Geoscience services are fundamental in the geothermal industry, enabling the efficient exploration, development, and management of geothermal resources. These geoscience services support the entire lifecycle of geothermal projects, from exploration and assessment to development and management, ensuring efficient and sustainable utilization of geothermal energy. Here’s an overview of the key geoscience services in this sector:

Exploration and Resource Assessment
Geological Mapping: Detailed mapping of surface and subsurface geology to identify potential geothermal reservoirs.
Geophysical Surveys: Using methods like seismic, electromagnetic, and gravity surveys to image the subsurface and identify geothermal anomalies.
Geochemical Analysis: Assessing the chemical composition of rocks, water, and gases to understand geothermal systems and identify resource potential.

Drilling and Well Services. Wellsite Supervision: Providing geological support during drilling operations to ensure accurate well placement and minimize risks.
Logging and Testing: Collecting and interpreting data from drilling to evaluate reservoir properties and monitor well performance2.
Reservoir Modeling: Creating detailed models to predict reservoir behavior and optimize the development and management of geothermal resources2.
Reservoir Management

Reservoir Monitoring: Using technologies like microseismic monitoring and InSAR to track reservoir performance and detect any changes or potential issues.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS): Techniques to increase permeability in geothermal reservoirs and improve heat extraction efficiency.
Resource Sustainability: Assessing the long-term sustainability of geothermal operations and implementing strategies for resource management.

Environmental and Safety Services
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA): Evaluating the potential environmental effects of geothermal projects and developing mitigation plans.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Identifying and managing potential risks associated with geothermal operations, such as induced seismicity.

Consulting and Advisory Services
Feasibility Studies: Assessing the technical and economic viability of geothermal projects.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring projects meet environmental and safety regulations.
Strategic Planning: Developing strategies for the efficient and sustainable development of geothermal resources.

Innovative Solutions for Geothermal Application: QA/QC on physical, mechanical, and mineralogical properties of geothermal rocks relevant for increasing the efficiency in EGS (to be presented at ARMA’25)

There is a global consensus that geothermal energy is crucial for clean, low carbon foot-print, and renewable energy for heating, cooling, and electricity in a stable and sustainable way. Additionally, it reduces dependence on fossil fuels. However, current energy mix data shows that geothermal energy is highly underutilized due to several technical and economic challenges, especially in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS).

The 2014 National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report and 2024 Department of Energy – Geothermal Technology Office (DOE-GTO) updates indicate the dominant challenge faced by EGS wells is the geomechanical properties of crystalline rocks. The drilling efficiency and non-productive time were significantly lower in O&G wells; drilling rate of penetration was excessively low in geothermal wells. One of the main reasons given was the poor understanding of igneous rocks under geothermal environmental conditions.

While the level of technology in O&G wells from sedimentary rocks and its use in reservoir modeling, drilling, completion, and production simulation can be translated to geothermal wells, the geomechanical properties of igneous rocks and their behavior in geothermal environments present a unique challenge. Geomechanical properties used in resource characterization, drilling, completion, and production forecasting come from different disciplines. Collaborative efforts should be made to infer geomechanical properties from other interrelated parameters such as gamma, mineralogy, density, porosity, and sonic. These are ei-ther measured in the laboratory or field testing. Well-log analysis, computer models or AI/ML also use these properties for calibrations.

Even though these properties originate in different departments, the O&G industry has learned integrating and using them in fit-for-purpose computer models. However, in geo-thermal, the resources available in budget, hardware, software, and trained manpower are limited. Additionally, there is not enough fit-for-purpose empirical models to estimate key parameters. Consequently, the confidence level in using computer or AI/ML models for geo-thermal has inherent risks. There is an urgent need to thoroughly examine geothermal rocks. Limited core test data compiled, archived, and available from DOE-GTO, NREL, or proprietary databases are highly specialized and insufficient.

This paper describes a method for qualifying and integrating physical and mechanical rock properties to ensure they provide reliable inputs to geomechanical models.