The London SPE Net Zero Gaia committee is happy to bring you an open and honest discussion on the geothermal industry’s current status and future opportunities and challenges. The session will feature two of SPE London’s committee members, who will share their experience of joining geothermal start-ups and their insights on the practicalities of providing geothermal heat and power at scale.

Topics will include:

The good news stories out there, what is working and moving forward!
The geothermal ecosystem -who is playing what role
The sustainability of geothermal energy and the applicability of petroleum engineering skillsets
The practicalities of re-using O&G infrastructure
The challenges around financing, regulation, policy and attitudes to risk
The technical advances needed and the importance of cheap drilling
Understanding your customers and the wider energy network
Geothermal everywhere -what’s possible and what’s not?

Where: The event is virtual and will be held Tuesday 13th September via Zoom. Time: 12.30-13.30 UK BST

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Biographies

Adrian Southworth

Adrian has spent the majority of his engineering career within the oil and gas sector. Adrian is a chartered engineer with over 40yrs industry experience gained with major integrated oil and gas companies and in consulting. Adrian's background demonstrates a broad subsurface engineering capability which includes reserves and resources estimation and assurance. Adrian is a key contributor to technical excellence and compliance through cross discipline reviews and development/investment assurance. During 2019 Adrian took advantage of his expertise in collaborating with like minded oil and gas industry professionals to deploy their skills to the energy transition. This has included working to establish a fugitive emission data, analysis and management business and the establishing of a Geothermal start up business focusing on developing power from sedimentary aquifers throughout Europe, Middle East and the United States.

Adrian believes that the opportunities for wider geothermal deployment are now more real than ever and is keen to promote geothermal power as a significant source of base load energy which will be instrumental in broadening the energy supply base leading to a much reduced carbon intensity from power production.

Adrian was the chair of the London Section of SPE during 2020/21

Alison Isherwood

Alison has 25 years of experience working as a reservoir engineer and technical leader in the oil and gas industry for Shell, Hess, Ophir, and more recently, as an independent consultant. Alison holds a MEng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham and in 2020-2021 completed a 9 month PGCert programme in Sustainable Business with the University of Cambridge as well as gaining ISO-14064 GHG accounting & verification qualifications.

Alison currently enjoys a portfolio career, continuing to do some reservoir engineering consulting, building experience in GHG accounting and fulfilling the role of Chief Engineer at CausewayGT, a geothermal start-up specialising in direct heat supply for industrial customers. Alison joined CausewayGT in May 2021, motivated by the fact that heating and cooling accounts for >40% of GHG emissions globally so there is a significant opportunity to use geothermal direct heat more widely to reduce GHG emissions.

Alison Isherwood initiated the London SPE Gaia Net Zero committee in 2020, establishing this monthly virtual programme in 2021 to cover a wide range of sustainability topics. She is now leading the committee’s “Sustainable Careers” Initiative designed to share advice and insights from diverse sources on how oil and gas workers can adapt to a changing industry.

London SPE Net Zero Gaia Event: Geothermal -Beyond the Hype