Prospection and Exporation

 

By definition, under Decree-Law 87/90 of March 16, prospection and research is defined as the set of "activities aimed at the discovery and characterization of fluids and geological formations up to the disclosure of the susceptibility of economic use of its heat", i.e. the disclosure of the resource.

 

The prospecting and exploration activity aims at the revelation and characterization of the resource until its economic exploitation.

 

The procedure for the granting of private use rights over geothermal resources depends on:

 

1. Initiative of the interested parties, through an application submitted to the DGEG,
2. Initiative of the State, through the opening of a tender procedure.

 

 

 

When preparing a project for the use of geothermal resources, several factors need to be considered, including:

 

• Temperature of the resource;
• Flow rate of the geothermal fluid;
• Depth;
• Geological parameters of the resource;
• Cost of boreholes and surface facilities;
• Chemistry of the geothermal fluid;
• Distance between the boreholes and the place of use;
• Ambient temperature of the place of use;
• Population density of the area;
• Cost of other energies (conventional and alternative);
• Calorific power required;
• Awareness of concessionaires and other users.