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Web End = Environ Earth Sci (2015) 74:52335244 DOI 10.1007/s12665-015-4533-1
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Web End = Shallow and deep geothermal energy potential in low heat ow/cold climate environment: northern Qubec, Canada, case study
Jacek A. Majorowicz1 Vasile Minea2
Received: 20 August 2014 / Accepted: 14 May 2015 / Published online: 26 May 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Abstract Northern Qubec, a large and cold climate territory located north of the 49th parallel, has low average heat ow density (40 9 mW/m2) typical of the Canadian Shield. The lack of the thermal blanket otherwise provided by sediments in the platform of southern Qubec results in deep drilling requirements for potential mining heat (80 C at some 5 km). Drilling doublet or triplet well systems at such depths into low-enthalpy granitic rocks would be expensive; however, in some cases of heat ow higher by one standard deviation of the mean and fracked permeability allowing ow rates [30 kg/s may make this heat useable in the future. Other options in providing heat are more likely to be applied earlier. These would include shallow geothermal energy use with heat pumps in granites by placement of articial heat exchanges by directional loop drilling. These systems may have promise in Northern Qubec due to its very cold climate and extremely high energy cost based on diesel oil heating for remote communities and mining areas. Findings show that recent industrial age climatic warming increased the mean underground temperatures in the upper circa couple hundred meters. This has resulted in temperature gains and energy ground storage.
Keywords Geothermal energy Northern Canada
Quebec Climate change Temperature-to-depth
Heat ow density
Introduction
Previous geothermal potential studies across Canada focused mainly on the Western Sedimentary Basin, Mackenzie Corridor, Canadian Arctic and Northern Canadian Cordillera (Majorowicz and Grasby 2013; Majorowicz and Moore 2014). The rst preliminary heat ow density and temperature-at-depth maps developed for southeastern Quebec in eastern Canada (Minea and Majorowicz 2011; Majorowicz and Minea 2012) showed areas that could potentially provide temperatures above 120 C from deep hydrothermal aquifers located at depths varying...