--> Knowledge Sharing: Best Practice Guidelines For Geothermal Project Development

AAPG European Region, Geothermal Cross Over Technology Workshop, Part II

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Knowledge Sharing: Best Practice Guidelines For Geothermal Project Development

Abstract

A very limited number of geothermal projects have been successfully developed in Denmark; in large parts due to the lack of knowhow, and the difficult transition from thought to action. To encourage stakeholders to initiate such projects and increase the odds of completion, it is paramount that experiences are shared among the community and the industry as a whole. Consequently, in 2015 Energistyrelsen (the Danish Energy Agency) in collaboration with WellPerform, compiled six open sourced reports on guidelines for geothermal project development in Denmark; though applicable anywhere. Four of the reports have been translated to English, and summarised below. Organisation and Competences This guideline deals with organising when engaging in exploration for and recovery of geothermal energy and the competences (here defined as the sum of knowledge and experience) being the foundation of good organising. Content of Standard Contracts This guideline focuses on the contract(s) to be signed between on one side the district heating company/geothermal company and on the other side the drilling contractor. A geothermal project consists of a large number of various contracts and agreements of considerable significance (especially contracts for pre-surveys and seismic contracts), but the drilling contract must be considered the most important one seen in an economical as well as a technical perspective. Consequently, this type of contract should be thoroughly focused upon. Budgeting and Cost Control This guideline describes how drilling and test budgets are composed and which elements as a minimum should be included to provide a reliable budget estimate of the operations and thereby a basis for the development of a geothermal project. The Verification Process for Geothermal Projects This guideline focuses on the individual verifications to be performed during the course of a project. The purpose of such verifications primarily is to ensure an impartial third party to review and assess the technical basis and planning of the project in order to minimize any risk and create maximum value to the district heating company. During the last five years, the keywords of the oil and gas industry have been communication and collaboration through sharing of knowledge. With expertise in both industries, we see the same increasing need for knowhow within the geothermal society, unfulfilled by a paucity of publicly available data. With our published open source translations, we make our first progressions towards our vision of a share-based platform, that will allow a greater flow of data and thus the potential of a greater expansion of geothermal energy development in the world.