Recommendations for sustainable management of transboundary hydrogeothermal resources at cross-border pilot areas

Bad Radkersburg-HodoBad Radkersburg-Hodošš Area Area(Slovenia(Slovenia--AustriaAustria--Hungary) Hungary)

Andrej Lapanje and the TRANSENERGY teamAndrej Lapanje and the TRANSENERGY team

Final Event of project TRANSENERGY – Transboundary geothermal energy resources of Slovenia, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia

Vienna, 24. June 2013

1) Aims of research

2) Overview of past knowledge and utilisation status

3) Pilot area conceptual models

4) Geothermal potential assessment

- natural state and different production scenarios -

5) Current vs. proposed management and utilisation

- recommendations on transboundary management -

ContentContent

Geographical overviewGeographical overview

Area (SI) Area (AT) Area (HU) Total

Pilot area (km3) 831 666 582 2,079

Pilot area (%) 40 32 28 100

Settlements Inhabitants

Szentgotthard 8,839

Jennersdorf 4,207

Gornja Radgona 3,115

Lenart 3,078

Radenci 2,187

Bad Radkesburg 1,326

Alltogether more than 110,000 inhabitants

Main industry:- Agriculture- Machine industry- Tourism

Scope of investigation: Geothermal system in the Preneogene basement rocks within the

Raba fault zone in the Radgona – Vas tectonic halftrench

Scientific• What is the real extent of the Prenogene geothermal aquifer?• Does this aquifer have an active recharge and how are the recharge

mechanisms working ? Where the recharge area is?

Management• Do the already drilled boreholes in the Prenogene geothermal aquifer

hydraulically interfere and to what extent?• What kind of measures is needed to reach sustainable utilisation?• How much energy (and mass) it is possible to extract in a sustainable

way in future?

Aims of ResearchAims of Research

Structural overviewStructural overview

Previous status of knowledgePrevious status of knowledge

Potential mechanism of recharge(Domberger & Schreilechner 2007)

Dilema (Suete, Common project proposal, 2011):

Recharge from infiltration in Bakony Mts.Wide spreading percolation from overlaying sediments

Synthesis:NANUTIWA, 2005TRANTHERMAL, 2008

Singular projects:- oil and gas,-geothermal,-underground gas storage

Oveview of utilisationOveview of utilisation

Granted quantity (m3) Actual production (m3) Geothermal doublet

Bad Radkersburg 700,000 No available data

Benedikt In application 65,000 in consideration

Korovci No consession 0 planned

No natural discharge features

No observable changes in production and quality in Benedikt

No reported changes in production and quality in Bad Radkersburg

LocationWater wells

Total yield

Outflow temp.

Use

Bad Radkersburg

2 wells 22 l/s ~78°CBalneological and energy

use

Benedikt 1 well 5 l/s 72°C District heating

Korovci 1 well ~20 l/s 80°CNot in use / doublet in

preparation

Utilization challengesUtilization challenges

The water is technically hard to use: - high scaling potential

Current mitigation: - use of inhibitors- periodical acid flushing

Solution for future (BAT):- closed system with reinjection

(geothermal doublet)

Geological settingGeological setting• NW border of the Mura-Zala neogene sedimentary basin• fractured Mz carbonates and Pz metamorphic rocks - Raba fault zone• deepening towards NE to over 4000 m

Hydrogeological and geochemical settingHydrogeological and geochemical setting

• The chemical composition of thermal water in Bad Radkersburg and Benedikt is similar

• Permeability is highly anisotropic, double porosity principle and depends on the structural position within the fault zone

• The recharge from HU is unlikely as:

– observed hydraulic heads in HU are lower than in Benedikt, Bad Radkersburg and Korovci

–

– mineralisation of water in thermal karst (east of the pilot area) is very high in comparison to Benedikt - Bad Radkersburg area

Natural geothermal conditionsNatural geothermal conditions

• Temperature in the Preneogene basement rises towards NE• Convective flow cell in Benedikt with supposed base at about 2,000 m• Locally enhanced permeability of fissured rocks in the geothermal aquifer

Natural potential of the Preneogene aquifer Natural potential of the Preneogene aquifer Area (SI) Area (AT) Area (HU) Total area

Aqufier (km2) 349 48 73 470

Aquifer (%) 74 10 16 100

Methodology - Numerical modellingMethodology - Numerical modelling

• Coupled flow and heat transfer • FEFLOW code• Two distinctive lithologies• The Raba fault zone

Geothermal potential due to differentGeothermal potential due to differentproduction scenarios (reinjection or no reinjection)production scenarios (reinjection or no reinjection)

Production without reinjection:

Hydraulic depression would reach Bad Radkersburg only if very high abstraction rates or preference flow paths were present.

