The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new collaboration between the Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP) to demonstrate low temperature geothermal electrical power generation systems using oilfield fluids produced at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC).
The objective of this multi-year collaboration is to demonstrate the versatility, reliability, and widespread deployment capabilities of low temperature geothermal electricity production systems that work off of the co-produced water from oilfield operations. These systems turn otherwise discarded water into an energy resource. The electricity produced is utilized to power field production equipment, which offsets purchased electricity; other applications are being explored.
Private company Electratherm began similar testing in June with Texas-based partner Gulf Coast Green Energy.
Under the DOE collaboration, EERE is providing funding for the purchase of a low temperature geothermal electricity producing unit from Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ORA). With a producing oilfield and long standing expertise with fossil energy, DOE said this project provides a unique opportunity for FE to contribute to emerging renewable energy research.
Ultimately the GTP hopes to collect operational and performance data for various climates and system configurations. This information will be freely available, educating the industry and public about the high potential of geothermal renewable energy from co-produced water. With an estimated 10 barrels of hot water produced along with each barrel of oil in the United States, there is significant resource potential for this technology.
This joint venture supports the integration of traditional and emerging energy technologies in a way that serves to generate both discussion and action around new strategies for energy generation. DOE said this project will "bridge a gap between two disciplines that can both benefit from synergistic activities."
In Other DOE News…
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the first round of funding from $1.4 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the selection of 12 projects that will capture carbon dioxide from industrial sources for storage or beneficial use.
The list of recipients is available at the link below.
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