Deep Earth Energy Production (DEEP) is a Canadian company that wants to use the hot water located beneath the Deadwood Formation in Saskatchewan to produce geothermal energy.
The temperature of the brine sequestered beneath the surface averages 122º C.
DEEP says it has completed a preliminary subsurface design that optimizes the well spacing and configuration to produce 20 MW of geothermal power using ten horizontal wells — 6 producers and 4 injectors.
Each will be drilled to a vertical depth of approximately 3.5 kilometers and a horizontal length of approximately 2 kilometers. The subsurface development area for each 20 MW installation measures approximately 5 kilometers by 8 kilometers while the surface facilities cover an area of 300 square meters.
It can generate enough electricity to meet the needs of 20,000 households and will eliminate 114,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide — equal to the exhaust emissions of 32,000 conventional automobiles.
According to the company, its first flow testing has been completed and exceeded all expectations. The reservoir and the wells are performing at or above expectations with no operational issues.
DEEP’s intends to build 100 MW of geothermal power in Saskatchewan. The company is generating all the electricity it needs to operate its cooling towers, lighting, and pumps from methane gas from fossil fuel drilling that would otherwise be flared off into the atmosphere plus solar power.
Barring any unforeseen developments, the first 20 MW geothermal facility is expected to begin operating in the middle of 2021.
As a source of renewable energy, geothermal has one advantage over wind turbines and solar power plants. It is operates continuously all day, every day.
Reference- DEEP online newsroom, Clean Technica, Futurism, Forbes
