DEEP GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

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DEEP GEOTHERMAL ENERGY The Potential For
Northern Ireland Gilbert Ash Belfast, 27th
June 2008
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Outline

• CSA Group Background
• Geothermal Project Portfolio
• Shallow / Deep Geothermal Potential of Northern
  Ireland
• Previous Geothermal Oil/Gas Drilling New Data
  
• Northern Ireland Energy Profile

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CSA Group Background

• Independent Irish Consultants
• serving local international clients for over 20
  years
• Mineral Exploration, Evaluation and Planning
  Sand Gravel, Gold, Diamonds, Base Metals, Oil
  and Gas
• Renewable Energy Geothermal, Wind
• Hydrology / Hydrogeology
• Geotechnical and Geological Assessment
• Research and Development

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What Is Geothermal Energy?

• Geothermal Energy is the energy stored in the
  form of heat below the surface of the solid earth

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How Hot is it?

• Geothermal Gradient defines the vertical
  temperature increase below the earths surface
• Worldwide Average is
• c. 3oC increase per 100m depth

12C 930C 2760C
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Geothermal Energy Utilisation

• Soils (Ground Source Heat Pumps) 9-11C
• Surface Marine Water 5-15C
• Shallow Groundwater Aquifer cool, high vol
• Urban Heat Island 13-18C
• Warm Springs, Shallow Heat 15-23C
• Medium Depth Heat 25-75C
• Deep Heat 100-150C

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Geothermal Energy Utilisation
Boissavy, 1997, European Geologist 5, after
Lindall 1973
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Geothermal Energy in Northern Ireland
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Geothermal Resource Assessment Projects

• Geothermal Atlas of Ireland (SEI, 2004)
  defined temperature profiles for depths of 100m,
  500m, 1000m, 2500m 5000m in the Republic of
  Ireland
• Geothermal Potential of Northern Ireland (AR,
  2005) defined temperature profiles for depths
  of 100m, 500m, 1000m, 2500m 5000m in Northern
  Ireland
• Assessment of the Shallow Geothermal Potential
  of Northern Ireland (AR, 2005) the potential
  for shallow geothermal energy of Northern Irish
  Aquifers
• Potential for Deep Geothermal Energy in Northern
  Ireland (AR, 2008) estimated the total energy
  stored in potential geothermal reservoir target
  formation in Northern Ireland

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Shallow Geothermal Potential of Northern Ireland

• Defined Temperature Profiles of Northern Ireland
  Groundwater Aquifers based on existing borehole
  Measurements
• Results of the study showed a Relationships
  between Aquifer Permeability and Temperature at
  100m where More Permeable Aquifers supply Greater
  Amounts of Energy to shallow GSHP collectors

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Shallow Geothermal Potential

• 100m depth

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Deep Geothermal Potential

• Geothermal Potential of Northern Ireland at 2.5km
  depth
• Temperature Record from Exploration Oil Gas
  wells
• Geothermal Targets in the Rathlin, Larne, Lough
  Neagh and North West basins

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Defining the Potential of Geothermal Targets

• Existing Oil and Gas well Data was used to define
  the geothermal target reservoir parameters
• Stored Energy models showing the yearly MWh of
  energy for individual high potential geothermal
  target areas were developed using recently
  acquired TELLUS data.

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Defining the Potential of Geothermal Targets

• Using
• Existing Oil Gas well data in Northern Ireland
• Existing Seismic line data
• Aquired TELLUS data

Define the Thickness, Geometry Depth of the
target reservoirs
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Stored Energy in Northern Ireland Reservoirs

• Deeper, Thicker and Higher Temperature
  reservoir contain Higher Quantities of
  Energy
• Ranked Target Formation - Total Energy in MWh
  per year

Conservative Estimates !!
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Defining the Potential of Geothermal Targets

• High Geothermal Potential in the Larne, Rathlin,
  Lough Neagh and North West Basins

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How do Northern Ireland ReservoirsCompare to
Operating Plants ??
The Unterhaching Geothermal Power Plant (Southern
Germany) Power Output 47 MWth District
Heating 4.3 MWe Electricity Supply Stored
Annual Energy Calculation 1069.29 MWh
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Deep Geothermal Energy - Potential Impacts in
Northern Ireland -
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Development in High Potential Geothermal Areas
-2015
The Largest Projected Developments in 2015 are in
the Industrial Housing Sectors Industrial
Commercial retail development Figures are
currently Not Available for Fermanagh as well as
Antrim, Ballymena and Larne
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Belfast Titanic QuarterDevelopment Strategy -
2015
The Largest Projected Developments for Belfast by
2015 are in the Offices and Retail Space Even
though the Hydro-Geothermal Potential for Belfast
is less significant, a Single Borehole Heat
Exchanger technology may be better suited for the
proposed development size
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Northern Ireland Regional Development

• Significant housing development forecast for the
  Antrim, Larne, Ballymena Coleraine
• Significant Industrial Development in Coleraine,
  Ballymoney Magherafelt
• Significant developments are expected in the
  areas north and south-west of Belfast City

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Northern Ireland Energy Market (2005)

• Residential and Industrial Sectors constitute
• up to 60 of Northern Irelands
• Total Energy Demand

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Northern Ireland Energy Market (2005)

• Northern Ireland has a High Fossil Fuel
• Dependence for heat electricity generation

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Northern Ireland CO2 Emissions (2005)

• Higher Geothermal Potential Areas (yellow) have
  High (per capita) CO2 Emissions

2005 Summary of CO2 Emissions in Northern Ireland
by sector (AEA Energy Environment, 2007)
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Geothermal Energy - Exploitation Examples -
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Geothermal Energy in the Paris Basin since 1961
Source GPC, 2003.
Source BRGM, 1999.

• 32 operating well doublets
• 13 abandoned well doublets

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Well Doublet Principles
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Unterhaching Heat Electricity

• Malm Limestone at 3,350m depth Temperature
  123oC Flow rate 150l/s

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Unterhaching Heat Electricity

• HEAT 47MWth District Heating

• ELECTRICITY 4.3MWe Kalina Plant

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Conclusions

• 4 basins in Northern Ireland have suitable target
  formations for deep geothermal energy
  exploitation through well doublets
• Geothermal Energy has the potential to
  significantly impact on local energy markets in
  the domestic and industrial sectors where large
  heating requirements are currently met only by
  fossil fuels
• Future planned strategic planned development
  should consider geothermal energy and district
  heating systems as an alternative source of energy