Geothermal Play Fairway Analysis
Award Number: DE-FOA-0000841
CX(s) Applied: A9
Geothermal Technology Office
Date: 07/31/2014
Location(s): Mult
Office(s): Golden Field Office
As part of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0000841) the Department of Energy (DOE) was seeking applications to address the overarching theme of uncertainty quantification and reduction for geothermal exploration, specifically through the development of Geothermal Play Fairways. A play fairway analysis defines levels of uncertainty with respect to the presence and utility of geothermal system elements, and translates them into maps to high grade the geographic area over which the most favorable combinations of heat, permeability, and fluid are thought to extend. The analysis is conducted on a regional (basin) scale, with the resulting maps covering areas up to several thousand square miles.
As described in DE-FOA-0000841 (FOA), these projects would adapt data analysis techniques commonly used in oil and gas exploration for use in geothermal exploration. The FOA specifically prohibits all field work in Phase 1, only desktop analysis of existing data would be performed. Phase 1 activities include only literature searches, compilation of data, GIS analysis, computer simulation, and presentation of results. This NEPA Determination is an analysis of Phase 1 for all 11 projects selected for negotiations under the FOA. Following a competitive down-select at the end of Phase 1, a few projects will be selected to move forward into Phase 2. Field work may be allowed in Phase 2, so once those projects are selected to move forward into Phase 2, each individual project will be required to submit individual Environmental Questionnaires detailing Phase 2 activities. Separate EQ-1’s will be submitted for each project that is funded for Phase 2 and individual NEPA Determinations will be required for each of those projects.