Geothermal systems in sedimentary basins

Exploring for geothermal resources in sedimentary basins has become of increasing interest in the past five years as the demand for renewable, dispatchable, baseload electricity has dramatically increased, partly related to the power demand from datacenters. Sedimentary basins often have a wide range of subsurface temperatures that can be used for both electrical power generation and direct use applications. Additionally, the abundant subsurface data, thick sedimentary fill, and numerous porous and permeable formations suggests that multiple types of geothermal systems exist in these basins, along with potential for co-production with existing oil and gas, CCUS, and critical mineral resources. Lastly, most of these sedimentary basins have large metropolitan and industrial energy markets above them that have a high demand for renewable, dispatchable, baseload electricity.

The types of geothermal systems can vary between the different types of sedimentary basins because of their differing age, tectonic history, morphology, structural features, and sedimentary fill. There are six major types of sedimentary basins in the United States: 1) extensional or rift basins, 2) foreland basins, 3) intracratonic basins, 4) passive margins, 5) strike-slip basins, and 6) forearc basins. Additionally, there are six types of geothermal systems that can be explored for in these basins that include: 1) conventional hydrothermal systems, 2) advanced geothermal systems (AGS), 3) hot sedimentary aquifers (HSA), 4) enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), 5) geopressured-geothermal systems (GGS), and 6) repurposing oil and gas wells or fields for geothermal energy. As geothermal exploration continues to grow in sedimentary basins, it is important to understand the distinction between each type of geothermal system and how basin type, sedimentology, and stratigraphy will play a vital role in exploring for and developing these geothermal resources.