MORGANTOWN, W.Va. The West Virginia University (WVU) Energy Institute is leading a collaboration with Northeast Natural Energy LLC and the U.S. Department of Energy to explore the possibilities of geothermal energy and carbon capture technologies.
To do this, WVU geology professor Shikha Sharma says they will drill a 15,000-foot-deep geothermal, carbon capture, and storage data collection well, the first in West Virginia. The project also provides the first opportunity in the state to collect data on the feasibility of carbon capture technology.
“We have never drilled this deep in the Appalachian Basin,” Sharma said. “So, we are trying to understand what the reservoir temperatures are like, what are the rock properties, and if we inject fluid, how does the fluid flow in these reservoirs?” Sharma asked.
The drill site is an existing well pad at the Morgantown Industrial Park, operated by Northeast Natural Energy. Officials from the company expect the project to help them understand and establish a path to move toward geothermal energy applications and carbon capture resources.
Similar to the 2015 Northeast Natural Energy and WVU partnership for the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory, which was used to explore new technologies that would improve well production while minimizing the environmental impact.
“It marks a significant milestone in geothermal energy in our state,” Sharma said. “Also, we are trying to see the potential of carbon storage in the Appalachian Basin.”
Sharma said geothermal formations in the western United States are much closer to the surface, making them much more efficient for energy production. But this project will test formations and collect data along fractured rock areas at shawllower depths.
“We are trying to test the lower temperature geothermal resources that are less than 150 degrees for large-scale heating and cooling with innovative technology,” Sharma said.
Carbon capture technology is a method of reducing carbon emissions through sequestration to control global warming. The project will test the ability of underground materials to absorb carbon indefinitely, or until technology is developed to use it in an environmentally responsible way.
“If we have certain industries or we are working on CO2 utilization, we could then store it in much shallower formations, and then if we want, we could take it back out again,” Sharma said.
The students have the opportunity to use their technical academic principles while working with professionals in the industry. Sharma also said the students get the benefit of learning how the company processes outside data collection, which is vital in interfacing with government agencies in high-tech ventures.
“Collaborate with the U.S. Department of Energy and give them the skillsets required for the jobs in sustainable clean energy technologies in the future,” Sharma said.
The project is funded by $9.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and $2.76 million in cost-share funding from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey and WVU.
Hewitt Energy Strategies is also providing support for the project.