DOCSLIB.ORG

Geological and Geohydrological Characterization of the Boom Clay and Its Overburden

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Geological and Geohydrological Characterization of the Boom Clay and Its Overburden Geological and geohydrological characterization of the Boom Clay and its overburden OPERA-PU-TNO411 Radioactive substances and ionizing radiation are used in medicine, industry, agriculture, research, education and electricity production. This generates radioactive waste. In the Netherlands, this waste is collected, treated and stored by COVRA (Centrale Organisatie Voor Radioactief Afval). After interim storage for a period of at least 100 years radioactive waste is intended for disposal. There is a world-wide scientific and technical consensus that geological disposal represents the safest long-term option for radioactive waste. Geological disposal is emplacement of radioactive waste in deep underground formations. The goal of geological disposal is long-term isolation of radioactive waste from our living environment in order to avoid exposure of future generations to ionising radiation from the waste. OPERA (OnderzoeksProgramma Eindberging Radioactief Afval) is the Dutch research programme on geological disposal of radioactive waste. Within OPERA, researchers of different organisations in different areas of expertise will cooperate on the initial, conditional Safety Cases for the host rocks Boom Clay and Zechstein rock salt. As the radioactive waste disposal process in the Netherlands is at an early, conceptual phase and the previous research programme has ended more than a decade ago, in OPERA a first preliminary or initial safety case will be developed to structure the research necessary for the eventual development of a repository in the Netherlands. The safety case is conditional since only the long-term safety of a generic repository will be assessed. OPERA is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and the public limited liability company Electriciteits- Produktiemaatschappij Zuid-Nederland (EPZ) and coordinated by COVRA. Further details on OPERA and its outcomes can be accessed at www.covra.nl. This report concerns a study conducted in the framework of OPERA. The conclusions and viewpoints presented in the report are those of the author(s). COVRA may draw modified conclusions, based on additional literature sources and expert opinions. A .pdf version of this document can be downloaded from www.covra.nl This report has been reviewed by: N. Vandenberghe (KU Leuven, Belgium) M.D.C. De Craen (SCK·CEN, Belgium) J. Grupa (NRG, Netherlands) OPERA-PU-TNO411 Title: Geological and geohydrological characterization of the Boom Clay and its overburden Authors: G.-J. Vis & J.M. Verweij Date of publication: March 2014 Keywords: Rupel Clay Member, depth, thickness, lithology, permeability OPERA-PU-TNO411 Page 2 of 86 Contents Summary ..................................................................................................1 Samenvatting .............................................................................................1 1. Introduction .........................................................................................2 1.1. Background ....................................................................................2 1.2. Objectives ......................................................................................2 1.3. Realization .....................................................................................2 1.4. Data quality and limitations of the work ..................................................4 1.5. What is the Boom Clay? ......................................................................7 1.5.1. Rupel Formation (NMRFC) ..............................................................7 1.5.2. Underlying and overlying deposits ....................................................9 2. Methods and assumptions ....................................................................... 12 2.1. Rupel Clay Member maps .................................................................. 12 2.1.1. Depth maps ............................................................................. 12 2.1.2. Thickness map ......................................................................... 14 2.1.3. Map accuracy and quality control ................................................... 14 2.2. Grain-size data .............................................................................. 20 2.2.1. Grain-size analyses .................................................................... 20 2.2.2. Uncertainties ........................................................................... 21 2.3. Well-log correlation ........................................................................ 22 2.4. Biostratigraphy .............................................................................. 22 2.5. Geohydrology ................................................................................ 22 2.5.1. Hydrogeological setting ............................................................... 22 2.5.2. Hydrodynamic setting ................................................................. 23 2.5.3. Porosity and permeability Rupel Clay Member .................................... 23 3. Results ............................................................................................. 27 3.1. Regional-scale geometry and overburden of the Rupel Clay Member ............... 27 3.1.1. Top and base ........................................................................... 27 3.1.2. Difference with previous CORA study ............................................... 27 3.1.3. Thickness ............................................................................... 