Economic and Prospect Analysis of Geothermal Energy Production from Abandoned Petroleum Wells: A Brief Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38032/scse.2025.3.53Keywords:
Geothermal Energy, Abandoned Well, Energy Crisis in Bangladesh, Geothermal Powerplant, Electricity GenerationAbstract
Bangladesh is currently facing a critical energy crisis with natural gas supplies anticipated to run out within the next 10-15 years. As such the country becomes more reliant on foreign energy imports. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore and utilize its untapped energy resources. This paper evaluates the feasibility of extracting geothermal energy from the country’s large sedimentary basins and abandoned petroleum wells. The findings of the study show that these wells have great geothermal potential, notably in the northwest region, where temperatures approach 100°C at depths of 3 to 4 kilometers. Moreover, the present work estimates that as little as 10% conversion of the abandoned wells could generate approximately 500 MW of electricity, enough to power more than 2 million households. Furthermore, techniques such as CO2-ECBM could increase geothermal recovery by 30% while simultaneously aiding carbon capture and storage programs. Additionally, the use of geothermal energy benefits the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% compared to nonrenewable fossil fuels. Finally, this study argues that the economic feasibility of geothermal energy extraction in the country is promising, and advocates for state and federal investments in the geothermal energy sector.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Md. Nasirul Islam, Mohammad Mujtaba Hasan, Ranggan Mouni Mandal, Mahfuj Ahmed, Shehoba Yasmin, Shakil Ahmed Razo, A T M Masum (Author)
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