Production with reinjection - geothermal doublet Korovci :

Potential cool-down effects of the reinjected water front, i.e. thermal breakthrough is unlikely after 50 yearsin the pumping regime 20 l/s and thermal regime 80 °C / 35 °C.

Current managementCurrent managementCurrent management practice Bad Radkersburg (AT) Benedikt (SI)

Operating pressure or water level [bar or m] Continuously No

Water meter (total extraction) Continuously Occasionaly

Outflow temperature [°C] No info No

Elec. Conductivity [µS/cm] No info No

Closing pressure or static water level [bar or m]

No info Annualy

Hydrochemical analysis No info Sporadic

Scaling prevention Periodical flushing with acid Inhibitor

Waste water temperature [°C] 30 45

Waste water treatmentSeepage purifying plant

- stream MurNo treatment

- stream Drvanja

Consession granted Yes In process

Bilaterally agreed monitoring program and passive monitoring for this aquifer not exist at present

ACTIONS!ACTIONS!• JOINT MANAGEMENT

– Monitoring– Reporting– Permitting / protecting

• USE OF BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY

• BENCHMARKING

• FURTHER RESEARCH

Joint managementJoint management

Aim of monitoring is to get a representative information about the used part of the deep groundwater aquifer (M. Samek)

Follow the best-practice example of the Upper Austrian – Bavarian »Malmkarst« reservoir

.

Level of Utilization

(Exploitation)

Data Acquisition

(Surveys / Monitoring)

Data Management

2 – Moderate utilization

No interference

No regional scale changes

Active monitoring

Operational monitoring

(qualitative and quantitative)

performed by users

Bilateral information base

Monitoring program should be

agreed between users and by

the bilateral commission

Evaluated and calibrated

bilateral numerical model for

protecting and permitting

basic tool should be used

SI-AT ‘’Mura/Mur’’ commission opened the issue of transboundary aquifer→ conclusions can be prepared

Using results of pilot area research:

The outcome of the modeling can be used establishing the water protection area.

The Bilateral database for information exchange about status and production data can be developed under patrimony of Bilateral Commission.

The program of bilateral monitoring can be agreed between Slovenian – Austrian ‘’Mura/Mur commission’’ and users from both countries.

Monitoring should rely on existing production boreholes, no passive monitoring is proposed.

Mura/Mur commission should take the initiative! Mura/Mur commission should take the initiative!

Use of best available technologyUse of best available technology

Any new utilisation should consider the use of dublets thus:

• preventing technical difficulties,

• minimize environmental impact,

• minimize impact to the aquifer,

• minimize the interference

among users.

All existent users should follow

the use of doublets.

BenchmarkingBenchmarking

Further researchFurther research

Improvement of knowledge about geological model (collection of new data, geophysical measurement)

Implemetation of geothermal doublet (technical aspects, influence to the coupled hydravlic-temperature field

Investigation of the potential in NE part of the aquifer at the border region between Slovenia and Hungary for production of electricity by binary power plants (geophysics)

Thank you for your attention!

GBA dr. Rudolf Berka Fatime Zekiri Magdalena Bottig mag. Gregor Goetzl

MFGI György Tóthdr. Gyula Marosdr. Ágnes Rotár-Szalkai dr. Teodóra Szőcs

Co-workers on the Bad Radkersburg – Hodoš pilot area Co-workers on the Bad Radkersburg – Hodoš pilot area

GeoZS Tadej Fuks dr. Mitja Janža Dejan Šram Simon Mozetičmag. Dušan Rajver Mirka Trajanova Nina Rmanmag. Joerg Prestor dr. Igor Rižnar dr. Bogomir Jelen Helena Rifeljmag. Andrej Lapanje