FROM AN OILFIELD TO A GEOTHERMAL ONE: USE OF A SELECTION MATRIX TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGIES

In current energy outlook and oil price trends, oil companies are actively seeking more innovative ways to reduce operating costs and to extend the life of their ageing fields. Mature oil fields are characterized by a large amount of co-produced water, which must be treated continuously and could not be delivered to the environment. The waste heat recovery from the produced stream could be a quite interesting option, when the wells are still producing hydrocarbons. When the oil field is depleted the field could be convert into a geothermal plant. This study proposes an unconventional lifecycle management: a selection matrix to choose between two different technologies in order to convert a hydrocarbons field into a geothermal one. The matrix is implemented on one of the largest European oil fields, Villafortuna-Trecate oil field