A Thematic Workshop on, "Drilling into High-enthalpy Geothermal Systems: A Collaborative Initiative to Promote Scientific Opportunities".

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

In an effort to advance Continental Scientific Drilling in the USA, DOSECC is organising a series of topical workshops. The workshop proposed here has two objectives, firstly to advance scientific studies of active high-enthalpy hydrothermal systems, and secondly to foster collaboration between academic scientists, government agencies, and industry. Such collaboration is highly desirable because the scientific study of active hydrothermal systems requires drilling and sampling boreholes whose costs far exceed budgets normally available to academic scientists, whereas the geothermal industry commonly drills wells that access them. The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) represents an excellent example of such a collaboration. From the outset academic scientists have been deeply involved in that project. The IDDP is investigating the economic feasibility of producing electricity from supercritical geothermal reservoirs. To test this concept an industry consortium planned to drilled a deep well in the volcanic caldera of Krafla. However drilling had to be terminated at 2.1 km depth when 900C rhyolite magma flowed into the well. Today the well is highly productive, estimated to be capable of generating >35 MWe of dry superheated steam at a well-head temperature of ~440C. There is a significant undeveloped potential for developing high-enthalpy geothermal systems in the western USA, Hawaii and Alaska. Although drilling into these deep unconventional geothermal reservoirs is more expensive, the higher productivity per well should offset this. It is proposed to compile and distribute a report that addresses industry's interest, abilities, research needs, and potential for collaborative projects that drill high-enthalpy systems. This will be based on the results of a broadly distributed questionnaire, and a three day workshop with participation by industry, government and university scientists. Hopefully this will help create a national program that enhances the scientific, technological and institutional basis for the development of new and more economic sources of alternative energy.