December 2021 – April 2022
Live online Wednesday’s at 12pm MT
on demand for Geothermal Canada members
In response to requests from our membership, Geothermal Canada has pulled together a group of experts to provide a comprehensive course on geothermal development. Covering basic technical concepts to commercial and financial considerations, the course will be presented as 16 one hour sessions delivered weekly. Hosted by Dr. Catherine Hickson, P. Geo, a 40 year veteran of the geothermal industry, she will draw from the expertise of notable geothermal experts such as Dr. Steve Grasby, Geological Survey of Canada, Dr. Jasmin Raymond, INRS Quebec, Dr. Maurice Dusseault, University of Waterloo, Dr. Martyn Unsworth, University of Alberta, and others.
Free for Geothermal Canada members (see member email for promocode). Promocode to be inserted during reservation process. $10/session for non-members.
Access to all 16 lectures is included with a Geothermal Canada membership ($40/year). Lectures will also be available on demand for members shortly after the live event. Become a member now!
The course is intended to be “a la carte” – each session is independent, but the sessions build on each other to provide a complete overview of the important aspects of geothermal development.
Lectures will be ~45 minutes and ~15 minutes of Q & A.
Schedule
(November 30, 2021 – subject to modification and update)
December 8, 2021 – Introduction to Geothermal: Dr. Catherine Hickson and Dr. Steve Grasby
a. Geothermal Fundamentals – what are low and high enthalpy systems and where do they occur?
b. Key Points on Why Geothermal – GHG and ESG credits and other “green” advantages
c. Geothermal Potential in Canada
December 15, 2021 – Geoexchange
a. Alternative ground thermal conductivity testing and heat exchanger design for geothermal applications
b. Heat pumps
January 5, 2022 – EGS and Closed Loop Technologies
a. Introduction to engineered/enhanced Geothermal systems
b. Deep EGS for northern remote communities in shield rocks; Kuujjuaq example
c. Closed loop geothermal
i. Purpose drilled wells and systems
ii. Repurposed geothermal wells
January 12, 2022 – Environmental and Societal Impacts of Geothermal Systems
a. Overview of environmental impacts of geothermal development
b. Remote communities – access to low emissions base load power/heat
i. Food security
ii. Direct use benefits
iii. Economic benefits and stability
c. Induced seismicity
January 19, 2022 – Exploration for Geothermal in a Sedimentary Basin
a. Integration of oil and gas data
b. Temperature gradients
c. Rock/reservoir type
d. Geophysics
e. Interactive analytics for exploration
January 26, 2022 – Synergies with Existing Oil and Gas Infrastructure
a. Repurposing oil and gas wells
b. Reuse of surface facilities and infrastructure
c. Challenges and limitations
i. Liabilities
ii. Environmental Concerns
d. Potential
February 2, 2022 – Exploration for Geothermal in Other Geological Settings
a. Volcanic systems
b. Fault hosted systems
c. Geophysics in exploration
i. MT
ii. Gravity
iii. Seismic
d. Remote Sensing
February 9, 2022 – Rock Mechanics
a. Well bore management/stability
b. Drilling fluids
c. Injection perspectives
d. Pressure management
e. Characterization of the reservoir
f. Implications for reservoir sustainability
February 16, 2022 – Fluid Chemistry and Temperature
a. Scaling and brine resource interactions
b. Fluid dynamics and reservoir properties
February 23, 2022 – Well Design and Well Bore Sizing for Conventional Geothermal
a. Well design; rig sizing; well heads
b. Compared to oil and gas
c. pumping (line shaft and ESP)
March 2, 2022 – Reservoir Properties and Sustainability
a. Testing of the resource
b. Reservoir properties
c. Sustainability (recharge and injection)
March 9, 2022 – Well Stimulation and Induced Seismicity
a. Targeting injection
b. Stimulation of under performing well bores
c. Injection monitoring and induced seismicity – the case for NE BC
March 16, 2022 – Surface Instillation Considerations
a. Power plants
b. Heat exchangers
c. Scaling and corrosion
March 23, 2022 – Commercial Considerations
a. Regulations
b. Power sales
c. Thermal (direct use sales)
d. Holistic and integrated developments
e. Carbon credits and politics
March 30, 2022 – UN Framework for Resource Evaluation
a. History of resource calculations
b. Geothermal resource calculations
c. Case study review – Dutch Rotliegend Play Area
April 6, 2022 – Hurdles and Challenges to Develop an Industry in Canada
a. What is needed for widespread adoption?
b. Storage and hybrid systems
c. Why aren’t the big players playing?
d. COP26 targets