UBC Theses and Dissertations

UBC Theses Logo

UBC Theses and Dissertations

The use of geothermal energy in mining : a decision-making framework Patsa, Eleni

Abstract

This thesis aims to support the uptake of geothermal energy by the mining industry by developing a decision-making framework that when applied, will allow decision makers to quickly and inexpensively assess whether geothermal merits further consideration as a potential source of energy for a given mining project. The intent was to demonstrate that such an assessment could be made by non-experts, without having to resort to more complex, specialist analysis that is typically part of traditional geothermal exploration. To this end, a 3-step approach was adopted: a) identify, rank, and map indicators of worldwide geothermal potential; b) identify, rank, and map indicators of worldwide mineral potential; c) combine geothermal and mineral potential and map to identify areas of significant overlap. The calculation of geothermal potential necessitated the creation of a comprehensive listing of geothermal power plants, which were individually verified for location accuracy — associated maps of current geothermal production were also created for select areas of interest. Geothermal potential was represented by 5 indicators, namely volcanos, earthquakes, tectonic plate boundaries, heat flow, and thermal springs. Geo-indicator subtypes were ranked with respect to their proximity to active geothermal production, and were subsequently classified as either Primary or Secondary, and used to derive a rough estimate of geothermal potential, even in areas with no current geothermal production. An Analytic Hierarchy Process-based model used to calculate the relative geo-indicator importance weights was presented, and it can be extended to include additional indicators of geothermal potential to the ones used in this research with future releases of exploration data. A comprehensive map of mineral potential was also produced, using a combination of publicly-available and proprietary data, for a total of 148 distinct commodities. Mineral potential indicator importance weights were calculated based on a combination of attributes, including resource size, development stage, activity state, resource value, and commodity listing order. Those were subsequently ranked based on their proximity to geothermal potential, and used to produce worldwide maps of geomine potential.

Item Media

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International