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Green technology to help calculate subsurface geothermal zones and temperatures before drilling
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 2nd Geoscience & Engineering in Energy Transition Conference, Nov 2021, Volume 2021, p.1 - 5
Abstract
Geothermal energy is the natural heat that exists within our planet. The potential for harnessing electricity and heat from geothermal energy has long been recognized. The amount of heat within 10,000 metres of the earth's surface is estimated to contain 50,000 times more energy than all oil and gas resources worldwide (Shere, 2013).
The most challenging aspect of geothermal exploration is the quantification of the subsurface temperature conditions. Actual temperature conditions often remain very uncertain as it is difficult to remotely measure through several hundreds of metres of rock. Only drilling through the rock layers will give information on the existing subsurface temperatures. As drilling is very expensive (€1million to €15million), any low-cost pre-drilling temperature estimation can bring in huge added value. The Electromagnetic (EM) technology that Adrok has been developing aims to locate sources of geothermal heat prior to drilling.
Through empirical fieldwork, the EM technology can non-invasively and digitally provide a proxy temperature measurement of the subsurface without physical drilling. Key aspects of the technology have been field tested, including depth and capacity to identify water. This embryonic EM technology merits further investigation to enable efficient and optimal exploration of the natural resources useful for geothermal energy generation.