| Abstract |
The De-Risking Exploration for Geothermal Plays in Magmatic Environments (DEEPEN) project was an international, multi-laboratory effort to reduce uncertainty and improve resource characterization in superhot geothermal systems. Building on this foundation, our work advances open-source tools designed to lower the exploration risk and cost of superhot geothermal projects while promoting transparency, reproducibility, and efficiency in exploration workflows. These tools are being tested at two sites: (1) the Nesjavellir Geothermal Area in Iceland, where the Icelandic Deep Drilling Project will drill its third well, and (2) the Newberry Volcano in Oregon, United States, where Mazama Energy will pilot the first superhot enhanced geothermal system. A major outcome is the creation of a modular, open-source Python framework for play fairway analysis (PFA) in 2D and 3D, called geoPFA. The PFA workflow has been expanded to produce pseudo-conceptual models (e.g., models of favorable subsurface components but not geologic formations) and will soon be refined to assess reservoir components through integration with TReactMech, a thermal-hydrologic-mechanical-chemical simulator for coupled processes in porous and fractured media developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This expanded framework enables iterative coupling between PFA and thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical models, improving characterization of superhot systems. All three of the superhot reservoir production scenarios presented in Pálsdóttir et al. (2025) were analyzed via this framework: (1) a superhot deep injection well paired with conventional production wells at Nesjavellir, (2) a superhot deep production well at Nesjavellir, and (3) superhot enhanced geothermal system with a magmatic heat source at Newberry Volcano. This analysis provides useful insights into conceptual modeling of these production scenarios, helping inform decisions about which scenario is best suited for which types of environments. |