Alberta faces a bill of potentially $8 billion for cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells, says a recent CD Howe Institute report titled "All's Well That Ends Well." This news comes during a severe slump in Canadian oil prices that has led to hundreds to protest in front of Calgary City Hall, calling for more public support for the Canadian oil industry.
Somehow the whole discussion has overlooked an important fact: those defunct wells might represent new local energy opportunities. The very conditions that end some wells' productivity might provide enough geothermal energy to heat local homes and power local businesses.
So says the Calgary-based Canadian Geothermal Association (CanGea), which estimates that, as of October 31, 2016, Alberta has 60,935 wells with bottom hole temperatures higher than 60 degrees Celsius -- hot enough (if harnessed) to heat homes or grow fresh produce in a greenhouse. Of these wells, 500 have temperatures higher than 120C, or potentially hot enough to generate electricity.
- Monday, July 23, 2018 - Canada: Tremendous Potential for Geothermal Energy in Alberta
- Monday, July 9, 2018 - Canada: Geothermal Energy Innovator Views a Positive Future for Geothermal Energy in Alberta
- Tuesday, June 19, 2018 - Canada: New Tool Can Help Pinpoint Oil & Gas Wells in Alberta That Can be Repurposed for Geothermal Energy
- Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - Canada: Alberta Town Repurposing Oil & Gas Wells for Geothermal Energy