27 3.1.4. Deeper than 400 m, thicker than 100 m ........................................... 28 3.2. Lithological characterization of the Rupel Clay Member .............................. 28 3.2.1. Lithological variability ................................................................ 28 3.2.2. Enhanced conceptual lithofacies model ............................................ 28 3.2.3. Focus on areas where deeper than 400 m, thicker than 100 m ................. 35 3.3. Regional scale geohydrological setting of the Rupel Clay Member .................. 39 3.3.1. Hydrodynamic setting ................................................................. 39 3.3.2. Hydrogeological setting ............................................................... 45 3.4. Geohydrological characterization of the Rupel Clay Member ........................ 49 4. Discussion .......................................................................................... 51 4.1. Stratigraphic interpretation ............................................................... 51 4.2. Geometry, distribution and lithology of focus areas ................................... 51 4.2.1. Roer Valley Graben .................................................................... 51 4.2.2. Zuiderzee Low ......................................................................... 56 4.2.3. North Netherlands ..................................................................... 56 4.2.4. Remaining onshore Netherlands ..................................................... 58 4.3. Integrity ...................................................................................... 58 4.3.1. Faults and seismicity .................................................................. 58 4.3.2. Salt domes .............................................................................. 59 4.3.3. Calcareous septaria ................................................................... 59 4.3.4. Sedimentation and bioturbation..................................................... 62 4.3.5. Boreholes ............................................................................... 62 4.4. Organic matter and hydrocarbons ........................................................ 62 4.4.1. Organic layers .......................................................................... 62 4.4.2. Hydrocarbons ........................................................................... 63 4.5. Geohydrology of focus areas .............................................................. 63 4.6. Data quality and limitations of the work ................................................ 64 5. Conclusions and knowledge gaps ............................................................... 65 5.1. Conclusions .................................................................................. 65 5.2. Knowledge gaps and recommendations for future work .............................. 66 References .............................................................................................. 68 Appendix 1 .............................................................................................. 74 Appendix 2 .............................................................................................. 77 Appendix 3 .............................................................................................. 80 Appendix 4 .............................................................................................. 84 OPERA-PU-TNO411 Page 4 of 86 Summary This desk-study presents the geological and geohydrological characteristics of a clay layer in the Dutch subsurface (Boom Clay, officially Rupel Clay Member). New depth and thickness maps show that the Rupel Clay Member is present in nearly the whole Dutch subsurface, up to a depth of ~1500 m. The thickness varies around a mean of 65 m. In the proposed disposal concept for OPERA, the repository depth is 500 meter with a clay thickness of 100 meter. Therefore for this study, a clay layer deeper
Load more

Recommended publications
  • EBN Internship Report Confidential
    EBN Internship Report Confidential Anja Dijkhuizen 3026051 Part I: Basin analysis of Tertiary deposits in the Gorredijk concession using 3D seismics and well data Part II: Extra Work Supervision: Maarten-Jan Brolsma, Guido Hoetz, Fokko van Hulten; EBN Prof. Dr. Chris Spiers; UU EBN September – November 2011 Part I: Basin analysis of Tertiary deposits in the Gorredijk concession using 3D seismics and well data 2 Basin analysis of Tertiary deposits in the Gorredijk concession using 3D seismics and well-data EBN-Internship Anja Dijkhuizen The 1000m thick Tertiary sequence present in the Dutch onshore subsurface can hold prospective reservoirs of shallow gas. In this report, an inventory of Tertiary reservoirs is made for the Gorredijk concession (Friesland, northern Netherlands). By using well, log and seismic data, the structural elements of the studied area are investigated. Thickness maps of the three Tertiary groups show a thickening trend towards the west. However, individual differences exist within the groups, implying basin shifts through the Tertiary Period. Gas migration would therefore be to the east, but timing is important due to the differences within each group. Indications of an erosive surface in the lower Tertiary Brussels Sand Member give more insight in the different Alpine phase pulses during the Tertiary. A large erosive event during the Miocene has eroded parts of the Upper Tertiary deposits. The associated angular unconformity, the ‘Mid Miocene Unconformity’, is shown not to be of tectonic but of sedimentary origin. Large Neogene delta foresets from the Eridanos deltaic system onlap on the Mid Miocene Unconformity. These delta deposits are so far only described to be found offshore.
