DOE- Industry Geothermal Program Briefing

Geothermal Resources Council

Perspective

March 20, 2003

Data Gathering Procedure

• Jay Nathwani and Joel Renner presentation to GRC Board, 1/30/2003

• Sabodh Garg Facilitator

• Initial input from 16 GRC Board Members

• Subsequent Discussion and Comments Available in Text Form

Summary of Recommendations

• Exploration and Resource Definition• Drilling Technology• Reservoir Confirmation, Characterization and

Management• Enhanced Geothermal Systems• Hardware Development• Low Temperature Conversion Technology• Basic Research Efforts• Information Dissemination, Education and Outreach• Non-Electrical Uses and Distributed Power

Exploration and Resource Definition

• Expanded GRED (Geothermal Resource Exploration and Definition)

• Cost-Shared Drilling– Slim-hole– Reservoir confirmation– New Exploration

• Fracture Targeting– Geochemical Techniques– Geophysical Techniques

Drilling Technology

• Reactivate GDO (Geothermal Drilling Organization)

• Continue Lost Circulation Control Research

• Develop Suite of Cementing Materials and Techniques

• Basic Research– Bit Technology– Logging while drilling

Reservoir Confirmation, Characterization and Management

• Integration of Basic Geophysical, Geochemical Data into more Robust Reservoir Models

• Incorporate Fluid Chemistry and non-conservative tracers into numerical modeling techniques

• Support publication of case studies with demonstrated efficacy of Reservoir Modeling

Enhanced Geothermal Systems

• Expand Funding Level– Potential for near-term deployment– Requirement to test multiple concepts

• Near-term focus should be on EGS coupled with producing hydrothermal

Hardware Development

• Downhole Pump Temperature limitations

• Materials Demonstration– Anti-scalant Coatings– Corrosion Protection

• Combination Logging Tools– PTS-Density Tool

• Advanced H2S abatement

Conversion Technology

• Aggressively Develop and Demonstrate a power cycle that is economic in the low temperature range.– 212-300 oF – Lower temperatures?

Distributed Power and Non-Electric Uses

• Off-grid Village Power Generation– 50 kW to 5 MW

• Mineral Recovery– Zinc, Manganese– Silica– Lithium, Potassium, Cesium, Rubidium

• Agribusiness and space heat, industrial process heat

Information Dissemination, Education and Outreach

• Maintain funding for Scientific Meetings and Publications

• Geothermal is a viable renewable energy source for the future– Indigenous– Energy security– Low Emissions

• Educate Public, Policy Makers

US and Mexico Co-operative Work

• Presented to and Discussed with Mexico Secretary of Energy Martens– Geothermal Reservoir Identification and

Management– Geothermal Deployment Strategy– Integrated Uses of Geothermal Resources

• Secretary Martens intends to discuss with US Secretary of Energy Abraham

Barriers to Short Term Deployment

• Lack of Power Sales Contracts

• Capital Front-End Loading of Geothermal Projects

• Limited Inventory of Proven Resources

• Attracting Capital Investment