Published 2014 | T. J. Rawling, M. Sandiford, G. R. Beardsmore, S. Quenette, S. H. Goyen, and B. Harrison
Thermal Insulation And Geothermal Targeting, With Specific Reference To Coal-Bearing Basins
Coal-bearing basins possess a significant economic potential for enhanced geothermal systems due to the thermal insulation properties of coal and associated organic-rich sediments. In such insulation-dominated prospects, heat refraction effects caused by buried insulators can lead to negative surface heat-flow anomalies in most prospective areas.
The Latrobe Valley in Victoria, Australia, serves as a prime example of a coal-bearing basin. Numerical simulations incorporating the region’s coal geometries reveal that the Latrobe Valley coals could elevate the temperature of rocks at a depth of 4 km by approximately 30–35°C compared to a ‘base’ condition without coal. This translates to a 30% increase in the average geothermal gradient, significantly enhancing the economic viability of geothermal energy development in the Latrobe Valley.