Penn State Suggests Reusing Old O&G Wells for Geothermal Energy

Here's a novel idea. What if you take some of the hundreds of thousands of abandoned oil and natural gas wells dotting the countryside in Pennsylvania and run tubing into those wells, circulating water through the tubing, and transfer Mom Earth's natural heat to the water and then use the heated water heat homes and farms and businesses that are located nearby? In other words, instead of capping the wells (plugging them with cement), cover them to prevent methane leaks and use the wells as a geothermal heat source. At least some of them. Penn State has looked at it and published a paper to say it's feasible.

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