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
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.
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