Geothermal Energy Potential of Jamaica, w/o.D.

8/13/2019 Geothermal Energy Potential of Jamaica, w/o.D.

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Geothermal Potentialof

Jamaica- Status of Development

Suresh BhalaiMINES AND GEOLOGY DIVISION

Ministry of Energy and MiningHope Gardens, Kingston 6


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GEOTHERMAL ENERGY?Geothermal Resource vs Conventional Power ResourcesCurrent Production Methods

JAMAICA - GEOTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTGeologyStatus of geothermal developmentExploration guides

Further exploration

Known areas

Exploitation techniqueSome considerations benefits and barriers

OUTLINE


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GEOTHERMALENERGY?

Geothermal: geo = earth; thermal = heat

heat from the earth

Earth abounds in thermal energy.

Heat generated from breakdown of naturally occurringradioactive materials.Heat is present everywhere beneath the surface.

Heat rises to the surface and escapes to theatmosphere.

Renewable OR Sustainable?


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? ? ? ?

Geothermal environments:

High- and moderate-temperature rocks with considerableavailable water and (or) steam are the only geothermalenvironments that can currently be developed to generateelectricity.


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Geothermal Energy

as a

Resource


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SIMILARITIES

Occur everywhere,

Anomalous concentrations are favourable,

Have measurable GRADE and SIZE

Economic deposits those at depths accessible bycurrent extraction technology while remaining cost

efficient.

Geothermal Energy as a Mineral Resource

LOW GRADE MEDIUM GRADE HIGH GRADE

80C 180C


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Geothermal Energy as a Mineral Resource

CHARACTERISTICS MINERAL RESOURCES GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Extractive processdigging, crushing andprocessing of large quantitiesof earth material

Liquid(brought to surface by hotsprings or wells)

Extractive methodmine shafts, tunnels, pits andspoil heaps

Drilled wells

Economic characteristics

Size and/or grade determinesprofitability and efficiency ofoperation

Usable over a very widespectrum of temperature andvolume


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Geothermal Energy vs Conventional Power Resources

Environmentally benign low emission Hot water and steam plant:


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CO 2 EMISSIONS

Similar contrasts for the emission of sulphurous gases



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RELIABILITY

Once online geothermal power plants are very reliable

Off-line ~5% (avg.) of the time.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Geothermal energy is an environmentally-friendly option.



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Current Production Methods

Hot WaterHydrothermal System

Vapour-dominatedHydrothermal System

Moderate TemperatureHydrothermal System


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STATUS OF GEOTHERMALDEVELOPMENT IN JAMAICA

HISTORY/ STATUS OF DEVELOPMENTLate 1600s: Bath, St. Thomas,Mid-1700s: Milk River Bath

1950s Geological Survey Department1980s:

Preliminary examinations OLADE Latin American Energy Organization, 1982 Ittracon 22 Springs in tourist areas

Occidental Geothermal Inc. Blue Mountain area Geological Survey Division

OLADE Summary report available.


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Jamaican Geology


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JAMAICA - >65 million years ago

JAMAICAN GEOLOGY


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JAMAICA - TODAY


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JAMAICA - STRUCTURE


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Exploration Guides


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EXPLORATION GUIDES


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EXPLORATION GUIDES

Position on theCaribbean Plate= low moderate

resources


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GEOTHERMALRESOURCES

Potentiallywater-bearing

rocks andstructures

Seismic zones

Subsurfacetemperature

anomalies

Hot/ warmsprings

EXPLORATION GUIDES


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EXPLORATIONGUIDES

POTENTIAL AREAS:

Faulted rocks older than the White Limestone,

Boundary between different older rocks,especially intrusive igneous rocks.

Marble

Granodiorite

Conglomerate

Shale

YellowLimestone

WhiteLimestone

Andesite

Sandstone

Serpentinite

Dacite


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EXPLORATIONGUIDES

1

2

34

23

1

45

6

10

11

9

12

78

# NAME TEMPC

FLOWlitres/sec

1 Guava River Spring 53 0.3

2 Bath Spring 54 0.3

3 Mt. Felix Spring 31 0.3

4 Garbrand Hall Spring 29 1.5

5 Rockfort Spring 30 50

7 Salt River Spring 33 100 200

8 Milk River Springs 38 40 50

9 Black River Spring 29 45 50

10 Windsor Spring 36 0.5

11 Yankee River Spring 26 0.5

12 Buxton Spring 29 1.2


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EXPLORATION GUIDES

LIMITATION:

Low possibility of abnormally high

heat flow,Little information on geothermalgradients,

Low flow rates,

Contamination by seawater

# NAME TEMPC

FLOWlitres/sec

1 Guava River Spring 53 0.3

2 Bath Spring 54 0.3

3 Mt. Felix Spring 31 0.3

4 Garbrand Hall Spring 29 1.5

5 Rockfort Spring 30 50

7 Salt River Spring 33 100 200

8 Milk River Springs 38 40 50

9 Black River Spring 29 45 50

10 Windsor Spring 36 0.5

11 Yankee River Spring 26 0.5

12 Buxton Spring 29 1.2


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EXPLORATIONTECHNIQUE

Water-bearing

rocks and

structures

Binary systems would bemost suitable


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Some Considerations


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SOMECONSIDERATIONS

EXPLORATION PROGRAM:

Joint Government-Private coupled program,

Successful in the USA,Local knowledge combined with experience,

Reduces financial and discovery risks associated withexploration,

Research direction: develop techniques and strategies toidentify hidden systems at greater depths.


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SOMECONSIDERATIONS

CHALLENGES:Are our resources within economically drillable depths?

What is the state of the subsurface energy system?


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REFERENCES

Duffield, W. A. and Sass, J. H., 2003, Geothermal Energy Clean Power from the Earths Heat. U. S. Geological Survey,Virginia, Circular 1249, 36pp.

Hylton, H. A., 1987, Mineral Springs of Jamaica. Geological

Survey Division, Kingston Bulletin No. II, 69pp.

Jamaica Public Service, 2007, JPS An Overview. JPS,Kingston, unpublished report, 14pp.

Latin American Energy Organization, 1982, GeothermalResource Exploration, Reconnaissance, Review andUtilisation Report. Geological Survey Division, Kingston,unpublished report, 169pp.

Geothermal Energy Potential of Jamaica, w/o.D.

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