Reconstruction of geothermal boreholes in Poland

Abstract

IntroductionBorehole reconstruction involves a number of technical and research measures which ultimately result in well and reservoir conditions that enable their commercial use. In terms of geothermal needs and goals, borehole reconstruction can be carried out in three areas, i.e.:• the reconstruction of a damaged or decommissioned well; • the restoration of an existing well; • the repair of entire or part of an existing well.Further, borehole reconstruction can be complete or partial. AbstractThe beginnings of geothermal implementation research in Poland date back to 1989-1993 when the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (MEERI PAS) launched the first geothermal installation in the Podhale region, using the reconstructed Bańska IG-1 well. The knowledge acquired during these 30 years has highlighted the importance of geothermal energy-among other things, borehole reconstruction operations and the need for their further refinement. The technologies developed have been used in virtually all geothermal heating systems operating in Poland. Examples of successful reconstruction work include the Bańska IG-1 and Biały Dunajec PAN-1 wells operated by the PEC Geotermia Podhalańska S.A. geothermal company. The Mszczonów IG-1 well, which is operated by the Geotermia Mazowiecka S.A. heating company, has also undergone considerable work almost 24 years after its complete closure. Reconstruction processes can also be important in adapting existing wells for geothermal purposes. After World War II, more than 8000 boreholes deeper than 1000 m were drilled in Poland. They were primarily made for the purpose of geological surveys and hydrocarbon exploration. Some of these boreholes can be adapted for operation in geothermal systems. The paper presents selected methods of reconstructing abandoned, disused (not abandoned and not decommissioned) or damaged boreholes in order to use them in the geothermal water extraction process. Four examples of borehole reconstruction, designed and carried out with the participation of MEERI PAS in Kraków, are discussed in more detail.

Geothermal Boreholes in Poland—Overview of the Current State of Knowledge

“…Table 1 does not include boreholes in: Dębica GT-1, Lądek Zdrój LZT-1, Sękowa GT-1 and others due to the lack of data in available publications. [39]; partly repaired in 2011; in 2014, the well was directionally deepened and restored to operation [46] BiałyDunajec PGP-2 1996/97 [39,72] 2450 [39,59] 175 [59] (400) [39,49,50,58,60] (500) [68] Limestones and dolomites (middle Triassic) [59] 85 [ [59] in Table 4, and 90 m 3 /h in [59] in Table 1 Gostynin GT-1…”

“…2007 [47] 2008 [75] 2007/08 [37,38,64] 2734 [63,64,75] 120 [63,64] Lower Jurassic [37,38,47,64] 82 [63,64,75] 11.33 (991.9; 4179) New **** Production [37,38] Vertical Steel/steel [37,38] Widened, bare foot [37,38] -Jachranka GT-1 2019 [75] 1780 [75] 180 [75] Lower Jurasic [ [38,44] 1977 [51,52] 1700 [63] 1793 [46] 4119 [51,52] 55 [63] 60 after reconstruction [44] 60 [63] Lower Cretaceous [44,51,52,63] Lower Jurassic [38] 40 [51,52,63] 42 after reconstuction [44] 42 with reservoir 55 m 3 •h −1 [63] 2.92 (998.3; 4181)…”

Prospects of Using Hydrocarbon Deposits from the Autochthonous Miocene Formation (Eastern Carpathian Foredeep, Poland) for Geothermal Purposes

“…That means greater proximity to people, and thereby requires greater environmental, formal as well as social concerns. If one wants to use the existing oil and gas wells, a problem related to their technical condition may arise, preventing its reconstruction (preceded by appropriate tests), and consequently, re-use for geothermal purposes [13,50]. Additionally, aggressive brines might constitute the problem within the analyzed area as geothermal waters contain elements, such as CO 2 or H 2 S, etc.…”

“…Thus, the use of geothermal energy can lead to a reduction in the phenomenon of energy poverty [10,11], while contributing to increasing the country's energy independence [12]. Apart from shallow geothermic (i.e., heat pump technology), the utilization of geothermal energy is possible due to the deep boreholes, either brand-new ones dedicated to geothermal extraction, or old, petroleum wells readapted for geothermal purposes [13]. Drilling a new geothermal well requires not only an extensive designing phase and legal compliance [14], but also entails high investment costs [15].…”

Review of induced seismicity in geothermal systems worldwide and implications for geothermal systems in the Netherlands

“…Meyer and Kozlowski, 1995; Górecki et al, 2015; Kepinska, 2015). The systems at Poddebice and Mszczonów (Bujakowski & Wojnarowski, 2005) only produce the formation water, whereas the others circulate fluids between the wells.…”