When ranked amongst the 22 gas-producing assets (licences) onshore the Netherlands, total gas production from all geothermal wells ranks 17th, thus leaving 7 producing gas assets behind.
This is an interesting observation, given that most people will not associate geothermal energy with gas. However, it is well known that solution gas is being released from formation water once it is pumped to surface.
In total, gas production from all 17 Dutch geothermal projects combined over the year 2020 stands at 0.022 BCM (0.14 MMboe). This is of course minor compared to production from the majority of producing fields. However, knowing that geothermal wells do not aim for closures but rather avoid them, it nicely illustrates the fact that gas – albeit in background concentrations – has a much larger presence in the subsurface than many people especially from outside the O&G industry may think.
A sector in its infancy
The Dutch Geothermal Association reports that in 2020, a total of 6.2 PetaJoule of energy was produced from geothermal energy in the Netherlands. This compares to approximately 480 PetaJoule of energy produced from onshore gas fields alone, meaning that the geothermal industry is currently producing around 1% of the amount supplied through onshore gas production.
These numbers again illustrate the challenge of the energy transition. With the Groningen field ceasing production next year, it means that from a total of 11.96 BCM of onshore gas production in 2020 a major downward shift will take place towards around 3.3 BCM or less post-Groningen. However, with the geothermal energy sector in 2020 accounting for only around 0.16 BCM equivalent in total, it would by no means be able to compensate for that.
What happens to the gas produced?
Geothermal energy producers are very aware of the added value gas brings. As an example, ECW Energy, who operate 10 wells at two locations in the Netherlands, use most of the gas to produce additional heat for greenhouse owners and electricity to operate the pumps that bring the formation water to surface. In that sense, it can be stated that the additional gas catch from geothermal projects helps to make these ventures more economic.
HENK KOMBRINK
