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Science – Society – Technology

Table 5 Abandoned or on hold EGS projects

From: A systematic review of enhanced (or engineered) geothermal systems: past, present and future

Project

Operator

Description

Start date

Location

Rock type

Stimulation methods

Seismic event

Well depth (m)

End date

Reasons of abandonment

Bad Urach

Forschungs-Kollegium Physik des Erdkörpers (MIT 2006h)

EGS pilot by one borehole only (Tenzer 2001)

1977 (Tenzer 2001), 2006 (Wyborn 2011)

Germany (Tenzer 2001)

Gneiss (Tenzer et al. 2000)

Hydraulic fracturing (Schanz et al. 2003)

Microseismicity (Schanz et al. 2003)

3,334 to 4,445 (Schanz et al. 2003)

1981 (MIT 2006i), 2008 (Wyborn 2011)

Torn off bore rods in borehole (Wyborn 2011)

Basel

Geopower Basel (Romano 2009)

Planning to develop EGS project (Ladner and Häring 2009)

1996 (Giardini 2009)

Switzerland (Romano 2009)

Granite (Ladner and Häring 2009)

Hydraulic fracturing (Ladner and Häring 2009)

Frequent earthquakes (including 3.4 M) (Romano 2009)

5,000 (Romano 2009)

2009 (Giardini 2009)

Induced seismicity exceeding acceptable levels (Giardini 2009)

The Southeast Geysers

AltaRock Energy (Romano 2009)

Redrill a well for EGS demonstration project (AltaRock Energy Inc. 2012)

2008 (Cotler 2009)

USA (Romano 2009)

Greywacke (AltaRock Energy Inc. 2012)

Multiple fractures zones in wells (planned) (AltaRock Energy Inc. 2012)

Induced seismicity risk (Romano 2009)

1,341 (AltaRock Energy Inc. 2012)

2009 (AltaRock Energy Inc. 2012)

Wellbore collapsing and induced seismicity risk (Romano 2009)