Late Field Life of the East Midlands Petroleum Province - A New Geothermal Prospect?

Production data for the East Midlands Petroleum Province has been reviewed in order to ascertain peak production volumes for both oil and water. This has been used to provide a quantification of the available geothermal resource located within Carboniferous strata within the oil field. A conservative initial estimate of 3.6 MWt has been calculated for the Welton field, based on peak production volumes of just under 350,000 m3/year. Lincoln City, located 6 miles west of the field, could obtain just over 5% of its heating requirement by exploitation of this geothermal resource. Modification of existing oil well infrastructure can produce a cost effective way to extend the field life of onshore oilfields, significantly reducing the costs that are usually associated with geothermal exploration.