Geothermal Energy Potential in Low Enthalpy Areas as a Future Energy Resource: Identifying Feasible Targets, Quebec, Canada, Study Case

• Published in: Resources (Basel) Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 524 - 547
• Main Authors: Majorowicz, Jacek, Minea, Vasile
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2015
• Subjects: Aquifers; Cambrian; Ecological succession; Energy sources; enhanced geothermal system (EGS); exploration; Flow rates; Fluid flow; geostatistics; Geothermal energy; Heat flow; High temperature; Québec geothermal; renewable energy; Sedimentary basins; thermal conductivity; Urban areas; Canada, Canadian Shield; Canada, Quebec
• ISSN: 2079-9276; 2079-9276
• DOI: 10.3390/resources4030524

Heat flow of the sedimentary succession of the Eastern Canada Sedimentary Basins varies from 40 mW/m2 close to the exposed shield in the north to high 60-70 mW/m2 in the southwest-northeast St. Lawrence corridor. As high fluid flow rates are required for a successful geothermal application, the most important targets are deep existing permeable aquifers rather than hard rock, which would need to be fracked. Unfortunately, the ten most populated Québec urban centers are in the areas where the Grenville (Canadian Shield) is exposed or at shallow depths with sedimentary cover where temperatures are 30 °C or less. The city of Drummondville will be the exception, as the basement deepens sharply southwest, and higher temperatures reaching >120 °C are expected in the deep Cambrian sedimentary aquifers near a 4-5-km depth. Deep under the area where such sediments could be occurring under Appalachian nappes, temperatures significantly higher than 140 °C are predicted. In parts of the deep basin, temperatures as high as 80 °C-120 °C exist at depths of 3-4 km, mainly southeast of the major geological boundary: the Logan line. There is a large amount of heat resource at such depths to be considered in this area for district heating.