Operational Results for Geothermal Co-production of Electricity from Oilfield Operations

Wastewater is a common byproduct of oil & gas production, and as geothermal conversion technologies have improved it has become possible to efficiently generate electricity from this waste-stream in certain situations. This co-production of hydrocarbons and electricity provides the opportunity to reduce operating costs and can extend the economic lifetime of producing fields. The limited field data from operating coproduction system makes it difficult to evaluate opportunities, and thereby presents a market barrier to effective utilization of the technology.

This paper reports on the results of a multi-year field demonstration of co-production conducted by DOE at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC). The results are from two separate co-production geothermal power plants operating at RMOTC. The results provide the most comprehensive and detailed information on plant operating efficiency, power offset to grid, reliability, and maintenance that have ever been published. The data establish the baseline reliability and performance of geothermal co-production, and establish the impact of weather on the performance and energy generation of the plant. Conditions most conducive to co-production are discussed.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90142 © 2012 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, April 22-25, 2012, Long Beach, California