Fluid/Rock Interactions in Canada’s Geothermal Systems

The purpose of this project is to understand physical and chemical interactions between geothermal fluids and geothermal reservoir rocks.  Geothermal fluids include hydrothermal water, basin brines and engineered geofluids such as captured supercritical CO2.  Reservoir rocks of interest are carbonates, sandstones and crystalline rocks.  Research will involve determining the kinetics of fluid/rock chemical reactions at reservoir conditions, the effects these reactions will have on the long term productivity of the reservoir, and the risks these reactions may pose to industrial infrastructure.  

Research is focused on specific reservoirs in the Western Canadian Sedimentary, with a view towards global applicability.  Fluid/rock interactions are studied in the context of specific reservoir models that also being built in the context of this project.


Faculty and academic staff involved in this project include:

Jonathan Banks (EAS): experimental geochemistry; geochemical modeling

Nick Harris (EAS): Reservoir Modeling


Victor Liu (Petroleum and Mining ENG): Numerical simulations


Dan Alessi (EAS): Brine geochemistry; brine analytical chemistry


Rick Chalaturnyk (CivE): Geomechanics; cross-over to CO2 theme

Completed Lab Renovations

Nicholas Harris

Misc: Lab Development

Ross River Geothermal Well Drilling

Misc: Research

Summit Award

Lianne M. Lefsrud

Award

View

A numerical study on compositional modeling of two-phase fluid flow and heat transfer in vertical wells.

David S. Nobes, Sara Eghbali

Scholarly Refereed Journal

View

A reservoir model for geothermal energy production from the Middle Devonian Slave Point Formation

Nicholas Harris, Evan Renaud

Scholarly Refereed Journal

Analysis of Alberta Precambrian Basement core and modelling the fracture characteristics necessary to for operating and Enhanced Geothermal System in the Alberta Precambrian Basement

Samuel Johnson

Bachelor Thesis

Analysis of social components within environmental assessments of geothermal projects

John R Parkins, Nadine Suliman Abdelrahman

Research Report

View

Calgary Lecture Series; Energy Panel: To provide continuing education opportunity in Calgary that showcases excellence and innovation at the University of Alberta

M Anne Naeth, John R Parkins, Steven Bergens, Maggie Cascadden

Conference/Symposium/Workshop Contribution

Characterizing Deep Basin Siliciclastic Reservoirs for Geothermal Use Near Hinton, Alberta

Nicholas Harris, Christopher Noyahr

Conference/Symposium/Workshop Contribution

Considering buried depth for vertical borehole heat exchangers in a borehole field with groundwater flow—An extended solution

Wei Victor Liu, Yunting Guo

Scholarly Refereed Journal

View

Considering buried depth in the moving finite line source model for vertical borehole heat exchangers - a new solution

Wei Victor Liu, Xincheng (Alex) Hu

Scholarly Refereed Journal

View

Dynamic geothermal reservoir modeling in the Clarke Lake Gas Field, NE British Columbia

Nicholas Harris, Evan Renaud

Research Report

View

Estimating parasitic loads related to brine production from a hot sedimentary aquifer geothermal project: a case study from the Clarke Lake gas field, British Columbia

Evan Renaud, Arif Rabbani

Scholarly Refereed Journal

View

Evaluation of three geothermal project SIA reports

Nadine Suliman Abdelrahman

Conference/Symposium/Workshop Contribution

View

Geochemical changes associated with high-temperature thermal heat storage at intermediate depth: thermodynamic equilibrium models for the DeepStor site in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany

Spencer Poulette

Scholarly Refereed Journal

Geological Society of America Conference Poster

Nicholas Harris, Evan Renaud

Conference Proceedings

Geothermal Energy in Canada – Times Are “a Changing”

Martyn Unsworth

Conference Proceedings

Geothermal Theme Website

Website

View

Geothermal reservoir characterization of the South Swan Hills oil pool, Swan Hills, Alberta

Christopher Noyahr

Master Thesis

Geothermal resource characterization of the Slave Point Formation at Clarke Lake Field, B.C., Canada

Nicholas Harris, Evan Renaud

Conference/Symposium/Workshop Contribution

Geothermal resource characterization of the Slave Point Formation at Clarke Lake Field, B.C., Canada

Nicholas Harris, Evan Renaud

Conference/Symposium/Workshop Contribution

Identifying potential scale-forming minerals minerals from Leduc brines during geothermal power production

Ashley Went

Bachelor Thesis

Lab Equipment Installation

Nicholas Harris

Misc: lab Development

Long-term Prediction on a Tube-and-annulus Geothermal Production Model via Abandoned Oil/gas Wells in Hinton, Alberta, Canada

Wei Victor Liu, Xincheng (Alex) Hu

Scholarly Refereed Journal

View

Multivariate analysis of water chemistry in Devonian Strata of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Implications for geothermal energy development Applied Geochemistry

Arif Rabbani

Scholarly Refereed Journal

Numerical modeling of an enhanced geothermal system for geothermal energy production from abandoned wells, Applied Thermal Engineering.

Wei Victor Liu, Xincheng (Alex) Hu, Yunting Guo

Scholarly Refereed Journal

Petrophysical Characterization of a Geothermal Reservoir near Hinton, Alberta

Nicholas Harris, Christopher Noyahr

Conference/Symposium/Workshop Contribution

Power Relations and the Energy Transition: A Critical Review on Discourses, Ideologies and Perspectives for Sustainable Geothermal Energy Development in Valemount, British Columbia

Nadine Suliman Abdelrahman

Conference Proceedings

View

Powering Alberta’s Energy Future Panel

M Anne Naeth, John R Parkins, Steven Bergens, Maggie Cascadden

Conference/Symposium/Workshop Contribution

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using geothermal energy from doublet enhanced geothermal systems as a heat source for oil sands separation: A numerical evaluation

Wei Victor Liu, Xincheng (Alex) Hu, Yunting Guo

Scholarly Refereed Journal

Regional evaluation of the geothermal potential in the Cardium Formation in Alberta

Bennett Braun

Bachelor Thesis

Resource Assessment of Geothermal Reservoir in Western Alberta and Evaluation of Utilization Options Using Non-Renewable Energy Displacement

Casey Lavigne

Master Thesis

Retrofitting abandoned petroleum wells as doublet deep borehole heat exchangers for geothermal energy production—a numerical investigation Renewable Energy

Wei Victor Liu, Xincheng (Alex) Hu, Yunting Guo

Scholarly Refereed Journal

Roadmaps and Roadblocks for Energy Transformation: Converting Oil and Gas Wells to Geothermal Resources

Lianne M. Lefsrud, Daniel Schiffner

Scholarly Refereed Journal

Sedimentary Basin Geothermal Favourabiity Mapping and Power Generation Assessments.

Scholarly Refereed Journal

View

Techno-economic Assessment of Geothermal Energy Resources in the Sedimentary Basin in Northeastern British Columbia

Research Report

The Intertwined Relationship between Power and Patriarchy: Examples from Resource Extractive Industries

Nadine Suliman Abdelrahman

Scholarly Refereed Journal

View

Using Oil and Gas Data to Estimate Geothermal Resources in Sedimentary Basing: A Case Study from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Nicholas Harris

Scholarly Refereed Journal

View