A team of West Virginia University researchers is exploring whether the heat deep beneath northern West Virginia can be harnessed for large-scale heating and cooling endeavors.
Led by Dr. Shikha Sharma, Marshall Miller Professor of Energy in the Department of Geology and Geography at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the project integrates expertise across geology, engineering, and energy systems to address challenges such as heat extraction efficiency, reservoir sustainability, and system design optimization. By combining traditional techniques used in the oil and gas industry with modern engineering and data science, the work will help position the state as a leader in low-temperature geothermal energy development.
Geothermal energy is based on the principle that the Earth continuously generates heat through various geological processes, and this heat can potentially be harnessed to produce energy.
Traditional geothermal systems, such as those at The Geysers in California, rely on naturally occurring high-temperature reservoirs where water interacts with hot rock near the Earth’s surface. This interaction produces steam that can be used for energy generation. Such systems have been successfully utilized in regions including the Western United States, Iceland, and New Zealand.
However, these high-temperature systems are relatively rare and geographically constrained.
“Studies conducted in the 2010s identified northern West Virginia, including the Morgantown area, as exhibiting above-average geothermal gradients and heat flow,” Sharma said.
The WVU Geothermal Team, a partnership among the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources , and the WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER), is measuring and modeling the heat to assess whether geothermal systems could be an economically viable resource for regional heating and cooling.
The team drilled and sampled a 10,500-foot exploratory science well near Morgantown to test the feasibility of a large-scale geothermal heating and cooling system. Preliminary results indicate that subsurface heat levels are even higher than earlier models predicted, suggesting strong potential for future geothermal development in the Appalachian Basin.
WVU team members include Ebrahim Fathi, Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas engineering; Samuel Taylor, director of the WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER); Daniel Lemasters with WVU Facilities Management; and Nagasree Garapati at the University of New Haven.
The project is also providing valuable real-world interdisciplinary research experience for PhD students John Barton, Iyegbekedo Ikponmwosa Bright, and Sai Kiran Yerravally.
John, a third-year PhD student in WVU’s Department of Geology and Geography, is working to help scientists understand how to safely and efficiently tap into underground heat for energy. Using advanced lab experiments, computer modeling, and imaging tools, he examines how water and minerals interact under extreme temperatures and pressures. His research connects geology and engineering to find smarter ways to use geothermal energy as a clean, sustainable resource.
Bright, a PhD student in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, is exploring how engineered geothermal reservoirs could be implemented to store and deliver clean thermal energy year-round. He is developing a 3D reservoir model to simulate heat and fluid flow using CMG-STARS, one of the most advanced reservoir simulators available.
Sai, a Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering, is focusing on the techno-economic analysis and modeling of deep geothermal energy systems. Their work uses advanced simulation tools to evaluate how geothermal heat can be efficiently extracted and distributed through district heating networks.
The project is part of a collaboration between WVU and the DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory, Northeast Natural Energy LLC, the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, and Hewitt Energy Strategies LLC.
Emeritus Professor Tim Carr from the Department of Geology and Geography and Kenneth H. Means, emeritus professor of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace engineering are Co-PI’s on the project. Professor Carr has played a key role in seeking industry collaboration and enhancing the understanding of the regional geothermal resource estimates in the Appalachian Basin.
“Geothermal energy isn’t a departure from West Virginia’s energy tradition,” Sharma said. “It’s a continuation of it that can help secure the state’s leadership in the nation’s evolving energy landscape. By leveraging our existing expertise in drilling, engineering, and reservoir characterization, geothermal energy can become a natural extension of the state’s strong foundation in coal, oil, and natural gas.”