    [Show full text]
  • A Reappraisal of the Stratigraphy of the Upper Miocene Unit X in The
    GEOLOGICA BELGICA (2020) 23/3-4: xxx-xxx A reappraisal of the stratigraphy of the upper Miocene unit X in the Maaseik core, eastern Campine area (northern Belgium) Stephen LOUWYE1* & Noël VANDENBERGHE2 1 Paleontology and paleoenvironments, Department of Geology, Ghent University, Belgium; [email protected]. 2 Department Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; [email protected]. * corresponding author ABSTRACT. The stratigraphy of the Tortonian-Messinian sequence from the Maaseik core, located on the shoulder of the Roer Valley Graben (RVG) in the eastern Campine area in northern Belgium, was improved. The analysis of the marine palynomorphs (dinoflagellate cysts and acritarchs) from the uppermost part of the Breda Formation, the unnamed unit X and the basal part of the Lower Waubach Member led to the recognition of the mid to upper Tortonian Hystrichosphaeropsis obscura biozone. Therefore deposition of this entire analyzed sequence took place sometime between 8.8 to 7.6 Ma. Paleoenvironmental interpretation of the palynomorphs points to shallow marine conditions and most probably a stressed environment during the deposition of unit X. A comparison with the time equivalent stratigraphy in the nearby Belgian Campine, the Dutch RVG and the German Lower Rhine Basin allowed the identification of the Inden Formation and required a shift in the base of the Kieseloolite Formation compared to the earlier lithostratigraphic interpretation of the Maaseik core. The regional stratigraphic scheme shows the progressive
    [Show full text]
  • Neogene Stratigraphy of the Langenboom Locality (Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands)
    Netherlands Journal of Geosciences — Geologie en Mijnbouw | 87 - 2 | 165 - 180 | 2008 Neogene stratigraphy of the Langenboom locality (Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands) E. Wijnker1'*, T.J. Bor2, F.P. Wesselingh3, D.K. Munsterman4, H. Brinkhiris5, A.W. Burger6, H.B. Vonhof7, K. Post8, K. Hoedemakers9, A.C. Janse10 & N. Taverne11 1 Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, the Netherlands. 2 Prinsenweer 54, 3363 JK Sliedrecht, the Netherlands. 3 Naturalis, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands. 4 TN0 B&0 - National Geological Survey, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands. 5 Palaeocecology, Inst. Environmental Biology, Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, the Netherlands. 6 P. Soutmanlaan 18, 1701 MC Heerhugowaard, the Netherlands. 7 Faculty Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 EH Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 8 Natuurmuseum Rotterdam, P.O. Box 23452, 3001 KL Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 9 Minervastraat 23, B 2640 Mortsel, Belgium. 10 Gerard van Voornestraat 165, 3232 BE Brielle, the Netherlands. 11 Snipweg 14, 5451 VP Mill, the Netherlands. * corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Manuscript received: February 2007; accepted: March 2008 Abstract The locality of Langenboom (eastern Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands), also known as Mill, is famous for its Neogene molluscs, shark teeth, teleost remains, birds and marine mammals. The stratigraphic context of the fossils, which have been collected from sand suppletions, was hitherto poorly understood. Here we report on a section which has been sampled by divers in the adjacent flooded sandpit 'De Kuilen' from which the Langenboom sands have been extracted.
    [Show full text]
  • Review the Mineralogy of Suspended Matter, Fresh and Cenozoic Sediments in the fluvio-Deltaic Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt–Ems Area, the Netherlands: an Overview and Review
    Netherlands Journal of Geosciences — Geologie en Mijnbouw |95 – 1 | 23–107 | 2016 doi:10.1017/njg.2015.32 Review The mineralogy of suspended matter, fresh and Cenozoic sediments in the fluvio-deltaic Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt–Ems area, the Netherlands: An overview and review J. Griffioen1,∗,G.Klaver2 &W.E.Westerhoff3 1 TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80 015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands and Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80 115, 3508 TC Utrecht, the Netherlands 2 Formerly BRGM, Laboratories Division, 3 av. C. Guillemin, BP36009, 45060 Orleans, France; Le Studium, CNRS, Orleans, France; TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80 015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands 3 TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80 015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands ∗ Corresponding author. Email: jasper.griffi[email protected] Manuscript received: 18 March 2015, accepted: 13 October 2015 Abstract Minerals are the building blocks of clastic sediments and play an important role with respect to the physico-chemical properties of the sediment and the lithostratigraphy of sediments. This paper aims to provide an overview of the mineralogy (including solid organic matter) of sediments as well as suspended matter as found in the Netherlands (and some parts of Belgium). The work is based on a review of the scientific literature published over more than 100 years. Cenozoic sediments are addressed together with suspended matter and recent sediments of the surface water systems because they form a geoscientific continuum from material subject to transport via recently settled to aged material.
