Japan Beyond-Brittle Project: Development of EGS Beyond Brittle-Ductile Transition

ABSTRACT New conventional geothermal energy projects have not been actively promoted in Japan for the last decade because of perceptions of high relative cost, limited electricity generating potential and the high degrees of uncertainties and associated risks of subsurface development. More recently however, EGS (Enhanced Geothermal System) geothermal has been identified as a most promising method of geothermal development because of its potential applicability to a much wider range of sites, many of which have previously been considered to be unsuitable for geothermal development. Meanwhile, some critical problems with EGS technologies have been experimentally identified, such as low recovery of injected water, difficulties in establishing universal design/development methodologies, and the occurrence of induced seismicity, suggesting that there may be limitations in realizing EGS in earthquake-prone compression tectonic zones. We propose a new concept of engineered geothermal development where reservoirs are created in ductile basement. This potentially has a number of advantages including: (a) simpler design and control of the reservoir, (b) nearly full recovery of injected water, (c) sustainable production, (d) lower cost when developed in relatively shallower ductile zones in compression tectonic settings, (e) large potential quantities of energy extraction from widely distributed ductile zones, (f) the establishment of a universal design/development methodology, and (g) suppression of felt earthquakes from/around the reservoirs. To further assess the potential of EGS reservoir development in ductile zones we have initiated the "Japan Beyond-Brittle Project (JBBP)". It is intended that the first few years of the JBBP will be spent in basic scientific investigation and necessary technology development, including studies on rock mechanics in the brittle/ductile regime, characterization of ductile rock masses, development of modeling methodologies/technologies, and investigations of induced/triggered earthquakes. We expect to drill a deep experimental borehole that will penetrate the ductile zone in northeast Japan after basic studies are completed. The feasibility of EGS reservoir development in the ductile zone will then be assessed through observations and experimental results in the borehole

An Estimate of Energy Available via Microbial Sulfate Reduction at a Quaternary Aquifer in Northern Japan considered for Low Temperature Thermal Energy Storage

The energy available via microbial sulfate reduction was estimated for a Quaternary aquifer in northern Japan that is a candidate site for low temperature aquifer thermal energy storage. In evaluating whether microbial sulfate reduction proceeded or ceased, it was assumed that electron donor/acceptor concentrations were unchanged by temperature increase. The estimated energy availability via microbial sulfate reduction at 9 °C with no thermal disturbance was 37, 51, and 53 kJ·(mol SO42−)−1. The low estimate of 37 kJ·(mol SO42−)−1 was attributed to low concentration of SO42−. Excluding the sampling site with low concentration of electron acceptors, energy availability was estimated 52 and 54 kJ·(mol SO42−)−1 at 20 °C; 54 and 57 kJ·(mol SO42−)−1 at 40 °C; and 57 and 59 kJ·(mol SO42−)−1 at 60 °C. These results indicate that possible energy availability via microbial sulfate reduction at approximately 40–60 °C exceeded the range of available energy (compiled from previous studies) at which sulfate reduction would cease. Thus, microbial sulfate reduction at this site may proceed at approximately 40–60 °C

"Asia Geothermal Database" as a DCGM-4 Project of CCOP

ABSTRACT The Coordinating Committee for Coastal and Offshore Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) devotes to coordination and cooperation in scientific activity related to coastal and offshore geological and geophysical surveys, regional map compilation, database construction, human resources development and technology transfer. Activity of CCOP covers four sectors: energy, mineral resources, coastal zone management and geohazards. In East-Southeast Asia, demands of energy are increasing, and establishment of clean energy infrastructure in the region is needed for preservation of global environments. Fortunately, East-Southeast Asia is in the Circum-Pacific and Himalayan continental collision volcanic zones, and has potential of geothermal energy, which is one of clean energies, available to local electrical power supply and direct use

Validation and Evaluation of an Estimation Method for Deep Thermal Structures Using an Activity Index in Major Geothermal Fields in Northeastern Japan

A considerable number of rock bodies with varying percentages of supercritical fluid exist around the brittle–ductile transition (BDT) zone at a depth of several kilometers from the surface of the Earth, in northeastern Japan. As the BDT zone in the granitic basement of the continental crust is estimated to occur at about 380 °C, the identification of the depth corresponding to 380 °C is important to utilize the thermal energy inside the “supercritical geothermal systems”. In this study, we focused on an estimation method to determine the depth of the isothermal layer corresponding to 380 °C, using the activity index (AI) obtained from the maximum-temperature data of the geothermal wells and hot springs. The thermal profiles of deep and hot exploration boreholes and the hypocentral distribution of natural earthquakes were used to evaluate the characteristics and accuracy of the deep thermal structure, using the activity index. The estimated depth corresponding to 380 °C tended to be higher than the actual depth, with a maximum possible estimation error of approximately 9.7 km. Distribution maps showing the depth of the isothermal layer corresponding to 380 °C were created for six major geothermal fields in northeastern Japan, using the results from this study

Geothermal Resource Exploration by Stream pH Mapping in Mutsu Hiuchi Dake Volcano, Japan

Although pH measurements of hot spring water are taken in conventional geothermal resource research, previous studies have seldom created pH distribution maps of stream and spring waters for an entire geothermal field as a technique for geothermal exploration. In this study, a pH distribution map was created by measuring stream and spring water pH at 75 sites in the Mutsu Hiuchi Dake geothermal field, Japan. Areas of abnormally high pH were detected in midstream sections of the Ohaka and Koaka rivers; these matched the location of the Mutsu Hiuchi Dake East Slope Fault, which is believed to have formed a geothermal reservoir. The abnormally high pH zone is attributed to the trapping of rising volcanic gases in a mature geothermal reservoir with neutral geothermal water. This causes the gas to dissolve and prevents it from reaching the surface. Thus, the mapping of stream water pH distribution in a geothermal field could provide a new and effective method for estimating the locations of geothermal reservoirs. As the proposed method does not require laboratory analysis, and is more temporally and economically efficient than conventional methods, it might help to promote geothermal development in inaccessible and remote regions

Determining the Maximum Depth of Hydrothermal Circulation Using Geothermal Mapping and Seismicity to Delineate the Depth to Brittle-Plastic Transition in Northern Honshu, Japan

This paper defines the maximum possible vertical extent of hydrothermal circulation in granitic crust, and thus the maximum depth within which geothermal reservoirs can be encountered. To evaluate prospective geothermal fields we constructed a geothermal database in northern Honshu, Japan that includes 571 points of thermal data of existing wells and hot springs. Depth-temperature curves were normalized by the Activity Index for three-dimensional extrapolation and a depth contour map of the 380 °C isotherm was plotted as an assumed brittle-plastic transition for granitic crust. Shallower-depth anomalies of the brittle-plastic transition on this map are closely coincident with the Quaternary volcanoes and their prospective geothermal fields. It should be noted that the bottom of the spatial distribution of seismicity in the volcanic fields shows strong correlation to the 380 °C isotherm. This result indicates reliability of the subsurface three-dimensional thermal map and suggests that the 380 °C isotherm strongly constrains the bottom surface of seismicity, fracturing and hydrothermal convection in granitic crust