Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.3
3.2
Journals
Energies
Special Issues
Advances in Geothermal Energy from Synergies with Oil and Gas...
energies-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Energies Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Advances in Geothermal Energy from Synergies with Oil and Gas Industries

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "H2: Geothermal".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 January 2026 | Viewed by 1006

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Claudio Alimonti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Roma, Italy
Interests: geothermal energy; water resources; geothermal plants
Dr. Davide Scrocca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria (IGAG), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 00185 Roma, Italy
Interests: oil and gas; geothermal energy
Dr. Isa Kolo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
Interests: oil and gas; geothermal energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The past few years have been characterized by the increasing growth of the geothermal energy sector, seeking solutions capable of reducing investment costs and mining risks. New geothermal projects require subsurface evaluation, modeling, drilling, and surface operations similar to those used in many upstream oil and gas projects. Oil and gas service companies have become increasingly engaged in the technological, design, and workflow aspects of geothermal asset development. While the oil and gas industry most often produces oil from reservoirs up to 4 kilometers deep, it is increasingly targeting deeper zones that contain substantial geothermal potential. The possible technological transfer between the oil and gas industry and the geothermal sectors can help reach investment reduction targets by introducing conventional and innovative technologies. This would dramatically impact the expansion of the geothermal sector in areas not considered traditionally. In the meantime, the large data sets acquired during oil and gas explorations can significantly contribute to reducing time and costs in geothermal projects’ exploration stage. Knowledge of areas under study can help reduce the existing mining risk.

This Special Issue on “Advances in Geothermal Energy from Synergies with Oil and Gas Industries” aims to capture the latest research and application in cross-cutting technologies from the oil and gas and geothermal energy sectors, with contributions covering the following areas: drilling technologies, closed-loop systems, data integration and mining, modeling techniques, enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs), well stimulation, including hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling techniques, advanced geothermal systems (AGSs), project evaluation, planning and management, drilling and completion, surface facility construction and maintenance, and operation and production monitoring.

Prof. Dr. Claudio Alimonti
Dr. Davide Scrocca
Dr. Isa Kolo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geothermal energy
  • closed loop
  • district heating
  • geothermal power plant
  • transfer technology
  • oil and gas
  • drilling technology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

24 pages, 5866 KiB  
Article
Multiscale Characterization of Thermo-Hydro-Chemical Interactions Between Proppants and Fluids in Low-Temperature EGS Conditions
by Bruce Mutume, Ali Ettehadi, B. Dulani Dhanapala, Terry Palisch and Mileva Radonjic
Energies 2025, 18(15), 3974; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18153974 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 159
Abstract
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) require thermochemically stable proppant materials capable of sustaining fracture conductivity under harsh subsurface conditions. This study systematically investigates the response of commercial proppants to coupled thermo-hydro-chemical (THC) effects, focusing on chemical stability and microstructural evolution. Four proppant types were [...] Read more.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) require thermochemically stable proppant materials capable of sustaining fracture conductivity under harsh subsurface conditions. This study systematically investigates the response of commercial proppants to coupled thermo-hydro-chemical (THC) effects, focusing on chemical stability and microstructural evolution. Four proppant types were evaluated: an ultra-low-density ceramic (ULD), a resin-coated sand (RCS), and two quartz-based silica sands. Experiments were conducted under simulated EGS conditions at 130 °C with daily thermal cycling over a 25-day period, using diluted site-specific Utah FORGE geothermal fluids. Static batch reactions were followed by comprehensive multi-modal characterization, including scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Proppants were tested in both granular and powdered forms to evaluate surface area effects and potential long-term reactivity. Results indicate that ULD proppants experienced notable resin degradation and secondary mineral precipitation within internal pore networks, evidenced by a 30.4% reduction in intragranular porosity (from CT analysis) and diminished amorphous peaks in the XRD spectra. RCS proppants exhibited a significant loss of surface carbon content from 72.98% to 53.05%, consistent with resin breakdown observed via SEM imaging. While the quartz-based sand proppants remained morphologically intact at the macro-scale, SEM-EDS revealed localized surface alteration and mineral precipitation. The brown sand proppant, in particular, showed the most extensive surface precipitation, with a 15.2% increase in newly detected mineral phases. These findings advance understanding of proppant–fluid interactions under low-temperature EGS conditions and underscore the importance of selecting proppants based on thermo-chemical compatibility. The results also highlight the need for continued development of chemically resilient proppant formulations tailored for long-term geothermal applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Geothermal Energy from Synergies with Oil and Gas Industries)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

