Squeezing the Barrel: Knowledge exchange adds value to oilfields in decline

Lead Research Organisation: Durham University
Department Name: Earth Sciences

Abstract

The oil and gas industry routinely drills wells of depth and hence temperature suitable for geothermal heat extraction and in some instances electricity generation but there has been little crossover between fossil based and geothermal energy research or within the relevant industries. The UK petroleum industry has reached middle age and oil production has been declining over the past 10 years. Despite this, most aging oilfields have recovered less than 50% of their oil in place. For most oilfields, water is produced alongside oil but in much greater quantities (typically ten or twentyfold) and is commonly found at temperatures of up to 100oC. Usually this water is cleaned prior to disposal at sea or re-injected into the oil well. The petroleum industry effectively operates as a water handling and clean-up industry with oil being a valuable by-product. This project explores the opportunity to exploit co-produced water as a geothermal energy resource for both direct heating and power generation. There is evidence to suggest that the if the cooled water produced following the extraction of geothermal energy were re-injected into the oil well, this can improve the recovery of oil from the well. Economic recovery of remaining indigenous resources will have a major impact on security of oil supply for the UK at a time when the UK places increased reliance upon fossil fuels imports from other nations such as the USA and Russia.
NERC has had a long history of supporting deep geothermal research in the UK which peaked during the 1980s in response to the 1970s oil crisis. This research included drilling 6 deep (in excess of 1 km) test bores in the UK of which the Southampton borehole was one. This research concluded that the UK geothermal resource could contribute up to 100% of the UK heat demand with the possibility of some electricity production. Subsequent NERC research has focused upon the geothermal opportunity offered by deep sedimentary basins in the UK. Most recently NERC has supported the involvement of the British Geological Survey alongside the Universities of Newcastle and Durham in drilling a 2km deep geothermal borehole in central Newcastle.
This research proposal will consider existing, possible and potential geothermal opportunities. The Southampton well provides an existing, proven geothermal system that has been supplying a district wide heating scheme for around 25 years. A possible opportunity is provided by the Wytch Farm Oilfield in Dorset where the waste heat available from co-produced water is at least 20x greater than that available from the geothermal well at Southampton. Potential opportunities for new geothermal systems will be derived following an inspection of onshore exploration well data from an estimated 1500 deep wells. A subset of these will be examined to produce a map that suggests areas of geothermal potential where wells are present. For these existing, possible and potential opportunities, the project will consider whether Southampton could produce power in addition to heat, whether the Wytch Farm oilfield could be used to produce geothermal heat and power to supply neighbouring cities and towns and whether there are opportunities at new sites throughout the UK.
The novelty of this proposal brings together the production of heat with the potential for power production and the potential to rejuvenate oilfields. Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology can produce power from water at temperatures less than boiling point. Current research relating to the optimisation of (ORC) systems is underway within the School of Engineering at Durham and has demonstrated that geothermal fluids could be a potential target for the generation of electricity. The opportunity to transfer the knowledge gained through the NERC supported geothermal research to the oil industry has now arrived and this has the potential to add value to existing operations and provide a source of low carbon energy for the UK.

Publications

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Adams C (2015) Geothermal energy - The global opportunity in Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy

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Gluyas Jg Low enthalpy geothermal potential of the global oil industry in marine and petroleum geology

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Hirst C (2015) The late field life of the East Midlands Petroleum Province; a new geothermal prospect? in Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology

 
Description the UK's emissions of greenhouse gases have been reduced by partially switching to wind and solar for power generation. The next step is to decarbonise heat and this can be done sustainably and in perpetuity by using low temperature geothermal heat form flooded coal mines and sedimentary basins. The only major population centre in the UK which does not have easy access to geothermal heat is London and London contains a lot of hot air (in the tube tunnels) which could be used to reduce emissions. WE could in this way heat almost the whole of the UK, deliver a 30+% reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases and at the same time massively improve UK energy security by reducing or eliminating the need to import gas.
Exploitation Route this could be used to cut emissions of greenhouse gases in the UK by 30-40% so meeting our legally binding targets
Sectors Construction

Energy

Government

Democracy and Justice

 
Description the findings have yet to be used but we have illustrated that for example the Wytch Farm Oilfield has produced 40x more heat and it has been completely wasted when compared with the single geothermal well in the Southampton Energy Scheme. Non-use of waste heat in the UK means that our CO2 emissions are substantially larger than they need be. Our calculations indicate that 100% of all heating in the UK could use geothermal energy and the R/P ratio is 100 years. ongoing unsupported research is now investigating the heat delivery and storage potential of flooded coal mines. This has the potential to decarbonise heat in the UK 2019 update - The work on low enthalpy geothermal energy from flooded coal mines has developed substantially since last reported. the NELEP has adopted mine water heat as the prime delivery for energy in the NE. Parliament has discussed use of geothermal heat and mine water heat in particular resulting from our work in the region and nationally. A number of key presentations and videos on decarbonising heat have been developed inc presentation at the World Economic Forum Davos https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/business-debate/energizing-the-future and at Green GB week https://www.helengoodman.org.uk/latest-news/2018/10/16/greengb-week-geothermal-energy/. Industrial council and other relationships (including the coal authority) have been developed and bids made for European and other funding. An exemplar operating mine water heat scene has been developed with a a local SME. Work from this group influenced the progression of the parliamentary bill covering geothermal and fracking.
First Year Of Impact 2010
Sector Energy
Impact Types Societal

Economic

Policy & public services

 
Description BritGeothermal influence in UK infrastructure bill
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
Impact Fracking and geothermal energy were initially concatenated in terms of subsurface access in the early stages of the bill through parliament. BritGeothermal were invited by Lord Jenkin to review and comment upon the draft bill. The outcome was the separation of fracking and geothermal actives in the final version of the infrastructure bill.
 
Description britGeothermal 
Organisation British Geological Survey
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution generation of national research capability, adding in of international cooperative research on geothermal
Collaborator Contribution collaboration on the development of research proposals and demonstration of national capability
Impact listed elsewhere on this website
Start Year 2013
 
Description britGeothermal 
Organisation Newcastle University
Department School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution generation of national research capability, adding in of international cooperative research on geothermal
Collaborator Contribution collaboration on the development of research proposals and demonstration of national capability
Impact listed elsewhere on this website
Start Year 2013
 
Description britGeothermal 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Department School of Engineering Glasgow
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution generation of national research capability, adding in of international cooperative research on geothermal
Collaborator Contribution collaboration on the development of research proposals and demonstration of national capability
Impact listed elsewhere on this website
Start Year 2013
 
Description U3A presentation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact the UK energy crisis and solutions including geothermal energy, outcome will be support for Bishop Auckland geothermal well
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015