Geothermal energy using the 'fracking' process

Alta Rock Company, based in Seattle, shows how hydraulic fracturing can be used not only as a way to extract natural gas but, also, as a way to make use of geothermal resources.

This method uses high pressurized water to fracture rock, allowing water from underground reservoirs to flow through the path created by the fracking process and exploit heat from a depth of 6miles (10km). Alta Rock invented a new plug which allows for this technique to be used also in geothermal wells, as the latter require larger amounts of water flow. The company managed to fracture three different parts of a geothermal well near the Newberry Volcano in Oregon, using a special polymer. According to Susan Petty, the president and chief technology officer at Alta Rock, more parts can be fractured in the future reducing the cost. Despite the progress made by Alta Rock further engineering challenges remain and more demonstrations should be made, says Jefferson Tester, professor of Sustainable Energy Systems at Cornell University.

Source: MIT Technology Review