The National geothermal resource assessment for Lebanon

Geothermal Resource Assessment of Lebanon Dr. Vincent Badoux, GEOWATT AG, Zürich, Switzerland

Mövenpick Hotel, Beirut, 24th of March 2014

Outline

1. Introduction

1. Scope (technical)

2. Objectives

2. Summary of the work done

3. Resource Assessment

1. Key geothermal features

2. Resource estimates

4. Economical scenarios

5. Opportunities and barriers

6. Conclusions and next steps

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Outline

1. Introduction

1. Scope (technical)

2. Objectives

2. Summary of the work done

3. Resource Assessment

1. Key geothermal features

2. Resource estimates

4. Economical scenarios

5. Opportunities and barriers

6. Conclusions and next steps

3

Aquifer

0 m

-1000 m

-2000 m

-3000 m

-4000 m

-5000 m

10°C

50°C

90°C

130°C

170°C

210°C

Borehole Heat Exchanger (BHE)

U-tube

Borehole Heat Exchanger (BHE)

coaxial

Two boreholes (Dublet)

(HYDROTHERMAL - HSA)

Two boreholes with stimulation

(EGS)

closed systems open systems

Technical scope • Power generation only (evt. Cogeneration of heat)

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Objective

• Three parameters are important for the economic feasibility of a geothermal project:

– The depth of the geothermal reservoir

– Temperature

– Flow rate

• Where in Lebanon is there water higher than 100°C?

– How deep?

– Which temperature (>100°C)?

– How much water?

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For geothermal power generation, we need heat and water

at a temperature higher than 100°C.

Outline

1. Introduction

1. Scope (technical)

2. Objectives

2. Summary of the work done

3. Resource Assessment

1. Key geothermal features

2. Resource estimates

4. Economical scenarios

5. Opportunities and barriers

6. Conclusions and next steps

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Overall methodology

Construction of the 3D geological model

Understanding the Ground water systems

Adjust a temperature model on the site conditions – Temperature at the surface

– Heat flux

– Thermal properties

– Field measurements

Assessing the geothermal resource • Maps of depth, temperature, heat in place,...

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Basal heat flux

Surface temperature

Mount Lebanon

Bekaa Valley

Data collection/compilation

+ important contributions of private people

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Geological Field trips 9

North of Lebanon during the LIPE conference in June 2012

Faraya area with the team of the University of St.Joseph in June 2012

3D modelling 10

Regional Heat flow map Calculation

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• Data collected from the international heat flow commission [IHFC]

• No measurement point in Lebanon

Surface Temperature Calculations

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• Data collected from NASA MODIS database

Field rock sampling and laboratory measurements

• In collaboration with Students from the AUB, under the supervision of Dr. Fadi Nader

• Thermal conductivity measurements in our Lab in Switzerland

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Temperature gradient field measurements

• Shallow groundwater wells – GEOWATT instrumentation toolkit

– Field work done by ENGICON Consulting (Beirut).

• Deep O&G boreholes – Field inspection by ELARD (Beirut)

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Outline

1. Introduction

1. Scope (technical)

2. Objectives

2. Summary of the work done

3. Resource Assessment

1. Key geothermal features

2. Resource estimates

4. Economical scenarios

5. Opportunities and barriers

6. Conclusions and next steps

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Identification of the potential aquifers

• Many karstified carbonate rocks

• Presence of deep aquifers

• Cretaceous Aquifer (in green)

• Jurassic Aquifers (in blue)

• The two water tower of Lebanon

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Intense degree of karstification

• Cold water infiltrates and circulate through the massif

Cooling effect of the whole massif

Deeper thermal anomalies are masked

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Volcanic Rocks

• Presence of volcanic rocks in the North and in the South

• 2.6 to 23 Million years old

• No recent volcanic activity

• Evidence of residual heat in the North and in South

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Hot water

• Groundwater wells

• Thermal springs

• Ain Esamak (North)

• Semmaquieh Well (North)

• Kaoukaba (South)

• Kfar Syr (South)

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Fault zones

• Presence of many fault zones

• Potential areas of increased productivity (flow rate)

• Higher risk of induced seismicity

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Seismic activity

• Indication of the presence of active flow circulation

• Risk of induced seismicity

Hydrothermal technology only EGS not mature yet.

