The joint research project mesoTherm aims to minimize the exploration risk of medium-deep hydrothermal reservoirs in the North German Basin (NGB). Hydrothermal reservoirs are potentially available in depths of up to 2,500 m. The increasing development of such reservoirs by municipal heat suppliers is considered crucial for the transformation of the heat market in Germany. The research of this project focuses on the following topics and methods:

1. Exploration and localisation of favorable hydrothermal carbonate reservoirs in the NGB, and characterisation of relevant play types in regions with high heat demand;
2. Delineation and conceptual design of five to six site-specific geothermal exploration case studies for the play type “fluvial-deltaic channel systems” for municipal heat suppliers;
3. Development of an innovative seismic exploration approach for fluvial channel systems using machine learning for pattern recognition and attribute analysis;
4. Development of a transferable methodology for new probability-of-success- studies for the NGB, using machine learning and monte-carlo-simulations;
5. Derivation of a scientifically-economically consisten definition of medium-deep geothermics and its related play types;
6. Verification of reservoir characteristics and geothermal assessment (WP 2–4) in the north-west German basin by means of direct reservoir access through the Wilhelmsburg Gt 1 drilling project, the geothermal well of the living lab of the energy provider Hamburg Integrierte WärmeWende Wilhelmsburg (IW³) (further information).

In a synthesis, results of the proposed project mesoTherm and preceding projects will be published aiming at a proper description of mid-depth hydrothermal play types, develpoment examples and reservoir properties.