The status of hot dry rock as an energy source

John Haraden

Energy, 1992, vol. 17, issue 8, 777-786

Abstract: Hot dry rock (HDR) is a deeply buried crustal rock at a usefully high temperature. Current engineering designs plan to tap its heat by drilling a wellbore, fracturing or stimulating pre-existing joints around the wellbore, and directionally drilling another wellbore through the fracture network. Cold water then flows down one wellbore, pushes through the fractured rock, warms, returns up the other wellbore, and drives a power-plant. The major technical uncertainty is establishing the fracture network between the two wellbores. If adequate connectivity can be established and sufficiently large fracture-surface areas can be exposed between the two wellbores, HDR can be a competitive source of electricity.

Date: 1992
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:17:y:1992:i:8:p:777-786

DOI: 10.1016/0360-5442(92)90121-F

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