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Outline

1. Introduction

1. Scope (technical)

2. Objectives

2. Summary of the work done

3. Resource Assessment

1. Key geothermal features

2. Resource estimates

4. Economical scenarios

5. Opportunities and barriers

6. Conclusions and next steps

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Depth of the reservoirs 23

Top Cretaceous Aquifer Top Jurassic Aquifer

Temperature of the reservoirs 24

Cretaceous Aquifer Jurassic Aquifer

Recoverable heat (Power generation) 25

Cretaceous Aquifer Jurassic Aquifer

Recoverable heat (Power generation) 26

Depth of 4000 m below ground Depth of 5000 m below ground

Site selection

• Akkar – Evidence of thermal

anomaly

– Aquifer deep enough

– Thermal isolator

• Bekka Valley – Presence of very deep

potential aquifers (temperature uncertain)

– No evidence of thermal anomaly

• Kaoukaba, Kfar Syr – Evidence of thermal

anomaly

– Aquifer not deep enough

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Further exploration is required in all these areas !!!

0 m

-500 m

-1000 m

-1500 m

-2000 m

10°C

50°C

90°C

130°C

170°C

Two boreholes (Dublet)

(HYDROTHERMAL - HSA)

Akkar conceptual model 28

Cretaceous Aquifer – 70 °C (observed)

Jurassic Aquifer – 130 °C (expected)

Outline

1. Introduction

1. Scope (technical)

2. Objectives

2. Summary of the work done

3. Resource Assessment

1. Key geothermal features

2. Resource estimates

4. Economical scenarios

5. Opportunities and barriers

6. Conclusions and next steps

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4 Scenarios for geothermal power plants development 30

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Akkar Bekaa Beirut Parameter Unit HSA EGS HSA EGS

Plant capacity factor - 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 Plant lifetime year 30 30 30 30 Reservoir depth m 1,500 4,000 2,800 6,000 Production temperature

°C 130 200 130 140

Injection temperature °C 70 70 70 70 Flow rate l/s 46 46 46 46 Pump power consumption

kW 577 577 577 577

1 2 3 4

1&2

3

1&2

4

Expenditures estimates

Akkar (Hydrothermal)

Akkar (EGS)

Bekka (Hydrothermal)

Beirut (EGS)

Heat generation MWth 13 29 13 16 Geothermal Power MWel 1.3 2.9 1.3 1.6 Investment costs Mio US$ 24.8 52.5 34.9 68.5 OPEX 0.7 1.1 0.9 1.4 CAPEX 2.1 3.9 2.7 4.9 OPEX/CAPEX % 30 30 30 30 Net electricity prod. in GWh/year 6.0 18.2 6.0 7.7 Specific cost in US$/kWh 0.46 0.28 0.60 0.81 Risk of non-discovery Medium Medium High Medium Technical risk Low High Medium Very high Time horizon 2020 2025 2020 2030

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Geothermal potential 32

Description Energy / Year

Total energy demand in Lebanon in 2000 8,630 GWh

Total energy demand in Lebanon in 2015 14,087 GWh

Total Energy Stored until 7000 m depth 1.0109 GWh (70,000x)

Total Energy that could be extracted 1.0108 GWh (7,000x)

Only Hydrothermal technology is feasible until 2020 1.2105 GWhth

Power Generation 12,000 GWhel

Exploiting 100% of this potential would mean to construct 2,000 power plants of 1.3 MWel gross each.

1 Pilot Power Plant until 2020 5 Power Plant until 2025

1.3 MWel 6 GWhel (each)

Summary

• Opportunities – Evidence of thermal anomalies in the Akkar and Kaoukaba regions;

– Presence of deep aquifers potentially productive (temperature and flow rate) enough to allow a economically viable geothermal installation;

– Collaboration with the O&G industry

– Politic willingness

– Local source of energy

• Barriers – Lack of information at depth -> further exploration required

– Risk of induced seismicity -> risk mitigation procedure needs to be implemented

– Protection of sites, landscape and patrimony

– Drilling and conversion technologies needs to be further developped

– Administrative and legal system (permitting)

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Recommandations and further steps

• We strongly recommend proceeding in exploration in the identified most prospective areas in the North and in the South – Field measurement of the geothermal gradient in Lebanon

– Drill the deep Jurassic Aquifer in the Akkar region.

– Estimated costs : 5 Millions US$

– Timeframe : 3 years

• Simplification of the administrative procedures would be an asset.

• Due to the high investment costs and high exploration risk, strong financial incentives are required in form of loan, lease, or grant-aid feed-in tariff.

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