System and method for increased heat recovery from low-permeability geothermal fields

A method of operating a system for extracting geothermal energy from a subsurface region, comprising:

• pumping, using a pump at an uphole end of a closed-loop flow-path, a cool working fluid in a first direction through a bidirectional fluid conduit;
• receiving the cool working fluid flowing in the first direction at a downbore heat exchanger;
• forming, by heating with the downbore heat exchanger, a hot working fluid from the cool working fluid, wherein the downbore heat exchanger transfers heat from a thermal cell to the cool working fluid;
• channeling the hot working fluid in a second direction through the bidirectional fluid conduit to an uphole heat exchanger;
• and
• forming, by cooling with the uphole heat exchanger, the cool working fluid by extracting heat from the hot working fluid.

A system for extracting geothermal energy from a subsurface region, comprising:

• a primary wellbore extending from a surface and penetrating the subsurface;
• a side-track wellbore penetrating the subsurface and intersecting the primary wellbore at an intersection depth below the surface;
• a stimulated portion of the subsurface providing an enhanced permeability connection between the primary wellbore and the side-track wellbore;
• and
• a closed-loop flow-path containing a working fluid inserted into the primary wellbore, wherein the closed-loop flow-path comprises:
• an uphole heat exchanger,
• a downbore heat exchanger, disposed within the primary wellbore at a depth greater than the intersection depth, and
• a bidirectional fluid conduit channeling cool working fluid from the uphole heat exchanger to the downbore heat exchanger and warm fluid from the downbore heat exchanger to the uphole heat exchanger.