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Geothermal Potentialof
Jamaica- Status of Development
Suresh BhalaiMINES AND GEOLOGY DIVISION
Ministry of Energy and MiningHope Gardens, Kingston 6
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GEOTHERMAL ENERGY?Geothermal Resource vs Conventional Power ResourcesCurrent Production Methods
JAMAICA - GEOTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTGeologyStatus of geothermal developmentExploration guides
Further exploration
Known areas
Exploitation techniqueSome considerations benefits and barriers
OUTLINE
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GEOTHERMALENERGY?
Geothermal: geo = earth; thermal = heat
heat from the earth
Earth abounds in thermal energy.
Heat generated from breakdown of naturally occurringradioactive materials.Heat is present everywhere beneath the surface.
Heat rises to the surface and escapes to theatmosphere.
Renewable OR Sustainable?
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? ? ? ?
Geothermal environments:
High- and moderate-temperature rocks with considerableavailable water and (or) steam are the only geothermalenvironments that can currently be developed to generateelectricity.
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Geothermal Energy
as a
Resource
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SIMILARITIES
Occur everywhere,
Anomalous concentrations are favourable,
Have measurable GRADE and SIZE
Economic deposits those at depths accessible bycurrent extraction technology while remaining cost
efficient.
Geothermal Energy as a Mineral Resource
LOW GRADE MEDIUM GRADE HIGH GRADE
80C 180C
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Geothermal Energy as a Mineral Resource
CHARACTERISTICS MINERAL RESOURCES GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Extractive processdigging, crushing andprocessing of large quantitiesof earth material
Liquid(brought to surface by hotsprings or wells)
Extractive methodmine shafts, tunnels, pits andspoil heaps
Drilled wells
Economic characteristics
Size and/or grade determinesprofitability and efficiency ofoperation
Usable over a very widespectrum of temperature andvolume
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Geothermal Energy vs Conventional Power Resources
Environmentally benign low emission Hot water and steam plant:
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CO 2 EMISSIONS
Similar contrasts for the emission of sulphurous gases
Geothermal Energy vs Conventional Power Resources
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RELIABILITY
Once online geothermal power plants are very reliable
Off-line ~5% (avg.) of the time.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Geothermal energy is an environmentally-friendly option.
Geothermal Energy vs Conventional Power Resources
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Current Production Methods
Hot WaterHydrothermal System
Vapour-dominatedHydrothermal System
Moderate TemperatureHydrothermal System
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STATUS OF GEOTHERMALDEVELOPMENT IN JAMAICA
HISTORY/ STATUS OF DEVELOPMENTLate 1600s: Bath, St. Thomas,Mid-1700s: Milk River Bath
1950s Geological Survey Department1980s:
Preliminary examinations OLADE Latin American Energy Organization, 1982 Ittracon 22 Springs in tourist areas
Occidental Geothermal Inc. Blue Mountain area Geological Survey Division
OLADE Summary report available.
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Jamaican Geology
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JAMAICA - >65 million years ago
JAMAICAN GEOLOGY
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JAMAICA - TODAY
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JAMAICA - STRUCTURE
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Exploration Guides
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EXPLORATION GUIDES
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EXPLORATION GUIDES
Position on theCaribbean Plate= low moderate
resources
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GEOTHERMALRESOURCES
Potentiallywater-bearing
rocks andstructures
Seismic zones
Subsurfacetemperature
anomalies
Hot/ warmsprings
EXPLORATION GUIDES
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EXPLORATIONGUIDES
POTENTIAL AREAS:
Faulted rocks older than the White Limestone,
Boundary between different older rocks,especially intrusive igneous rocks.
Marble
Granodiorite
Conglomerate
Shale
YellowLimestone
WhiteLimestone
Andesite
Sandstone
Serpentinite
Dacite
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EXPLORATIONGUIDES
1
2
34
23
1
45
6
10
11
9
12
78
# NAME TEMPC
FLOWlitres/sec
1 Guava River Spring 53 0.3
2 Bath Spring 54 0.3
3 Mt. Felix Spring 31 0.3
4 Garbrand Hall Spring 29 1.5
5 Rockfort Spring 30 50
7 Salt River Spring 33 100 200
8 Milk River Springs 38 40 50
9 Black River Spring 29 45 50
10 Windsor Spring 36 0.5
11 Yankee River Spring 26 0.5
12 Buxton Spring 29 1.2
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EXPLORATION GUIDES
LIMITATION:
Low possibility of abnormally high
heat flow,Little information on geothermalgradients,
Low flow rates,
Contamination by seawater
# NAME TEMPC
FLOWlitres/sec
1 Guava River Spring 53 0.3
2 Bath Spring 54 0.3
3 Mt. Felix Spring 31 0.3
4 Garbrand Hall Spring 29 1.5
5 Rockfort Spring 30 50
7 Salt River Spring 33 100 200
8 Milk River Springs 38 40 50
9 Black River Spring 29 45 50
10 Windsor Spring 36 0.5
11 Yankee River Spring 26 0.5
12 Buxton Spring 29 1.2
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EXPLORATIONTECHNIQUE
Water-bearing
rocks and
structures
Binary systems would bemost suitable
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Some Considerations
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SOMECONSIDERATIONS
EXPLORATION PROGRAM:
Joint Government-Private coupled program,
Successful in the USA,Local knowledge combined with experience,
Reduces financial and discovery risks associated withexploration,
Research direction: develop techniques and strategies toidentify hidden systems at greater depths.
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SOMECONSIDERATIONS
CHALLENGES:Are our resources within economically drillable depths?
What is the state of the subsurface energy system?
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REFERENCES
Duffield, W. A. and Sass, J. H., 2003, Geothermal Energy Clean Power from the Earths Heat. U. S. Geological Survey,Virginia, Circular 1249, 36pp.
Hylton, H. A., 1987, Mineral Springs of Jamaica. Geological
Survey Division, Kingston Bulletin No. II, 69pp.
Jamaica Public Service, 2007, JPS An Overview. JPS,Kingston, unpublished report, 14pp.
Latin American Energy Organization, 1982, GeothermalResource Exploration, Reconnaissance, Review andUtilisation Report. Geological Survey Division, Kingston,unpublished report, 169pp.