International integrated oil, gas and chemicals company OMV is working on two geothermal development projects: one in Austria and one in Germany, in line with its Strategy 2030, according to which the company has the goal of expanding its low carbon business and its range of low carbon energy.
In the geothermal sector, in particular, OMV sees its strength in its extensive expertise along with experience above and below ground, its existing reservoirs and infrastructure, and the strong market growth in Europe. OMV’s energy production from geothermal energy is expected to grow to up to 9 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2030.
“The low carbon business plays an essential role in OMV’s Strategy 2030, especially geothermal energy,” said Alfred Stern, OMV Chairman and CEO. “Here, we are using existing know-how to drive the energy transition and pave the way for a more sustainable life.”
In Austria, OMV is conducting a production test to analyse the geothermal potential in the Vienna Basin. In terms of geology, the test takes place in the basement of the Vienna Basin, in the Hauptdolomit. A workover will prepare the OMV well Aderklaa 96 for testing at a depth of about 2,800 metres Formation water is produced, temporarily stored above ground in sealed containers and then fed back into the formation. The aim of the production test is to determine important reservoir parameters and to obtain samples of the formation water in order to decide whether this formation is suitable for producing geothermal energy.
In Germany, OMV has a 50 per cent interest in a geothermal exploration project, called Thermo, in Lower Saxony. This involves a small aircraft taking gravity and magnetic measurements over an area of around 5,000 square kilometres to gather geological information. This information will be used to assess the geothermal energy potential and will be part of a comprehensive evaluation of future geothermal activities in the area.
According to OMV experts, the geothermal conditions in the Vienna Basin are suitable for use as a direct heat carrier. In northern Germany, geothermal energy could be used to generate electricity.
