New Progress of Research and Development for Geothermal Resources in CNPC, China

Abstract

Development and utilization of geothermal resources are being taken into account increasingly. Research for hot dry rock resources and electricity generation on enhanced geothermal resources have been paid high attention in domain of international geothermal. Electricity generation technologies on middle-low temperature geothermal resources have been marketized. Direct utilization of geothermal resources in China is always in a leading position in the world. Especially technologies for use of shallow geothermal resources have been developed rapidly in recent years. Heating and cooling area from geothermal pump has increased quickly as well. By the end of 2012, the total area of heating and cooling from geothermal pump in China had been up to 200 million square meters. According to the Twelfth Five-year Plan for building energy conservation, the total area of heating from geothermal resources in China will be not less than 500 million square meters by 2015 ,including from 350 to 400 million square meters of heating and cooling from geothermal pump and 100 million square meters of heating from geothermal water. Now research for geothermal resources in China is targeting it in hot dry rock and deeper formations. Chinese energy corporations have joined the research and development for geothermal resources. Petrochina has developed many forms of project for utilization of geothermal resources in its oilfields. Sinopec has founded enterprises and related scientific research institutions for the research and development of geothermal resources.