New methods to enhance geothermal productivity

Alexander Richter 3 Mar 2009

So called Integrated Geophysical Exploration Technologies for deep fractured geothermal systems are now being explored to tap and utilize geothermal resources more efficiently.

In the news piece on this new method, it is talked about that the “new methods deliver important decision-support for the selection of sites for future geothermal projects. With this we can considerably reduce the risk of expensive misdrills,” German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) researcher Dr. Ernst Huenges, who is also the head of Geothermal Research at the Institute, says. “Reliable geothermal technologies are in demand worldwide. Even countries with a long experience in geothermal energy such as Indonesia and New Zealand are interested in the results acquired in I-GET,” he adds.

I-GET, standing for Integrated Geophysical Exploration Technologies for deep fractured geothermal systems, is a new method of assessing the exact location of deposits and tapping into them safely and effectively. It relies on measuring seismic activities and the level of electrical conductivity of what lies beneath the ground. This allows scientists to get an idea of how the underside of the Earth’s crust looks like in a certain spot.

That’s not to say that the new method is totally revolutionary. It also makes use of established prospecting techniques, such as drilling boreholes at designated locations, and performing analyses on the gathered rock samples. It’s just that, as the old saying goes, more hands help better than one, and the fact that an entire process has been developed can be nothing but good news for those in the industry.

“Reliable geothermal technologies are in demand worldwide. Even countries with a long experience in geothermal energy such as Indonesia and New Zealand are interested in the results acquired in I-GET,” Huenges concludes.

Source: Softpedia News