Deep Geothermal Energy in the Bavarian Molasse Basin: Klimaprogramm Bayern 2020 (KLIP)

The geothermal use of hot water from the Malm aquifer, especially in the southern Bavarian underground, is continuously increasing (Böhm et al., 2013). The better we understand the system in this deep aquifer and the better we can predict temperatures as well as their uncertainties more precisely, the lower the exploration risk.

In cooperation with the Bavarian Environment Agency (Landesamt für Umwelt LfU), an update of the temperature distribution in the deep aquifer (Malm) is made in two pilot areas in the framework of the KLIP project. One of the areas called “5-Seen-Land” is located southwest of Munich while the other pilot area (“Inn/Salzach”) is about 50 km east of the capital city of Bavaria. The data base for the temperature regionalization are so called “bottom-hole temperatures” (BHT), often measured in boreholes for hydrocarbon exploration. The workflow of the regionalization is presented in figure 1. The BHT values are influenced and disturbed by drilling and drilling mud, and need to be corrected to achieve the “undisturbed formation temperature”. Graphical as well as numerical methods are applied, taking the data quality into account. The sensitivity analysis, being a relevant part of the KLIP project, give further information about the sensitivity of the different parameters needed for BHT correction.

To represent the calculated formation temperatures on the Malm surface, inter- and extrapolations of data are required. In addition to the temperature regionalization (figure 2a), using the geostatistical method Kriging, the evaluation of the quality of the temperature distribution (figure 2b) provides further information.

The results and knowledge gained from this project will be further discussed in the GeoMol project.

Figure 2: Temperature regionalization (a) and classification of temperature distribution according to CLAUSER et al. (2002) (b) in the pilot area “5-Seen-Land”

Contributions to SDG

Responsible

M.Sc. Susanne Casper; Dr. Kai Zosseder

Funded by

Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection; Bavarian Environment Agency

Publication

Böhm, F., Savvatis, A., Steiner, U., Schneider, M. & Koch, R. (2012): Lithofazielle Reservoircharakterisierung zur geothermischen Nutzung des Malm im Großraum München. – In: Grundwasser-Zeitschrift der Fachsektion Hydrogeologie (2013): 18: 3-13.