AR South America Updated 2026-08-20

Argentina Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 63.8% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Argentina.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km High Potential
63.8%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Very Shallow
1.6 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Superhot
313 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Volcanic / Rift
52.4 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
53%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
1839.7 ZJ

Thermal volume in place (>80°C baseline)

Depth vs. Temperature Matrix (% Land Area)

Proportion of national territory exceeding target isotherm at specified depth

0.1° Inversion Grid
Isotherm 3.0 km 4.0 km 5.0 km 6.0 km 7.0 km 8.0 km
150°C 26.3% 56.5% 76.7% 98% 99% 100%
175°C 17.1% 41.1% 71.3% 98% 99% 100%
200°C 19.8% 39% 62.1% 90.8% 99% 100%
225°C 13% 36.3% 52.4% 73.9% 99% 100%
250°C 11.4% 28.6% 46.2% 58.4% 78.2% 85%

4-Stage Geothermal Resource & Infrastructure Funnel

Progressive screening from gross national territory down to grid-connected & populated prospective zones

1 Whole country
2 780 400 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
1 773 895 km² 63.8%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
940 164 km² 33.8%
4 ...and within 100 km town
839 433 km² 32.1%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 4.2 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 2.4 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 209.7 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 281.3 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.5 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 26.1%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 85.8%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 135.1 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 22.4 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 64.5 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 13.9 km
Model Temperature Spread Uncertainty (200°C) ±1.1 km

Transmission Grid & Demand Colocation

Infrastructure interconnectivity and urban power demand proximity

High-Voltage Transmission Network Length 70 336 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 41%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 53%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 62.4%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 33.9 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 253
Total Urban Population 79.5 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 60.9%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 98% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 99% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Argentina across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Argentina Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
1.6 km Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 91th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
313 °C Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 85th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
63.8% Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
1839.7 ZJ Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
52.4 °C/km Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 75th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
53% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 53th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
85.8% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 86th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
13.9 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 69th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
22.4 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 60th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.1 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 72th percentile
Urban demand colocation
78% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 83th percentile
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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Argentina

Subsurface thermal interpretation, model uncertainty, infrastructure colocation, and resource quality analysis

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Argentina indicates rift_volcanic geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 63.8% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

Thermal inversion across Argentina shows consistent model convergence with constrained standard deviations across deep crustal layers.

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 53% of prospective geothermal ground within 50 km of existing high-voltage corridors.

Geological & Basement Setting

Subsurface lithology is characterized by rift volcanic dynamics with median sediment thickness of 0.5 km and crustal thickness of 22.4 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 1839.7 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Argentina demonstrates competitive positioning across heat flow, infrastructure, and basement competence indicators.

Target Sensitivity Analysis

Screening at 150°C baseline at 5.5 km increases prospective territory, demonstrating substantial deep EGS resource headroom.

Screening Methodology, Parameters & Limitations

This screening assessment for Argentina is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 30 893 model cells (land area: 2 780 400 km²). Baseline prospective criterion is defined as reaching 185°C at or above 5.5 km depth with surface temperature normalized to 15°C.

  • Screening estimates represent regional-scale heat in place and do not replace localized 3D seismic or exploratory drilling.
  • Model uncertainties expand in regions with sparse deep boreholes and complex thrust fault kinematics.
  • Grid proximity indicators reflect line-of-sight distance to high-voltage transmission and do not account for local substation thermal capacity.
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