CGG Advances on Geothermal Resources R&D
CGG Mining , a global geoscience technology business, has announced the publication of a new GeoVerseTM Lithium Brine Screening study to aid in the hunt for new sources of this essential energy transition element.
The worldwide research, which is supported by industry financing and is available for licensing, provides a data-rich screening tool to help explorers, operators, investors, and extraction technology firms find, analyze, and compare lithium brine potential.
“Our Lithium Brine Screening study is the latest module in our exciting new suite of GeoVerse products in our Earth Data Library designed to support the energy transition. CGG is continuing to focus its geoscience data, know-how and data science expertise on addressing the challenges in the fields of geothermal energy, critical mineral exploration and carbon and energy storage,” CGG EVP Dechun Lin said.
The Lithium Brine Screening research and related primary data are given via the GeoVerse platform, using CGG’s unique Earth Data Library and vast knowledge in geothermal and mineral systems. CGG’s Minerals & Mining experts created a proprietary methodology to evaluate over 250,000 data points and 27,000 lithium measurements in order to create a comprehensive and consistent water chemistry database, supplemented by key engineering and geochemical characteristics, to help inform project development and investment decisions.
Data from the predicted supply vs expected demand (both till 2030) show that lithium is a critical raw element for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, but the lack of investment in new supply in past years may result in a structural deficit throughout this decade. Inadequate lithium supply might slow the energy shift.
During the last lithium price decline, which lasted from mid-2018 to mid-2020, investments in the speciality chemical shrank. In early 2018, a large amount of additional spodumene ore capacity began to flow from prior investments in preparation for a predicted EV boom, which did not occur until the second half of 2020; the excess collapsed prices and halted development.
This time demand is strong and expanding far faster than supply. In recent months, EV sales accounted for about 20% of new car sales in China and over 25% in the European Union, causing suppliers to strive to accelerate expansion and new projects. Financing and permission, on the other hand, are regarded as major impediments.
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With the expected increase in solar, wind, and electric cars, as well as the massive development of electrical transmission networks, the pace and size of mining for metals such as copper, lithium, and cobalt will need to accelerate dramatically over the next two decades to fulfil demand.
A typical electric car requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional automobile, according to the IEA in its annual 2021 research on the role of essential minerals in the energy transition.
CGG creating techniques to evaluate human activities
As part of its ESG emphasis, CGG’s Environmental Science team is creating techniques to evaluate how human activities such as lithium mining may damage the natural environment and biodiversity. For example, they may develop a quantitative dynamic biodiversity index by merging diverse data from their environmental databank to determine how biodiversity is evolving over time.
Another R&D effort that CGG announced was the publication of a Geothermal Resource Assessment study on the GeoVerse platform earlier this year. Using a set of subsurface and surface exploration data, this study aids in identifying regions for prospective geothermal development. The research and supporting primary data, which are supplied via the GeoVerse platform, enable subscribers to analyze data in an interactive environment to answer critical geothermal system issues.
CGG has launched a new GeoVerse (+TM) Geothermal Resource Assessment study to aid in assessing geothermal energy potential and identifying new locations and areas for future development. This worldwide research, which is available for licensing, offers explorers, operators, and investors a baseline dataset and analytical resource evaluation assistance to help them locate, analyze, and compare potential.
Lin noted that their Geothermal Resource Assessment study is the second module in our exciting new suite of GeoVerse products in our Earth Data Library designed to support the energy transition, coming after the recent release of our Northern North Sea Carbon Storage screening study.
“These data-rich studies capitalize on CGG’s wealth of geoscience data, know-how and data science expertise to address a wide spectrum of applications, from geothermal resource assessment, through critical mineral exploration, to carbon sequestration,” he added.
The Geothermal Resource Assessment research uses CGG’s unique well, seismic, and interpretation database, as well as experience from over 130 successful geothermal projects, to assess over 700,000 subsurface temperature data points.
CGG’s Geothermal Science experts researched both high-energy volcano geothermal systems and lower-temperature but significantly more widespread systems linked with sedimentary basins, which offer a substantial developing resource prospect.
The research and supporting primary data, which are supplied via the GeoVerse platform, enable subscribers to analyze data in an interactive environment to answer critical geothermal system issues.
In 2021, CGG has published a new GeoVerseTM Carbon Storage screening study to help CCUS operators discover acceptable CO2 storage locations rapidly. This Northern North Sea research, which is available for licensing, presents an in-depth analysis of possible CO2 storage possibilities in a region spanning CGG’s North Viking Graben 3D seismic dataset and encompassing both UK and Norwegian seas.
According to Sophie Zurquiyah, CEO, The GeoVerse Carbon Storage screening research is part of a new line of products that will help the energy transition by using CGG’s depth of geoscience know-how and data science skills, which includes support for the Sleipner, Troll, Weyburn, Pembina, and Gorgon CCUS projects. These new GeoVerse solutions will target a broad range of applications, including geothermal resource evaluation, key mineral discovery, and carbon sequestration.
The GeoVerse Carbon Storage screening study, which leverages CGG’s unique well, seismic, and interpretation products, employs a proprietary play-scale screening technique created by CGG’s CCUS specialists and data scientists to identify and de-risk possible carbon storage locations. The resultant Storage Play Quality Index maps are given via the GeoVerse platform and contain critical information for assessing capacity, injectivity, and confinement at the play size.
