| Abstract |
The proposed Newberry Volcano FORGE site is in central Oregon on the northwest flank of the largest volcano in the Cascades volcanic arc. Beneath Newberry Volcano is one of the largest geothermal heat reservoirs in the western United States, extensively studied for the last 40 years. The large, shallow (200 °C at less than 2km depth), conductive thermal anomaly has already been well-characterized by extensive drilling and geophysical surveys. Four deep (greater than 3,000 m deep) boreholes completed on the leasehold currently managed by AltaRock have conductive thermal gradients with bottom hole temperatures above 320°C. Three large geothermal pads and two deep geothermal wells exist on the leasehold as well as 8, 200-290 m deep monitoring boreholes that have been used for seismic monitoring and sampling of shallow groundwater. All these investments have built the scientific foundation that establishes the site’s high EGS potential, demonstrates a record of addressing potential risks (induced seismicity, wildlife, groundwater, etc.), and has developed true support and engagement with the local and regional communities. The high temperatures at relatively shallow depths at the site will allow a greater variety of drilling methods to be tested and a greater share of DOE funds to be reserved for non-drilling activities. We will present in more detail the FORGE@Newberry project whose main objectives are to: - Provide infrastructure and a well-characterized site where competitively selected R&D projects can develop and test EGS innovative technologies. Technologies already being considered for research include self-healing polymer-cement composites, novel fracturing fluids, thermally stable proppants, and thermally degradable zonal isolation. - Develop rigorous and reproducible methodologies to help develop cost-competitive EGS power within the United States. - Foster near-term applications for conventional geothermal settings to promote rapid adoption and tuning of EGS technologies by the geothermal industry. - Encourage the use of tools and methods coming from outside the established geothermal community and in particular from the oil and gas industry. - Engage the public, industry and government stakeholders to promote adoption of EGS. - Foster new relationships in higher education to develop innovative curricula for a workforce trained in EGS technologies. |