Geothermal resource: Potential, stakes and exploitation

Prof Hamza SEMMARI

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1. Algerian Energy context
National Renewable Energy Programme
20152030
MW
16000

14000
Renewables ressources
12000

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

0
Geothermal Cogeneration Biomass Thermodynamic Wind PV
solar
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1. Algerian Energy context
National Renewable Energy Programme
20152030
MW
16000

14000
Renewables ressources
12000

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

0
Geothermal Cogeneration Biomass Thermodynamic Wind PV
solar
15 MW 3
2. Geothermal potential in Algeria
• Geothermal energy non intermittent energy source
• Large geothermal basin poorly exploited
• Important sites: western and eastern regions T=98°C electricity production

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2. Geothermal potential in Algeria
• Geothermal energy non intermittent energy source
• Large geothermal basin poorly exploited
• Important sites: western and eastern regions T=98°C electricity production

Carbonate formation
Dolomites

Sandstone-

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3. The origin of the geothermal resource
• The geothermal origin –Heat energy-  creation of the globe
• A: Radioactive decay: Uranium; thorium…. , more than 90% of the current geothermal power
(42TW when the earth was created at 20TW today)
• B: Dissipation of primitive energy: accumulation of heat during aggregation of gas and celestial
bodies at the origin of the formation of the earth

Structure of the earth’s globe

• A- the core: radius =3470km, 17% of the earth’s volume, 4000°C
• B- the mantle: thickness= 2900km, T= 1000 to 3000°C, 81% Land volume
• C- Crust: it is composed:
• Continental crust: d=2.7, Thick= 30 to 70km
• Oceanic crust: d=3.3, Thick=5 to 20km
• The crust is the only exploitable part (max = 12km drilling)

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3. The origin of the geothermal resource
Oceanic Continental
Crust Crust

Mantle
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3. The origin of the geothermal resource

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4. Characteristic data of the geothermal resource
• 1. Geothermal gradient: G (K/m) measures the increase in
temperature as a function of depth
• 2. Terrestrial heat flux: Terrestrial heat flux density is the amount
of heat transmitted by conduction and then dissipated per unit
area and time (W m–2).

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4. Characteristic data of the geothermal resource

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 4. Characteristic data of the geothermal resource

• Geothermal flux (energy

density) is 7000 times < to solar
flux.
• a column with a section of 1
km2 and a depth of 10 km
releases 7 TWh of heat
(equivalent to 0.6 Mtoe) per
degree of cooling.
• 12 Mtoe, equivalent to the
annual production of heat by
renewable energy in France in
2007
• What about Algeria!??
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 4. Characteristic data of the geothermal resource

• 4.1 Geothermal deposit: this includes Heat source, rock reservoir and fluid
• A- heat source: local heat flux or magmatic intrusion
• B- reservoir rock: permeable rock formation known as aquifer pore permeability
(limestone or sandstone) or fracture (granite & dolomite).
• C- fluid: depending on the thermodynamic conditions (T; P) of the tank; the
geothermal fluid is presented: liquid, dry or wet steam. The fluid is often of
meteoric origin.

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 4. Characteristic data of the geothermal resource

• 4.2 Geological classification of geothermal ressource

• A- Stable geological zones: sedimentary basins reflecting porous and permeable layers.
(case of Algeria)
• Flux=0.06W/m²; Tfluid= 50 to 100°C 1 à 2km . Low enthalpy geothermal sources
• B- Actives geological zones: volcanic zones
Grad= 20 °C /100m0.5 to 1.5km . Higher enthalpy geothermal sources
(200 to 350°C) dry steam vapour for electricity production
G= 5 to 10 °C/100m0.5 à 1.5km . Medium enthalpy geothermal sources, 80-180°C
Heating, cooling & electricity
• Low permiability: not enough water to recover heat
 Shallow geothermal (heat pumps) or deep geothermal (fracking) application

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4. Characteristic data of the geothermal resource
• Porosity: is the ratio of the volume of voids to the total volume of
rock and is expressed as a percentage. It provides information on the
volume of water that a rock is likely to contain, but does not allow to
know the volume that it can release.
gravel -25%; coarse sand -20%; chalk -2 to 5%.

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4. Characteristic data of the geothermal resource
• Permeability: It represents the ability of a medium to pass through a
fluid under the effect of a pressure difference. It is expressed by the
permeability coefficient K, in meters per second, linked to the fluid
flow rate per unit of rock surface traversed V and the pressure
gradient exerted by the fluid dP /dx, and is expressed by the
relationship:

Rocks with permeability greater than 10 -4 m/s are said to be

permeable, those with permeability less than 10 -9 m/s are said to be
impermeable.

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4. Characteristic data of the geothermal resource
• Transmissivity: this parameter is equal to the product of the producing
height h by the mean permeability coefficient on this height. It is expressed
in square meters per second. This parameter is fundamental to determine
the productivity of an aquifer
• Reservoir’s static pressure: the reservoir static pressure corresponds to the
aquifer pressure under natural conditions, without pumping or reinjection.
The wellhead pressure is also a function of altitude. If it’s positive, which is
often the case, the well is artesian.
• Temperature: the temperature is a function of the local temperature
gradient. The well head temperature is always slightly lower than the deep
reservoir temperature, depending on the depth and operated flow.
• Physico-chemical characteristics: pH; Eh which defines the oxidizing or
reducing character of the fluid; gas liquid ratio (GLR) which measures the
quantity of gas released by water at atmospheric pressure….

