Lecture 1 — December 8, 2021
Introduction to Geothermal
Geothermal Fundamentals, Why Geothermal, and Geothermal Potential in Canada.
Speakers
Dr. Catherine Hickson
Catherine Hickson is a geologist and senior executive who has been involved in the geothermal industry for more than 40 years. Starting as a student running temperature logs in gradient wells, she then went on to finish her PhD at UBC investigating the Wells Gray Clearwater volcanic field and its potential for geothermal energy. She then became a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and was head of its Cordilleran Office in Vancouver for seven years. While at the GSC she continued working on projects that tied together geothermal energy and volcanology. In 2008 she left the GSC to join a pure play geothermal company as VP Exploration. Since then, she has been working globally on projects in over 14 countries overseeing all facets of the industry - from green field exploration projects to reservoir modelling and injection strategies, to raising funds for development companies. She joined Geothermal Canada (then the Canadian Geothermal Association) in 1981 and has continued to participate in the association for the past 40 years, serving several stints as President. She currently serves as its Vice president. Catherine is CEO of Alberta No. 1 and Chief Geoscientist for Terrapin Geothermics, she is also President of Tuya Terra Geo Corp maintaining a global geothermal practice.
Dr. Steve Grasby
Dr. Grasby received a Ph.D. in Geochemistry from University of Calgary in 1997. He has worked on regional groundwater studies in the Canadian Prairies and in British Columbia, including climate change impacts of regional water supply. He has also conducted extensive studies on thermal and mineral springs in western and northern Canada. He is lead author of the 2011 GSC publication, "Geothermal Energy Resource Potential of Canada".
DEEP Hot Sedimentary Geothermal Power 101
2018 Raymond, J., Dick, R., Grasby, S., Hickson, C., Malo, M., Minnick, M., Shewfelt, D. and Witter, J. Moving geothermal into the energy transition. Resources for Future Generations Conference, Vancouver, BC, June 16-21.
2019 Hickson, C.J., Noone, F., Raymond, J., Dusseault, M., Fraser, T., Huang, K., Marcia, K., Miranda, M., Poux, B., Fiess, K., Ebell, J., Ferguson, G., Dale, J., Groenewoud, L., Banks, J., Unsworth, M., Brunskill, B., Grasby, S., and Witter, J., Geothermal Energy in Canada – Kickstarting an Industry, Proceedings World Geothermal Congress, Reykjavik, Iceland, May 2020.
2020 Hickson, C.J., Kumataka, M., Akto, P., Cotterill, D., Benoit, D., Eccles, R., Colombina, M., and S. Collins. Alberta #1: The province’s first electrical geothermal project, Proceedings World Geothermal Congress, Reykjavik, Iceland, May 2020.
2020 Hickson, C.J., Kumataka, M., Cotterill, D., and Huang, K. Geothermal drilling and well completions in comparison to oil and gas practices in low temperature (<170°C) sedimentary basin reservoirs, Proceedings of GeoConvention, Calgary, Canada, September 21 – 23, 2020.
2020 Hickson, C.J, Rabbani, A., and Huang, K. Resource estimations for conventional deep geothermal projects, Proceedings of GeoConvention, Calgary, Canada, September 21 – 23, 2020.
2020 Hickson, C.J., Cotterill, D, Huang, K., and M. Kumataka, M. Alberta No. 1: The province’s first conventional deep geothermal power project, Proceedings of the GeoConvention, Calgary, Canada, September 21 – 23, 2020.
2020 Huang, K., Gosnold, W., Hickson, C.J., and Benoit, D. Using Oil and Gas Data to Assess Geothermal Resources Within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta, Geothermal resources, In Geothermal Resources Council, Transactions, Volume 44, 2020, Reno, Nevada, October 18-21, 2020
2020 Hickson, C.J., Huang, K., Cotterill, D., Gosnold, W., and Benoit, D. A Relook at Canada’s Western Canada Sedimentary Basin for Power Generation and Direct-Use Energy Production, In Geothermal Resources Council, Transactions, Volume 44, 2020, Reno, Nevada, October 18-21, 2020
2020 Catherine J. Hickson, Jasmin Raymond, Maurice Dusseault, Tiffani Fraser, Katie Huang, Kirsten Marcia, Mafalda Miranda, Bastien Poux, Kathryn Fiess, Grant Ferguson, Janis Dale, Jonathan Banks, Martyn Unsworth, Brian Brunskill, Steve Grasby and Jeff Witter, Geothermal Energy in Canada – Times Are “a Changing”, In Geothermal Resources Council, Transactions, Volume 44, 2020, Reno, Nevada, October 18-21, 2020
2021 Hickson, C.J., Noone, F., Raymond, J., Dusseault, M., Fraser, T., Huang, K., Marcia K., Miranda, M., Poux, B., Fiess, K., Ebell, J., Ferguson, G., Dale, J., Groenewoud, L., Banks, J., Unsworth, M., Brunskill, B., Grasby, S.E., and Witter, J., Geothermal Energy in Canada – Kickstarting an Industry, Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2020+1, Reykjavik, Iceland, April – October, 2021
2021 Hickson, C.J., Kumataka, M., Akto, P., Cotterill, D., Benoit, D., Eccles, R., Huang, K., Colombina, M., and Collins, S., Alberta #1: The Province’s First Electrical Geothermal Project, Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2020+1, Reykjavik, Iceland, April – October, 2021
2012 Grasby, S E; Allen, D M; Bell, S; Chen, Z; Ferguson, G; Jessop, A; Kelman, M; Ko, M; Majorowicz, J; Moore, M; Raymond, J; Therrien, R, Geothermal energy resource potential of Canada, Geological Survey of Canada
2013 Grasby, S E; Majorowicz, J; McCune, G, Geothermal Energy Potential for Northern Communities, Natural Resources Canada