Geothermal resources research in a granitic basement – the Braga area case study (NW Portugal)

Abstract

Geothermal resources are increasingly being considered as a strategic alternative in energy production, especially with the latest geopolitical developments. The densely populated Braga region, in NW Portugal, is endowed with a geostructural setting that enables the existence of several thermal water occurrences, spatially associated with a deep-rooted structure – the Vigo-Régua shear zone, set in a granite context. Given the latest advances in geothermal energy production, it is possible to predict a mid- to long-term implementation of geothermal energy production in the vicinity of that deep rooted structure. Although strongly encouraging, the exploratory geophysical, geochemical and geological data are still insufficient to deliver a definitive frame of the potential energy associated with the estimated reservoirs. Ongoing work combining gravimetric, radiometric and geochemical data will provide a better understanding of the deeply concealed structures.

Keywords

• geophysics
• geothermal
• gravimetry
• renewable energy
• enhanced geothermal systems
• deep geothermal systems