Evaluation of Engineered Geothermal Systems as a Heat Source for Oil Sands Production in Northern Alberta

Pathak, Varun; Babadagli, Tayfun; Majorowicz, Jacek; Unsworth, Martyn

doi:10.1007/s11053-013-9218-4

Cited by 18 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…We chose three locations in Alberta that have been identified as possible geothermal sites Pathak et al, 2013), and show S V , S hmin and S Hmax along the virtual well path (Fig. 20).…”

Section: Model Application For Deep Geothermal Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are (1) the Edson-Hinton region, with sediment thicknesses of 4000-6000 m and potential temperatures of 100-150 • C, (2) the village of Leduc, 30 km south of Edmonton, with the potential to heat houses , and (3) the Hunt well site (e.g. Majorowicz et al, 2012) close to the town of Fort McMurray, where heat is needed for industrial application (Pathak et al, 2013). The virtual wells in Fig.…”

Section: Model Application For Deep Geothermal Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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3-D geomechanical–numerical model of the contemporary crustal stress state in the Alberta Basin (Canada)

Reiter

Heidbach

2014

Solid Earth

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Abstract. In the context of examining the potential usage of safe and sustainable geothermal energy in the Alberta Basin, whether in deep sediments or crystalline rock, the understanding of the in situ stress state is crucial. It is a key challenge to estimate the 3-D stress state at an arbitrarily chosen point in the crust, based on sparsely distributed in situ stress data.To address this challenge, we present a large-scale 3-D geomechanical-numerical model (700 km×1200 km×80 km) from a large portion of the Alberta Basin, to provide a 3-D continuous quantification of the contemporary stress orientations and stress magnitudes. To calibrate the model, we use a large database of in situ stress orientation (321 S Hmax ) as well as stress magnitude data (981 S V , 1720 S hmin and 2 (+11) S Hmax ) from the Alberta Basin. To find the best-fit model, we vary the material properties and primarily the displacement boundary conditions of the model. This study focusses in detail on the statistical calibration procedure, because of the large amount of available data, the diversity of data types, and the importance of the order of data tests.The best-fit model provides the total 3-D stress tensor for nearly the whole Alberta Basin, and allows estimation of stress orientation and stress magnitudes in advance of any well. First-order implications for the well design and configuration of enhanced geothermal systems are revealed. Systematic deviations of the modelled stress from the in situ data are found for stress orientations in the Peace River and the Bow Island Arch as well as for leak-off test magnitudes.

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“…We chose three locations in Alberta that have been identified as possible geothermal sites Pathak et al, 2013), and show S V , S hmin and S Hmax along the virtual well path (Fig. 20).…”

Section: Model Application For Deep Geothermal Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Model Application For Deep Geothermal Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 99%

3-D geomechanical–numerical model of the contemporary crustal stress state in the Alberta Basin (Canada)

Reiter

Heidbach

2014

Solid Earth

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“…Geothermal power plants convert the energy of hot rocks into electricity using water in place to absorb heat from the rock and transport it to the earthÕs surface, where it is converted to electrical energy through turbine generators (Gallup 2009;Pathak et al 2014). There is considerable energy potential with low impact on the environment and also very low greenhouse gas emissions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Power Production from Dry Geothermal Well Using Down-hole Heat Exchanger in Sabalan Field, Northwest Iran

2015

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In this research, a simulation was performed for evaluating power production from an abandoned geothermal well as an enhanced geothermal system by injecting a secondary fluid. Abandoned wells, due to lack of fluid or very low transmissivity, are regarded among the low-to moderate-temperature resources that have the potential for heat production without any cost for deep drilling. Accordingly, they are taken as suitable sources of energy. In the present paper, an abandoned geothermal well at Meshkinshahr geothermal field in Sabalan district, northwestern Iran, with 3176 m depth was simulated. The bottom-hole temperature of 148°C, as well as well casing size, and real thermal gradient for well were applied in the model. A 3D heat transfer simulation model was designed by considering a coaxial pipe as a down-hole heat exchanger between surrounding rocks of the well and injected fluid. Injected fluid to the well with specified pressure and temperature receives heat from rocks surrounding the well, until it reaches the bottom of the well and converts to vapor. The vapor returns to the surface from inner pipe with very low heat loss during its return. The inner pipe is isolated by a thin layer having a low heat conductivity to prevent heat loss from the returned fluid. It was observed that obtained heat in the well depends on temperature profile of the well, injection velocity, and fluid mass flow rate. The model results were optimized by selecting suitable parameters such as inlet injection speed and fluid flow rate to achieve the highest temperature of the fluid returned from the well. A binary power plant was also modeled to determine the extractable power using returned fluid as input using ammonia and isobutene, as working fluids in binary cycle. Finally, electric power of 270 kW was generated from well NWS3 using designed down-hole heat exchanger.

