GNS Science Update New Zealand Geothermal Workshop 2012 Dr. Greg Bignall 1 Department of Geothermal Sciences Wairakei Research Centre
Crown Research Institute : New Zealand s leading supplier of earth and isotope sciences research Natural Hazards National Isotope Centre Geological Resources Accelerator mass spectrometry and stable isotope research - C, H, N, O, Be Paleoclimate (ice core) research Mapping on/offshore basins Petroleum / gas hydrates CO 2 sequestration research Tongariro Offshore mineral deposits Geothermal technology Paleoclimate research Geomicrobiology 2 Christchurch Ion beam applications : Ion implantation for electronics and materials research Microchemistry for air pollution and geoscientific research
The Te Maari crater at 1.30pm today. Geonet
GNS Science : Staff and revenue Independent, Crown-owned Research Institute ~380 staff, in Wellington (75%), Taupo (20%) and Dunedin (5%) 2011-12 : Revenue $76.2m Funding Sources Government Research = 57% Consulting + GeoNet = 43% 3
GNS Geological Resources : Research funding Gas hydrate bid from 2012 MBIE round ($536K funding for 6 years). Xtremophiles team (Stott), $1M over 2 years from 2012 MBIE Environment Research Fund ("Microbial bioinventory of geothermal ecosystems ). Successful Marsden Fund applications : Hollis et al.: "Surviving in the Eocene ocean: the unbearable warmness of being." Chambefort (fast-start project): Fingerprinting geothermal fluids: tracking the magmatic signature Crampton et al. :"Punctuated evolution: is rapid morphological change linked to speciation?". Levy et al.: "Will the East Antarctic ice- sheet contribute to global sea-level rise under warmer-world scenarios?. Success in GNS Strategic Development Fund (SDF). Tontini et al - Modern NZ gravity database 4
Wairakei Research Centre, GNS Science (Te Pū Ao*) Department of Geothermal Science Wairakei Research Centre ~75 geoscience support staff ~35 geothermal specialists Commercial advice Core-funded geothermal research 5 * the foundation, origin, and source of the world
GNS Geothermal Consultancy Well Services: Contact (WK, TH, T8C), MRP (NM) NTGA (KA) incl. borehole image interpretation Consent Renewal / AEE for Contact (Ohaaki), NTGA (Kawerau) Peer Review Panel / Advice (incl. Mokai, Rotokawa, Ngatamariki, Kawerau) Geothermal Resource Assessments, reservoir Modelling and Groundwater Effects (various) Technology Transfer: Te Mihi Silica Scale trial Geothermal Cements Consulting Advice Tauhara Fluid Test Pilot Plant Rotokawa NDS Stability Experiments Ngatamariki Injection Brine-Rock Interaction Study Geothermal Field and Power Station Chemistry Offshore: Mexico, Chile, Philippines, Indonesia, PNG 6
GNS Geothermal Training Develop Indonesian Capability NZAid - Basic Geothermal Geoscience Course - Advanced Courses (3D visualisation modelling, Reservoir Management, Wellsite geoscience) Industry Training / Internships : e.g. Chile PhD Students : Nellie Olsen Sarah Milicich Kevin Lee Julia Bjorke Philipp Mikisek 7 IEA GIA Secretariat 2013-2018
Electricity Generation 440 440 580 500 500 Conceptual Model 600 580 480 580 500 480 560 520 560 600 580176 620 o C 620 560 620 620 700 640 540 660 760 660 860 840 800 760 700 700 600 680 246 o C 660 760 780 740 720 720 800 >300 o C 800 Mt. Tan 780 840 820 Geothermal Resources of New Zealand (GRN) Research Programme. environmentally sustainable growth in geothermal electricity generation, including utilisation of the deep (3-7 km) resources, an increase in direct geothermal use applications, and new industries and applications leveraged from geothermal resources. Conceptual Model 440 440 580 500 500 580 480 580 500 480 560 520 560 600 580176 620 o C 620 620 620 700 640 540 660 560 600 760 660 860 840 800 760 700 700 600 680 246 o C 660 760 780 740 720 720 800 >300 o C 800 Mt. Tan 780 840 820 8 Direct Use Applications
Resource Characterisation Environmental Effects Low Enthalpy Systems Geothermal Research Programme Sustainable Development Geomicrobiology 95
1 m Research Highlights: Integrated Structural + Leapfrog Geothermal Models Wairakei Geothermal Field Acoustic Formation Imaging Technology Fracture orientation, width & distribution 10
Research Highlights: Hotter and Deeper Integrated MT-Seismic Survey Caldwell, Bertrand, Heise et al. Survey designed to study the convective model of heat transport in brittle crust Support identification of deep science drilling targets in the Southern TVZ Data acquisition involved UoA collaboration 11
Research Highlights: Hotter and Deeper Integrated MT-Seismic Survey Survey designed to study the convective model of heat transport in brittle crust Support identification of deep science drilling targets in the Southern TVZ 2-D inversion model Ohaaki Rotokawa 11 Bertrand et al., GRL, 2012
Research Highlights: Experimental Geochemistry - Wairakei real world simulated world High Temp./Press. apparatus at GNS Science, Wairakei real world 4SO 2 + 4H 2 O = 3H 2 SO 4 + H 2 S 2O 2 + H 2 S = H 2 SO 4 12 O-S isotope of the anhydrite
Deep TVZ Drilling The barrier to realising New Zealand s deep geothermal potential is the ability to identify permeability that can be tapped by drilling. Limit of shallow seismicity after Heise et al., (2006) 13 TVZ deep science drilling project
For more information http://www.gns.cri.nz Dr. Greg Bignall GNS Science Wairakei Research Centre 114 Karetoto Road State Highway 1 Private Bag 2000 Taupo NEW ZEALAND 14