31 pages, 7278 KiB  
Article
Techno-Economic Evaluation of Geothermal Energy Utilization of Co-Produced Water from Natural Gas Production
by Lianzhong Sun, Hongyu Xiao, Zheng Chu, Lin Qiao, Yingqiang Yang, Lei Wang, Wenzhong Tian, Yinhui Zuo, Ting Li, Haijun Tang, Liping Chen and Dong Xiao
Energies 2025, 18(14), 3766; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18143766 - 16 Jul 2025
Viewed by 169
Abstract
The utilization of thermal energy from co-produced water during natural gas production offers a promising pathway to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This study proposes a techno-economic evaluation model to assess the feasibility and profitability of geothermal energy recovery from co-produced [...] Read more.
The utilization of thermal energy from co-produced water during natural gas production offers a promising pathway to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This study proposes a techno-economic evaluation model to assess the feasibility and profitability of geothermal energy recovery from co-produced water in marginal gas wells. A wellbore fluid flow and heat transfer model is developed and validated against field data, with deviations in calculated wellhead temperature and pressure within 10%, demonstrating the model’s reliability. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to investigate the influence of key technical and economic parameters on project performance. The results show that electricity price, heat price, and especially government one-off subsidies have a significant impact on the net present value (NPV), whereas the effects of insulation length and annular fluid thermal conductivity are comparatively limited. Under optimal conditions—including 2048 m of insulated tubing, annular protection fluid with a thermal conductivity of 0.4 W/(m·°C), a 30% increase in heat and electricity prices, and a 30% government capital subsidy—the project breaks even in the 14th year, with the 50-year NPV reaching 0.896 M$. This study provides a practical framework for evaluating and optimizing geothermal energy recovery from co-produced water, offering guidance for future sustainable energy development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Geothermal Energy from Synergies with Oil and Gas Industries)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5960 KiB  
Article
Research and Application of Drilling Fluid Cooling System for Dry Hot Rock
by Kuan Li, Bing Li, Shanshan Shi, Zhenyu Wu and Hengchun Zhang
Energies 2025, 18(7), 1736; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18071736 - 31 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 373
Abstract
The drilling fluid cooling system is a key technology for reducing wellbore temperatures, improving the working environment of downhole equipment, and ensuring safe and efficient drilling in high-temperature wells. Based on the existing drilling fluid cooling system, this article designs and develops a [...] Read more.
The drilling fluid cooling system is a key technology for reducing wellbore temperatures, improving the working environment of downhole equipment, and ensuring safe and efficient drilling in high-temperature wells. Based on the existing drilling fluid cooling system, this article designs and develops a closed drilling fluid cooling system according to the working environment and cooling requirements of the GH-02 dry hot rock trial production well in the Gonghe Basin, Qinghai Province. The system mainly includes a cascade cooling module, a convective heat exchange module, and a monitoring and control module. Based on the formation conditions and drilling design of the GH-02 well, a transient temperature prediction model for wellbore circulation is established to provide a basis for the design of the cooling system. Under the conditions of a drilling fluid displacement of 30 L/s and a bottomhole circulation temperature not exceeding 105 °C, the maximum allowable inlet temperature of the drilling fluid is 55.6 °C, and the outlet temperature of the drilling fluid is 69.2 °C. The heat exchange of the drilling fluid circulation is not less than 1785 kW. Considering the heat transfer efficiency and reserve coefficient, the heat transfer area of the spiral plate heat exchanger calculated using the average temperature difference method is not less than 75 m2. By applying this drilling fluid cooling system in the 3055 m~4013 m section of well GH-02, the inlet temperature is controlled at 45 °C~55 °C, and the measured bottomhole circulation temperature remains below 105 °C. After adopting the drilling fluid cooling system, the performance of the drilling fluid is stable during the drilling process, downhole tools such as the drill bits, screws, and MWD work normally, and the failure rate of the mud pump and logging instruments is significantly reduced. The drilling fluid cooling system effectively maintains the safe and efficient operation of the drilling system, which has been promoted and applied in shale oil wells in Dagang Oilfield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Geothermal Energy from Synergies with Oil and Gas Industries)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop