Utilization of Oil and Gas Wells for Geothermal Applications

Abstract

Major hydrocarbon producers are in energy transition, directing new investments from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Geothermal energy is one of the fastest-growing sources in the renewable energy industry. It provides base-load energy with less impact on the environment. Thousands of wells abandoned in depleted oil and gas fields are now under investigation for geothermal applications. The geothermal gradient of hydrocarbon fields demonstrates potential for direct-use applications and even for electricity generation in some cases. Drilling activities constitute the major costs of geothermal projects. Geothermal projects using existing hydrocarbon wells could be economical viable since there will be no need for drilling and surface infrastructure such as pumps, pipelines, separators, and surface production systems. This study presents a comprehensive review of geothermal production from depleted oil and gas wells. Production techniques such as artificial lifting and wellbore heat exchangers are presented with a techno-economic analysis. It was found that most of the depleted wells are suitable for direct use applications such as district heating, drying food, and thermal swimming pools rather than electricity generation.