Prospectivity for geothermal power generation in the Northern Territory

Abstract

The Prospectivity for geothermal power generation in the Northern Territory constitutes the 2024 update of the Assessment of geothermal energy potential of the Northern Territory (NTGS Record 2007-004, Beardsmore, 2007).

This Record, and its accompanying Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data compilation is a compilation of relevant data used to identify prospects for electrical power generation from geothermal energy sources across the Northern Territory. This update focusses on the prospectivity for geothermal power generation using current and emerging technologies related to three broad strategies for producing geothermal energy from the subsurface - hot sedimentary aquifers (HSA), engineered geothermal systems (EGS), and advanced geothermal systems (AGS). In this document, prospectivity is defined as the likelihood that geological conditions at a given location and depth might support geothermal power generation.

This assessment identified geological regions which prima facie evidence suggests are prospective for the generation of electrical power from geothermal energy sources using either of three strategies. Key inputs to this assessment include appraisals of prospectivity for temperature at 3500 m and 5000 m depth, hardness of the overburden for drilling purposes, and the potential production from HSA, EGS and AGS projects. This assessment focusses strictly on the geological conditions conducive for producing geothermal energy for power generation. Economic assessments of the different strategies and project-scale financial modelling were beyond the scope of this study.

The McArthur Basin stands out as hosting locations that are geologically prospective for all three of the aforementioned strategies.