Thesis
De-risking development of hot sedimentary aquifer geothermal resources : a case study of the Chester formation sandstone, Uk
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2025
- Thesis identifier
- T17516
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 202191077
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- Hot sedimentary aquifer (HSA) systems have the potential to play a substantial role in the future energy supply of numerous countries, contributing to decarbonation efforts and the achievement of Net Zero targets. However, the advancement of HSAs is impeded by a broad spectrum of risks. This thesis systematically examines these risks through an analysis of HSA projects worldwide, and proposes strategies to mitigate risks that should contribute to reducing project failure rates. A global database has been compiled, incorporating key parameters from 256 HSA projects across eight countries: Australia, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and the UK. The analysis reveals that 26% of these projects have failed, predominantly due to geological and hydrogeological (39%), financial (26%) and technical factors (25%). Notably, geology and hydrogeological data are often underreported by geothermal operators. Almost one quarter of both failed and operational HSA projects have implemented mitigation or remediation strategies, leading to a general decline in failure rates over time. The database findings highlight the necessity of thorough geological site characterisation prior to drilling, continuous borehole monitoring, technological advancements to manage geochemical and technical challenges, and the widespread adoption of risk insurances mechanisms. Additionally, the thesis identifies a lack of standardised terminologies for HSA systems, along with the need for improved regulatory frameworks and enhanced data accessibility. To address existing knowledge gaps and support risk mitigation in HSA exploration, the Chester Formation of the Cheshire Basin is examined as an HSA case study. The thermal, mineralogical and petrophysical properties of this promising geothermal reservoir are comprehensively characterised. Results indicate that samples collected at outcrop exposures generally exhibit similar properties to core samples from the shallow subsurface, apart from thermal conductivity that tends to be higher in core samples. This suggests that preliminary geothermal assessments can be conducted cost-effectively using outcrop samples, reducing the reliance on borehole drilling. This approach has the potential to reduce investment risks and facilitate geothermal development. Thermal properties are commonly measured in the lab at ambient temperatures and under unsaturated conductions. Thermal properties of Chester Formation samples are measured at (1) elevated temperature and (2) water-saturated conditions to evaluate potential differences with ambient measurements. Additionally, an innovative experimental setup is developed and benchmarked for measuring thermal properties under in situ reservoir conditions. This setup enables a comparative evaluation of thermal conductivity under both high-temperature and water-saturated conditions, against conventional ambient-temperature measurements on dry samples. Integrating in situ thermal property measurements should enhance the accuracy of geothermal resource characterisation and heat flow predictions, reducing uncertainties and investment risks associated with geothermal projects
- Advisor / supervisor
- Burnside, Neil
- Shipton, Zoe
Relations
Contenu
| La vignette | Titre | Date de téléchargement | Visibilité | actes |
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PDF of thesis T17516 | 2025-12-02 | Public | Télécharger |