Groundwater of the Nubian Aquifer System of Western Egypt - a Source for Geothermal Energy

Abstract

Four thermal wells in the northwestern desert of Egypt drilled primarily for oil are considered to be a target for geothermal energy extraction. The groundwater discharged from these wells is fed from the Nubian aquifer system which is located in the eastern Sahara Desert, northeast Africa. The most productive flowing well in this system is Kifar-1which is situated in the QattaraDepression at 77 mbelow sea level. It discharges 406 of fresh water 464 ppm) at a surface pressure of from diameter outlet at a temperatureof The proposal is to use this water not only for its present use (domestic and agricultural supply), but also for irrigating vast areas of land by pumping water to remote areas using electricity generated from the geothermal energy resource. Logs of abandoned oil wells show that four wells have discharged thermal waters The search for geothermal water can be made in deeper horizons in or near these wells and in some oases in the Western Desert. With the exception of the small discharge from the wells will supply hot water to greenhouses for production of vegetablesand fruits.