A comprehensive review of geothermal energy extraction and utilization in oilfields

By the nature of reliability, sustainability, abundant resource and minor impact on environment, geothermal energy is considered as one of the future resources to meet the world's growing energy demand. Harnessing geothermal energy from oil wells by existing assets, data and technologies features significant advantages over traditional geothermal wells, especially in reduced capital expenditure and operational risks. To raise awareness and promote discussions on oilfield geothermal development, this paper comprehensively characterized the oilfield associated geothermal resource, reviewed the current geothermal development in worldwide oilfields, pinpointed the existing challenges and introduced multidisciplinary technologies as possible solutions to unlock the potential and promote extensive development of geothermal energy from oilfields. Moreover, an integrated risk/opportunity assessment and management framework is proposed to improve the outcomes of diverse oilfield geothermal projects in practice.