Progress in Hot Dry Rock Exploration and a Discussion on Development Technology in the Gonghe Basin of Qinghai

Due to the fact that exploration, development and utilization of hot dry rock for geothermal energy in China are still in their initial stage, it is necessary to overcome problems such as low levels of exploration, unclear heat source mechanism, the high cost of high-temperature drilling, the low efficiency of heat transfer technology and risks of induced earthquakes, etc. On the basis of analyzing the exploration and development history of hot dry rock at home and abroad, the geological features and current exploration situation of hot dry rock in the Gonghe Basin, this paper discusses and studies establishes the prospecting indicators of dry hot rock. This paper takes into consideration well temperature measurement and geothermal gradient calculation, and the contribution of radioactive heat generation to the dry hot rock heat source in the Gonghe Basin. It then preliminarily analyzes and compares the features and difficulties of enhanced geothermal system (EGS) and single well heat transfer. It also analyzes the problems in fracturing well pattern technology and the relationship between fracturing and induced earthquake, and puts forward some suggestions for the construction of development test demonstration base. The result has provided a theoretical basis for exploration and development of hot dry rock in the Gonghe Basin.