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“…Great drilling depths will be required as the temperature gain with depth in crystalline rocks of the Athabasca region are considerably low. As a result electricity production from EGS for oil sands operations is considered uneconomic Pathak et al, 2013).…”

Section: Geothermalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The geothermal heating system used in the proposed optimization model is based on the results obtained by Pathak et al (2013). They determined that the optimum geothermal direct heating system is composed of three wells (one injector and two producers) with a horizontal spacing of 500-600 m. Compared to other systems this arrangement provided improved heat transfer due to the increase in contact between injected water and the hot dry rocks.…”

Section: Hydrogen Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimized integration of renewable energy technologies into Alberta’s oil sands industry

Elsholkami

Elkamel

Vargas

2016

Computers & Chemical Engineering

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a b s t r a c tAn energy optimization model for the integration of renewable technologies into the energy infrastructure of the oil sands industry is presented. The proposed model determines the optimal configuration of oil producers and the energy infrastructure required to meet their energy demands. The model is geared toward the minimization of cost subject to carbon dioxide emission constraints. A mixed integer non-linear optimization model is developed that simultaneously optimizes capacity expansion and new investment decisions of conventional and renewable energy technologies. To illustrate its applicability, the proposed model was applied to a case study using data reported in the literature for various years of oil sands operations. A rolling horizon approach was implemented to determine the effect of investment decisions of previous operational years on the selection of new investment options. Results were compared with and without the incorporation of renewable energy technologies. The results obtained indicate that the proposed model is a practical tool that can be employed to evaluate and plan oil sands and energy producers for future scenarios. Moreover, the results show that renewable energy technologies have significant potential in reducing reliance on fossil-fuel based technologies and their associated CO 2 emissions. The emission constraints set for the operational year 2025 can only be achieved by the incorporation of renewables in the energy production mix. (A. Elkamel). its viscosity for further transportation to be sold as commercial crude bitumen or to be upgraded to higher quality synthetic crude oil (SCO). Bitumen upgrading operations can be integrated with mining or steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) extraction operations, and they typically consist of hydrocracking or thermocracking processes to break the heavy hydrocarbon molecules into lighter ones. Mining extraction is typically employed for bitumen deposits located at depths up to 75 m. The oil sands are mined by electric and hydraulic shovels, which are then transported by trucks to separation units in which hot water and solvents are used to extract the bitumen from the oil sands mixture. In-situ methods are used for deep bitumen deposits that are located more than 75 m below the earth's surface, and they have been employed to recover deposits at depths within the range of 350-600 m below the surface. In-situ methods rely on the use of steam, solvents or thermal energy to extract the bitumen from the oil sands in order to enhance its flow, which is then pumped to the surface. The two prominent production technologies are mining and in-situ, the latter being more economically and environmentally preferable and will account to approximately two-thirds of future oil sands production capacity. Mining extraction is currently the dominant method used for bitumen extraction (

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Evaluation of Engineered Geothermal Systems as a Heat Source for Oil Sands Production in Northern Alberta

Cited by 18 publications

References 17 publications

3-D geomechanical–numerical model of the contemporary crustal stress state in the Alberta Basin (Canada)

3-D geomechanical–numerical model of the contemporary crustal stress state in the Alberta Basin (Canada)

Simulation of Power Production from Dry Geothermal Well Using Down-hole Heat Exchanger in Sabalan Field, Northwest Iran

Optimized integration of renewable energy technologies into Alberta’s oil sands industry

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