Reconfiguring In-Situ Thermal Oil Recovery facilities for Steam Assisted Geothermal Power (SAGP) Extraction

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Geothermal energy has a great potential to play a growing role to lower the carbon footprint of hydrocarbon energy extraction. However, it is still in its infancy in Canada. Alberta has a natural advantage in developing geothermal energy extraction technologies given its expertise in subsurface technology and geophysics. Furthermore, years of oil recovery by steam injection (e.g., Stream Assisted Gravity Drainage - SAGD) has resulted in the accumulation of substantial amounts of high-temperature (170 degree C) steam underground. This project will develop technologies that takes advantage of this wasted thermal energy for power generation. We refer to the process as Steam Assisted Geothermal Power (SAGP). The final aim of this project, with the support of Imperial Oil, is to develop the first SAGP pilot in Alberta. The proposed technology works based on recommissioning of abandoned enhanced oil recovery wells (e.g., SAGD) with Steam-to-Oil-Ratio of >3 to SAGP operations. It takes advantage and re-purposes existing facilities for oil recovery and the thermal capacity of reservoirs to extract energy. There are 2 technology developments to be completed in this project: (1) Next generation thermal energy harvesting using membranes that generate power and decontaminate waste-water simultaneously; (2) design modifications to subsurface tubing in existing facilities with a lower rate of heat loss limited to a temperature drop of 20 degree C. The proposed technologies will provide a new source of net-zero-carbon energy at relatively low cost.