Enhanced Geothermal Systems R&D in the United States

Abstract

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) Are Those in Which Advanced Technology is Required to Extract Energy from the Earthís Crust in Areas with Higher Than Average Heat Flow but Where the Natural Permeability And/or Fluid Content Are Limited. in the United States, the Department of Energy (DOE) is Conducting EGS Research and Development (R&D) with Two Major Goals. Its Short-Term Goal is to Enable Greater Efficiency and Sustainability in the Extraction of Heat Energy from Commercial Hydrothermal Fields. Its Long-Term Goal is Greater Utilization of the Vast Geothermal Resource Base to Offset the Environmental Hazards Associated with Other Forms of Energy. the EGS Research Strategy Includes Close Cooperation with Industry to Plan and Execute Research to Overcome the Technical Barriers That Prevent the Recovery of Increased Quantities of Geothermal Energy. to This End, Federally Funded EGS Research is Ongoing, and DOE is Planning to Issue a Solicitation Late in Fiscal Year 1999 or Early Fiscal Year 2000 for Additional Research. Laboratory and Field Experiments Are Anticipated to Continue in Fiscal Year 2000, and Will Focus on Cost-Effective Methods To: 1) Convert Dry Holes for Use as Injectors or Producers, and Connect These Holes to the Permeable Reservoir; and 2) Increase the Rate of Injection to Sustain Fluid-Depleted Reservoirs.