Newberry Volcano EGS Demonstration

Abstract

AltaRock Energy (Altarock), in partnership with Davenport Newberry (Davenport), has been awarded a DOE grant to demonstrate an Engineered Geothermal System (EGS) at the Newberry Volcano in central Oregon. Four deep, very low permeability, production-size wells have been completed at Newberry, with maximum temperatures exceeding 310°C. The Newberry project site exemplifies unparalleled EGS potential in the United States, with a large, high-temperature, conductive thermal anomaly yielding wells with permeability orders of magnitude less than conventional hydrothermal wells. An AltaRock-assembled research team will characterize the Newberry resource and plan the stimulation of one of the two available Davenport wells. A seismic array will be deployed and a risk analysis will be completed to determine the potential for induced seismicity that may affect the surrounding area. An injection test will be conducted to quantify injectivity. A borehole televiewer survey will be completed to characterize the formation, inherent stress regime and the presence of natural fractures. Numerical models will aid in reservoir design and stimulation planning. The injection well will be stimulated using innovative techniques, aided by advanced zonal isolation methods. The resulting EGS reservoir will be mapped using microseismic and fluid tracer methods to delineate production well targets and elucidate reservoir geometry. Two production wells will be drilled into the EGS fracture network. A flow test involving all three wells will be conducted, with test results used to refine numerical models, forecast longterm reservoir performance, and develop a conceptual power plant and wellfield design.