Geothermal energy from fractured reservoirs; dealing with induced seismicity

Abstract

This article provides updates on the outlook for exploiting geothermal energy around the world. Drawing on collaborative research undertaken by the IEA Geothermal Implementing Agreement 4 (IEA-GIA), it reports on recent developments with one of today’s major research topics, induced seismicity and enhanced (or engineered) geothermal systems (EGS) involving artificially fractured geothermal reservoirs. Geothermal has an extremely bright future. Its potential for power generation and direct heat applications (including geothermal heat pumps) is vast, both for conventional geothermal systems and for today‟s emerging enhanced (or engineered) geothermal systems (EGS), which extend geothermal applications well beyond geological plate boundary regions and to most places in the world. Not surprisingly, investment in geothermal energy technology development world wide has increased significantly. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in countries like Australia, New Zealand and the United States