45 1. Overview of the different geothermal systems: role of geophysics other rock layers. Without an effective caprock, the hydrothermal fluids could escape, reducing the potential of the play. Geothermal exploration begins with identifying regions that meet the basic geological conditions for a hydrothermal play. Then, specific techniques, including geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys (the 3G), Figure 1.14, are employed to gather data about subsurface structures, fluid presence, and temperature. Figure 1.14 Type of data required in geothermal exploration. Geophysical methods provide essential insights that can significantly assist engineers in optimizing and managing geothermal projects. During exploration, scientists and engineers focus on understanding how the different elements of the hydrothermal play interact. For instance, determining the temperature distribution in the reservoir, mapping potential fault lines and fractures that could act as fluid pathways, and locating caprock layers are all crucial to evaluating a play’s feasibility. In practice, hydrothermal plays require a combination of geological, geophysical, hydrological, and thermal studies to build a model of the system that can guide drilling campaigns and optimize resource extraction. One of the main challenges in geothermal exploration is that no single geophysical, geochemical or geological method can directly identify and assess a hydrothermal play. Instead, a combination of techniques, often termed a “multi-physics” approach, is used to obtain a comprehensive view of the subsurface conditions. This is precisely where one of the greatest challenges facing geophysicists lies: in the transformation of geophysical models (resistivity, velocity, density, susceptibility, permittivity, etc.) into reservoir models (faults, rock types, cavities, aquifers, hydrocarbons, minerals, etc.). This transformation lacks uniqueness and requires contextualizing the geophysical model with an initial subsurface model and integrating boundaries and constraints derived from other data types.
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