Using Basin Modeling for Geothermal Energy Exploration in the Netherlands

Geothermal energy in the Netherlands can be used for a number of applications. The exploration for successful locations for geothermal energy calls for a good estimation of temperature and porosity/permeability of the target aquifer. At present, this is done using interpolation between measured values from wells. We use basin modeling to include the geological history including phases of uplift and erosion in the estimation. Especially areas affected by burial anomalies, past maximum burial exceeded present-day burial, show differences in temperature and porosity/permeability when calculated with and without erosion, highlighting the value of basin modeling for this type of exploration.