GEOTHERMALENERGY DEVELOPMENTIN ALBERTA
PRESENTED BY JONATHAN BANKS, PH.D.
WITH SUPPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA AND ALBERTA INNOVATES - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT SOLUTIONS
OVERVIEW
What is geothermal energy and how is it produced?
Stages of geothermal energy development
Geothermal resources in Alberta
Our Proposal
a Long-term outlook and development strategy
Discussion
AB Innovates / Geothermal Power - Presented by Jonathan Bank... Page 2 of 28 WHAT IS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY?
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Geothermal energy’ refers to the Earth’s internal heat content
• 99% of Earth is hotter than 1000 ° C 6))
° • Depth at centre is — 6700° C (surface of the Sun is 5000 C)
• Geothermal gradient is rate at which temperature increases with depth
• Average in Western Canada 20 - 50° C per km
HOW IS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PRODUCED?
• Hot water is pumped to the surface in one or more ‘production’ wells
• Thermal energy is extracted from the water and used directly as heat or converted to electricity
• Cold water is pumped back into the reservoir in an ‘injection’ well
• I production well may produce 20 - 100 MW of thermal energy
(2 — 10 MW of electricity)
AB Innovates / Geothermal Power - Presented by Jonathan Bank... Page 3 of 28 ALBERTA’S GEOTHERMAL REGIME AT THE PRECAMBRIAN SURFACE
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ALBERTA’S GEOTHERMAL ELECTRICITY RESERVOIRS
Reservoir — Municipality Temp • Depth Lower Mannville Yellowhead 110-130°C <4000m Banff Formation Yellowhead 120-150°C <4500m - -.1 Wabamum Group Grande Prairie 100-120°C <3500m
Nisku Formation Yellowhead 110 - 130 °C <4000 m Leduc Formation tGrande Prairie 110-130°Ct <3750 Swan Hills! Slave Point Yellowhead 120-140C <500Gm
Granite Wash Grande Prairie 120 - 140 °C <4500 m
Basal Sandstone Yellowhead 160 - 180 °C <5500 m
Basal Sandstone Clearwater (West) 110 - 130°C <4000 m
Basal Sandstone Clearwater (East) 110 - 120 C <4000 m
AB Innovates / Geothermal Power - Presented by Jonathan Bank... Page 4 of 28 ALBERTA’S GEOTHERMAL ELECTRICITY RESERVOIRS
Wabarnum Group Grande Prairie 100- 120 C <3500 m
Leduc Formation Grande Prairie 110 - 130 C <3750m
Granite Wash Grande Prairie 120 - 140 C <4500 m J. Basal Sandstone Clearwater (West) 110-130C <4000m Basal Sandstone Clearwater (East) 110-120C <400Gm
PROPOSED RESERVOIR MODELS
• A static geologic model, depicting the a real extent of the reservoir in the subsurface and the reservoir’s boundary conditions temperature, depth, thickness and stress regime.
• A volumetric assessment of the total thermal energy in (joules or megawatt hours) available in each reservoir.
• A Monte Carlo, or other probabilistic simulation, to predict the amount of power (in megawatts) that may be produced from the reservoir.
AB Innovates / Geothermal Power - Presented by Jonathan Bank... Page 5 of 28 VIABILITY MATRIX
Assesses non-geotechnical aspects of a projects viability
Completed for each of the three regions containing the reservoirs (Grande Prairie, Yellowhead County, Clearwater County)
• Environmental Issues
• Finances
• Market Factors
• First Nation Involvement
• Infrastructure (electrical and non-electrical)
• Community Issues
ESTIMATED PROJECT COSTS
.IAIIk Expense aIaries & Benefits $80,000 Consulting Fees $15,000 E.Software $3,000 I Travel $10,000 Overhead (20%) $21,600 TOTAL $129,600
AB Innovates / Geothermal Power - Presented by Jonathan Bank... Page 6 of 28
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for at Page 8 of 28 THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
DISCUSSION
AB Innovates / Geothermal Power - Presented by Jonathan Bank... Page 9 of 28