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 5. Geothermal application
5.1 Flow rate : a critical operating threshold (thermal and electrical)
 Natural artesianism: P_well>Patm (P reservoir very important)
Pumping: Low flow artesian, P_well<Patm
NB: pumping must take into account the level of drawdown of the water
table.
5.2 Thermal loop:
Double well: aquifer loaded with mineral salts + environmental
incompatibility mandatory re-injection of the fluid
 Single well: aquifer with low mineral salt content + environmental
compatibility recommended re-injection of the fluid to avoid lower
reservoir levels

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5. Geothermal application

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5. Geothermal application

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 5. Geothermal application
• Deep Geothermal fracking
• Enhanced Geothermal System EGS

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5.1. Exploitation

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 5.1. Exploitation
• A- Hydrodynamic and thermal evolution of a geothermal reservoir
• Pros: no atmospheric discharge & flow stability
• From a thermal point of view, the injected cooled fluid will reach the producing
well after a certain time and thus begin the thermal decline of the resource.
• The current-stream- lines show the trajectory of the water particles from the
injector well. Each current line corresponds to a heat transfer time that allows
to define the concept of thermal breakthrough. Thermal decline is
sequentially defined by three characteristic dates, depending on the cooling
amplitude:

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 5.1. Exploitation
• A- Hydrodynamic and thermal evolution of a geothermal reservoir
• Pros: no atmospheric discharge & flow stability
• From a thermal point of view, the injected cooled fluid will reach the producing
well after a certain time and thus begin the thermal decline of the resource.
• The current-stream- lines show the trajectory of the water particles from the
injector well. Each current line corresponds to a heat transfer time that allows
to define the concept of thermal breakthrough. Thermal decline is
sequentially defined by three characteristic dates, depending on the cooling
amplitude:

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 5.1. Exploitation
• A- Hydrodynamic and thermal evolution of a geothermal reservoir
• Thermal breakthrough time (14.3 years): this is the date of arrival at the
production well of the first cold water particles, with no perceptible impact on
the temperature of the fluid operated;
• Theoretical life (20 or 27 years): it corresponds to the date when there is a
perceptible drop in the production temperature from 0.2 to 0.5 K;
• Practical life (35 years): date involving the economic interest of the continued
operation in the state, a drop from 3 to 5 K for example.

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 3. Exploitation
• Thermal breakthrough time (14.3 years): : première
molécules froides
• Theoretical life (20 or 27 years): reduction of 0.5 °C
• Practical life (35 years): reduction of 3 to 5 °C
The estimatation updated of this date is necessary to
evaluate if the exploitation can be continued under more
favorable conditions (use of heat pumps, increase of the
flow, realization of a new drilling...).
The behavior of the doublet is conditioned by the
number and thickness of the producing layers . A
comparison of the thermal response of a reservoir
between the monolayer hypothesis and the
consideration of stratification ( multiple layers) is shown
below

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 6. Geothermal electricity production
• Electricity production
• Steam power plant : high
geothermal ressources, Th=200°C:
• – Free discharge;
• – Condensation.

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 6. Geothermal electricity production
• Electricity production
• Centrales avec cycles à vapeur
d’eau ressources géo-thermales
dont la température est
supérieure à 200°C. Elles font
appel à deux techniques
différentes :
• – l’échappement libre ;
• – la condensation.

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 6. Geothermal electricity production
• Electricity production
• Centrales à cycles binaire
ressources géo-thermales dont la
température est infrieure à 200°C.
KWMW

température est inférieure à 200°C. KWMW

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 7. Geothermal heating application
• Canadian well: It is an air-to-ground exchanger that relies on the exploitation of
the thermal inertia of the soil through an air-circuit to regulate the temperature
of buildings. The system consists in passing, before it enters the building, a part
of the new air of renewal through pipes buried in the ground, at a depth of about
1 to 2 meters

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Ref :https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/fiche-pedagogique/geothermie-superficielle
 7. Geothermal heating application
• Constantine -> Temp. Of ground= f(Deep- in meter)

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Ref :https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/fiche-pedagogique/geothermie-superficielle
 7. Geothermal heating application
• Constantine:

https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/annee/2020/constantine/details/60419.html
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 7. Geothermal heating application
• Constantine:

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 7. Geothermal heating application
• Constantine:

https://conseils.xpair.com/consulter_parole_expert/puits_canadien_solution_environnementale.htm 33
 7. Geothermal heating application
• Constantine:

https://conseils.xpair.com/consulter_parole_expert/puits_canadien_solution_environnementale.htm 34
 7. Geothermal heating application
• Constantine:

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7. Geothermal heating application
Frequency of T=5°C is of 12 dayss;
Heating power needs =13 MW

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Conclusions & Perspectives
• Valorization of geothermal energy: ORC electricity production
• Direct heating or supports for heat pump
• Cold & air conditioning
• Heating greenhouses, raising fish…

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