    [Show full text]
  • An Updated and Revised Stratigraphic Framework for the Miocene And
    Netherlands Journal of An updated and revised stratigraphic Geosciences framework for the Miocene and earliest www.cambridge.org/njg Pliocene strata of the Roer Valley Graben and adjacent blocks Original Article Dirk K. Munsterman1 , Johan H. ten Veen1 , Armin Menkovic1, Jef Deckers2, 1 3 1 Cite this article: Munsterman DK, ten Veen JH, Nora Witmans , Jasper Verhaegen , Susan J. Kerstholt-Boegehold , Menkovic A, Deckers J, Witmans N, 1 1 Verhaegen J, Kerstholt-Boegehold SJ, van de Tamara van de Ven and Freek S. Busschers Ven T, and Busschers FS. An updated and revised stratigraphic framework for the 1TNO – Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands; 2VITO, Flemish Miocene and earliest Pliocene strata of the Roer Institute for Technological Research, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium and 3Department of Earth and Valley Graben and adjacent blocks. Netherlands Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium Journal of Geosciences, Volume 98, e8. https:// doi.org/10.1017/njg.2019.10 Abstract Received: 23 January 2019 In the Netherlands, the bulk of the Miocene to lowest Pliocene sedimentary succession is cur- Revised: 1 November 2019 Accepted: 8 November 2019 rently assigned to a single lithostratigraphical unit, the Breda Formation. Although the forma- tion was introduced over 40 years ago, the definition of its lower and upper boundaries is still Keywords: problematic. Well-log correlations show that the improved lecto-stratotype for the Breda dinoflagellate cysts; lithostratigraphy; Formation in well Groote Heide partly overlaps with the additional reference section of the Neogene; seismic; southern North Sea Basin; well-log correlation older Veldhoven Formation in the nearby well Broekhuizenvorst.
    [Show full text]
  • A Partial Rostrum of the Porbeagle Shark
    GEOLOGICA BELGICA (2010) 13/1-2: 61-76 A PARTIAL ROSTRUM OF THE PORBEAGLE SHARK LAMNA NASUS (LAMNIFORMES, LAMNIDAE) FROM THE MIOCENE OF THE NORTH SEA BASIN AND THE TAXONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF ROSTRAL MORPHOLOGY IN EXTINCT SHARKS Frederik H. MOLLEN (4 figures, 3 plates) Elasmobranch Research, Meistraat 16, B-2590 Berlaar, Belgium; E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT. A fragmentary rostrum of a lamnid shark is recorded from the upper Miocene Breda Formation at Liessel (Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands); it constitutes the first elasmobranch rostral process to be described from Neogene strata in the North Sea Basin. Based on key features of extant lamniform rostra and CT scans of chondrocrania of modern Lamnidae, the Liessel specimen is assigned to the porbeagle shark, Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788). In addition, the taxonomic significance of rostral morphology in extinct sharks is discussed and a preliminary list of elasmobranch taxa from Liessel is presented. KEYWORDS. Lamniformes, Lamnidae, Lamna, rostrum, shark, rostral node, rostral cartilages, CT scans. 1. Introduction Pliocene) of North Carolina (USA), detailed descriptions and discussions were not presented, unfortunately. Only In general, chondrichthyan fish fossilise only under recently has Jerve (2006) reported on an ongoing study of exceptional conditions and (partial) skeletons of especially two Miocene otic capsules from the Calvert Formation large species are extremely rare (Cappetta, 1987). (lower-middle Miocene) of Maryland (USA); this will Therefore, the fossil record of Lamniformes primarily yield additional data to the often ambiguous dental studies. comprises only teeth (see e.g. Agassiz, 1833-1844; These well-preserved cranial structures were stated to be Leriche, 1902, 1905, 1910, 1926), which occasionally are homologous to those seen in extant lamnids and thus available as artificial, associated or natural tooth sets useful for future phylogenetic studies of this group.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of an Historic Underground Gas Well Blowout on the Current Methane Chemistry in a Shallow Groundwater System
    Impact of an historic underground gas well blowout on the current methane chemistry in a shallow groundwater system Gilian Schouta,b,c,1, Niels Hartogb,c, S. Majid Hassanizadehb, and Jasper Griffioena,d aCopernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; bEarth Sciences Department, Utrecht University, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands; cGeohydrology Unit, KWR Water Cycle Research Institute, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands; and dGeological Survey of the Netherlands, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO), 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands Edited by Susan L. Brantley, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, and approved November 27, 2017 (received for review June 27, 2017) Blowouts present a small but genuine risk when drilling into the deep (15) and Aliso Canyon (16) blowouts. In some cases, the pres- subsurface and can have an immediate and significant impact on the sures generated during a blowout do not escape at the surface surrounding environment. Nevertheless, studies that document their but form a fracture network that allows the well to blow out long-term impact are scarce. In 1965, a catastrophic underground underground (17). When these fractures reach the surface, they blowout occurred during the drilling of a gas well in The Netherlands, may negatively impact the chemistry of shallow groundwater by which led to the uncontrolled release of large amounts of natural gas the massive introduction of methane (18). from the reservoir to the surface. In this study, the remaining impact In this study, we investigated the long-term effect of an un- on methane chemistry in the overlying aquifers was investigated.
