TITLE:
Future Electricity Production from Geothermal Resources Using Oil and Gas Wells
AUTHORS:
Asif Mehmood, Jun Yao, Dong Yan Fun
KEYWORDS:
Geothermal Energy, Oil and Gas Wells, Hot Dry Rock, Electricity Production
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Yangtze Oil and Gas,
Vol.2 No.4,
October
27,
2017
ABSTRACT: Various under-developed countries are not capable to accomplish its domestic energy requirements and are undergoing sensitive energy crises. Electricity Sector has been most suffered due to the energy shortage. Geothermal power production is capable to fulfill the electricity demand of different countries. Geothermal power plant can use water from an aquifer at moderately higher temperature and produce power using dry steam, flashing or binary cycle. Traditionally, geothermal energy has been exploited in places with plentiful hot water at relatively shallow depth. There are several high gradient geothermal resources available in the world but without the presence of aquifer it is impossible to utilize these resources. It is still unknown how to generate power by using dry rock resources. We aimed to focus on the way to generate electricity by utilizing the dry rock resources. This way of electricity generation will be cost effectively and can produce electricity on constant or permanent basis. Current study lead a new direction that how abandoned oil and gas wells are helpful to overcome the energy crises and have ability to generate the cheap electricity for a long term period. This study discusses the power generation system for commercial electricity production. Three different source temperatures (142°C, 157°C, and 177°C) were considered. Optimal working fluid and optimal design that improve the performance of plant are determined. Here we saw that a 12 inch double-pipe heat exchanger, which penetrates to a depth of 3 km, could extract sufficient energy to drive a 3.2 MW turbine generator system.