Geothermal Appraisal

Australian geothermal is entering its second wave

Renewed interest in hot sedimentary aquifer plays across the Otway, Cooper and Officer basins, EGS concepts in the Flinders region, and international precedents such as CO2-based working fluid systems are opening a market for genuinely independent technical advice. CO2Tech is positioned to provide it.

Twenty years of injection, monitoring and reservoir surveillance at the Otway International Test Centre — in a basin now attracting geothermal interest in its own right — have generated field-proven capability across the disciplines geothermal appraisal actually requires: subsurface characterisation of permeable formations, coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) reservoir modelling, geomechanical and induced seismicity assessment, and long-term reservoir surveillance.

Our published work on induced seismicity and probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in the Otway context (Stirling et al., 2011) established one of the earliest formal PSHA frameworks applied to an Australian subsurface fluid injection project. That framework transfers directly to geothermal operators required to demonstrate induced seismicity risk to regulators, joint venture partners and lenders.

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Where we help operators

Formation evaluation and resource characterisation — reservoir temperature, permeability, porosity, structural framework and heat flow for hot sedimentary aquifer, EGS and conventional plays
3D static and dynamic reservoir modelling — resource extent, well placement, production forecasts and field longevity
Coupled THM simulation — thermal drawdown, pressure response and geomechanical behaviour under sustained production and reinjection
Induced seismicity and geomechanical risk assessment — quantitative analysis for regulatory, investor and community-facing submissions
MMV programme design — reservoir surveillance combining conventional monitoring with advanced techniques including distributed temperature sensing (DTS), fibre-optic acoustic sensing, microseismic arrays and geochemical tracers
Competent Person Reporting — independent technical reports for ASX, exchange, financing and regulator submissions

Where we help investors and government

Independent technical due diligence, competent person reports, and second-opinion reviews for joint venture partners, project financiers, and state agencies commissioning independent assessments of geothermal resource, project economics or risk profile.

info@co2tech.com.au
Contact CO2Tech for a no-cost 60-minute technical screening of your natural hydrogen prospect or portfolio.

Why CO2Tech

Geothermal projects live or die on subsurface confidence. Reservoir temperature, permeability distribution, geomechanical response, induced seismicity risk, and long-term reservoir behaviour under sustained production or reinjection are the technical variables that determine whether a resource is investable and safely operable. Getting them wrong is expensive — both financially and reputationally.

CO2Tech brings 20+ years of continuous subsurface science from the Otway International Test Centre — one of the world's longest-running field programmes for injection, monitoring and reservoir surveillance in a permeable sedimentary basin. The disciplines that support safe CO₂ storage — coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical modelling, geomechanical assessment, induced seismicity analysis, distributed subsurface monitoring — are the same disciplines that support credible geothermal appraisal.

What makes us different is commercial independence. We do not sell equipment. We do not compete for drilling contracts. We hold no alliances with EPC firms, turbine manufacturers, drilling contractors or technology licensors. Our only commercial interest is the quality of the technical advice we provide — which is why regulators, lenders, joint venture partners and government agencies engage us to deliver independent competent person reports, technical due diligence and second-opinion reviews.

For geothermal operators moving from concept to appraisal, for investors evaluating a resource claim, or for governments assessing a licence or permit application, CO2Tech provides the independent voice the process needs.

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