    [Show full text]
  • (DGM): a 3D Raster Model of the Subsurface of the Netherlands
    Netherlands Journal of Geosciences — Geologie en Mijnbouw | 92 – 1 | 33-46 | 2013 Digital Geological Model (DGM): a 3D raster model of the subsurface of the Netherlands J.L. Gunnink*, D. Maljers, S.F. van Gessel, A. Menkovic & H.J. Hummelman TNO – Geological Survey of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA, Utrecht, the Netherlands * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Manuscript received: January 2012, accepted: February 2013 Abstract A 3D geological raster model has been constructed of the onshore of the Netherlands. The model displays geological units for the upper 500 m in 3D in an internally consistent way. The units are based on the lithostratigraphical classification of the Netherlands. This classification is used to interpret a selection of boreholes from the national subsurface database. Additional geological information regarding faults, the areal extent of each unit and conceptual genetic models have been combined in an automated workflow to interpolate the basal surfaces of each unit on 100 × 100 metre (x,y dimensions) raster cells. The combination of all interpolated basal surfaces results in a 3D Digital Geological Model (DGM) of the subsurface. A measure of uncertainty of each of these surfaces is also given. The automated workflow ensures an easily updatable subsurface model. The outputs are available for end users through www.dinoloket.nl. Keywords: 3D geological modelling, Digital Geological Model (DGM), subsurface of the Netherlands Introduction framework model, representing the geological sequence in the upper hundreds of metres of the subsurface, is therefore The shallow Dutch subsurface (up to 500 m depth) has been increasingly required. To meet this need, a new way of mapped for many decades: the first geological map was at a scale calculating and presenting the subsurface has been developed.
    [Show full text]
  • Upper Oligocene Lithostratigraphic Units and the Transition to The
    GEOLOGICA BELGICA (2020) 23/3-4: 113-125 Upper Oligocene lithostratigraphic units and the transition to the Miocene in North Belgium Michiel DUSAR1* & Noël VANDENBERGHE2 1 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences - Geological Survey of Belgium, Brussels, Belgium; [email protected]. 2 Dept. Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; [email protected]. * corresponding author. ABSTRACT. The presence of Chattian deposits in Belgium was confirmed in the early 20th century by correlation of their mollusc faunas with the type Chattian in Germany. Consequently, the Voort Formation in the Campine Basin and the Boncelles Sand on the northeastern Ardennes were established and assigned a Chattian age. Contacts with underlying Rupelian and overlying Burdigalian formations are marked by hiatuses, linked mainly to end-Oligocene Savian tectonics and reactivation of the Roer Valley Graben (RVG). On the Campine Block, only the lower part of the Chattian, the Voort Sand is deposited, increasing in thickness in the direction of the RVG and including a geophysically traceable clayey marker horizon allowing the mapping of this unit in the Campine Basin, into the Netherlands and even possibly link it to the hydrostratigraphic subdivision of the Chattian in the Lower Rhine Graben. Lithologically, these uppermost Paleogene Chattian deposits form the base of the Neogene sequence along the Southern Bight of the North Sea, characterised by predominantly glauconite-bearing sand. The Chattian sediments rapidly become thicker in the strongly subsiding RVG, resulting in a more continuous sedimentation with the development above the Voort Sand of a clay unit and another sand unit, forming together the Veldhoven Formation.
