist hence a nation-wide capacity building program has been drafted by BAPPENAS. It is difficult to assess the capacity needed both in volume as well as in level of education. The Netherlands Embassy, through Agenschap.NL started to assist BAPPENAS in 2009, to accelerate investments in geothermal areas. In 2014 the NetherlandsIndonesian geothermal capacity building program GEOCAP was launched. The objective of the program is to increase the capacity of Indonesia’s Ministries, Local Government Agencies, public and private companies and knowledge institutions in developing, exploring and utilization of geothermal energy sources, and to assess and monitor its impact on the economy and environment. A broad Indonesian-Netherlands consortium consisting of 11 universities, knowledge institutes and geothermal companies forme...
Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose... more Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
Designing low-cost infrastructure networks for transport of hydrogen represents a key step in the... more Designing low-cost infrastructure networks for transport of hydrogen represents a key step in the adoption and penetration of hydrogen technology in a low-carbon energy future.
Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose... more Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
As part of an effort to develop a geothermal energy source beneath its campus, Cornell University... more As part of an effort to develop a geothermal energy source beneath its campus, Cornell University is planning to probe the “boring” old continental crust upon which many people live.
The GEISER (Geothermal Engineering Integrating Mitigation of Induced SEismicity in Reservoirs) pr... more The GEISER (Geothermal Engineering Integrating Mitigation of Induced SEismicity in Reservoirs) project is co-funded by the European Commission to address the mitigation and understanding of induced seismicity (IS) in geothermal engineering. The aim of the project is to contribute to the improvement of the concept of EGS by investigating the role of IS, which is twofold: 1. as an instrument to image fluid pathways induced by hydraulic stimulation treatments, which has been done to some extent in previous projects; and 2. as an implication of such treatments to potential seismic hazards. Work started in 2010 by addressing four major points: -Analysis of induced seismicity -Understanding the geomechanics and -Consequences of induced seismicity -Strategies for the mitigation of induced seismicity Within the first year of the project, a number of reference sites were defined where data sets with seismic and downhole data are available for further processing and analysis. In addition, laboratory experiments and mechanical models as well as hazard assessment tools are developed on the basis of existing data. At the end of the project, guidelines for regulatory bodies will present the basis for future licensing procedures of geothermal projects.
We have used Þ nite element modeling (FEM) to successfully reproduce elastic volume changes of sy... more We have used Þ nite element modeling (FEM) to successfully reproduce elastic volume changes of synthetic ß uid inclusions in quartz pressurized in a hydrothermal diamond-anvil cell (HDAC) at external pressures up to 250 MPa. At higher pressures, the synthetic inclusions are somewhat stiffer than would be predicted by linear elasticity due to the effect of pressure on the elastic moduli. The Þ nite element models were created to reproduce the inclusion's approximate shape, and crystallographic orientation within the host, which is elastically anisotropic. The models successfully predict changes in ß uid inclusion volume measured using the HDAC, which gives us conÞ dence that FEM may be used to predict the elastic behavior of inclusions in other situations.
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2019
Geothermal projects, as renewable energy projects, are not economically attractive in most places... more Geothermal projects, as renewable energy projects, are not economically attractive in most places of the world at the current state of development; for this reason, subsidies are required by energy and environmental authorities in order to increase the interest in such projects. In this paper, we assess and model strategies for integration of geothermal energy with oil productions of the Moerkapelle oil field in the Netherlands. To do so, numerical simulations have been employed to analyse the feasibility of a fluvial oil reservoir for the synergy potential of oil and geothermal energy exploitation. In order to implement the simulation studies, single phase and two-phase non-isothermal fluid flow modelling are utilised for the geothermal well doublet system and for water flooding in an oil reservoir (including facies heterogeneity), respectively. A series of simulations have been conducted to investigate how hot water from a geothermal reservoir beneath a heavy oil reservoir in the fluvial sedimentary system of the West Netherlands Basin can be used for Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery (TEOR) and geothermal energy production. This study finds that the high degree of heterogeneity in fluvial oil reservoirs could significantly affect oil recovery improvement and hence the synergy strategy. High values of a) Net to gross (N/G) b) Bottom Hole Pressure (BHP) and c) horizontal wellbore length are favourable for oil recovery. In contrast, wide horizontal wellbore spacing and oil viscosity have an adverse effect on oil recovery enhancement. Furthermore, the results display that the enhanced oil production helps to reduce the required subsidy for a single doublet geothermal project up to 100 %. Consequently, the extra amount of oil produced by utilising the geothermal energy, could make the geothermal business case independent and profitable.
Power-to-gas-to-power technologies incorporating electrolysis, methanation, SNG-fired Allam cycle... more Power-to-gas-to-power technologies incorporating electrolysis, methanation, SNG-fired Allam cycles and subsurface storages allow for a confined and circular use of CO2/CH4 and thus an emission-free seasonal storage of intermittent renewable energy.
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Papers by David Bruhn