    [Show full text]
  • Geology of the Dutch Coast
    Geology of the Dutch coast The effect of lithological variation on coastal morphodynamics Deltores Title Geology of the Dutch coast Client Project Reference Pages Rijkswaterstaat Water, 1220040-007 1220040-007-ZKS-0003 43 Verkeer en Leefomgeving Keywords Geology, erodibility, long-term evolution, coastal zone Abstract This report provides an overview of the build-up of the subsurface along the Dutch shorelines. The overview can be used to identify areas where the morphological evolution is partly controlled by the presence of erosion-resistant deposits. The report shows that the build-up is heterogeneous and contains several erosion-resistant deposits that could influence both the short- and long-term evolution of these coastal zones and especially tidal channels. The nature of these resistant deposits is very variable, reflecting the diverse geological development of The Netherlands over the last 65 million years. In the southwestern part of The Netherlands they are mostly Tertiary deposits and Holocene peat-clay sequences that are relatively resistant to erosion. Also in South- and North-Holland Holocene peat-clay sequences have been preserved, but in the Rhine-Meuse river-mouth area Late Pleistocene• early Holocene floodplain deposits form additional resistant layers. In northern North-Holland shallow occurrences of clayey Eemian-Weichselian deposits influence coastal evolution. In the northern part of The Netherlands it are mostly Holocene peat-clay sequences, glacial till and over consolidated sand and clay layers that form the resistant deposits. The areas with resistant deposits at relevant depths and position have been outlined in a map. The report also zooms in on a few tidal inlets to quick scan the potential role of the subsurface in their evolution.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Geothermal Exploration in the Netherlands 1980 - 2000
    European Geothermal Congress 2019 Den Haag, The Netherlands, 11-14 June 2019 Early Geothermal Exploration in the Netherlands 1980 - 2000 F. Charles Dufour1, Jan Piet Heederik1 1 Former Groundwater Survey TNO - TNO Institute of Applied Geoscience [email protected] (main author) [email protected] (contact person) 1. INTRODUCTION Figure 2: Development of consumer price of gas in €ct per m3 in the Netherlands (1980 - 2010) From the point of view of introduction of geothermal energy in the Netherlands, the period, presented in this paper, was characterised by the following influential aspects. – Geothermal energy had to be an economic attractive alternative for the existing energy sources. Environmental aspects became an aspect of influence only after 1993. – Very restricted knowledge of reservoir characteristics of those formations with a potential for exploitation of geothermal energy was available. – Lack of any cooperation or support by the operating oil companies to submit the necessary more detailed Source: Several. Based on CBS information regarding reservoir characteristics in the period under consideration. Figure 3: Greenhouse gas price in €ct per m3 in the – Lack of any cooperation or support by the existing Netherlands (1975 - 1989) energy supply companies to give room to a demonstration project or to an introduction in housing areas under construction in the period under consideration. It was only in cooperation with ‘Nutsbedrijf Westland N.V.’ NBW that an energy supply company fully cooperated in the preparation of a geothermal project (1992). – Restraint with respect to the possibilities to exploit sandstone reservoirs for geothermal energy, based on experiences in France, where production occurred from carbonate reservoirs and tests of siliciclastic reservoirs had failed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Suitability of a High Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage on the TU-Delft Campus
    TU-DELFT The Suitability of a High Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage on the TU-Delft Campus by Tim Hacking 4293002 Civil Engineering and Geosciences May 2017 TU-DELFT Abstract Civil Engineering and Geosciences Bachelor Thesis by Tim Hacking 4293002 High temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES) is an energy efficient way to store heat in the subsurface, recovery efficiencies of 60-85% have been found in earlier research. The TU-Delft is step by step changing its policies into a more environmental friendly approach and a HT-ATES system could be the next step in this process by functioning as a buffer for geothermal wells. This thesis is the first step in researching if a HT-ATES system is possible on the campus of the TU-Delft. The most efficient situation for a HT-ATES system is described and based on that situation and the demand of the TU-Delft geological Formations are selected for further research. Layers are selected based on information from the DINO-loket and NLOG. The layers that are interesting and seem to be suitable for the use as a HT-ATES are a part of the Maassluis formation starting at a depth of 160 meters, the Formation of Oosterhout, the Berg sand formation at the base of the Breda formation and the Texel greensand. For the Maassluis Formation it is known that 2-3 wells are needed to fulfill the demands. These geological formations where selected based on their general geological description or there lithological description and it looks like these geological formations can fulfill the demands of the TU-Delft.
    [Show full text]