BJ Africa Updated 2026-08-20

Benin Geothermal Screening

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

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km Low Prospect
5.5%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Deep Target
6.7 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Direct Heat
156.3 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Continental Normal
25.2 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
57.2%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
18 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 0.5% 1% 2% 2.5% 3.4% 4.2%
175°C 0.3% 0.6% 0.9% 1.4% 1.9% 2%
200°C 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.4%
225°C
250°C

4-Stage Geothermal Resource & Infrastructure Funnel

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

1 Whole country
112 622 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
6 194 km² 5.5%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
3 543 km² 3.1%
4 ...and within 100 km town
3 360 km² 2.9%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 8.9 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 7.8 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 123.7 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 140.4 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.2 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 20.4%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 84.4%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 135 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 49.5 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 137.2 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 41.2 km
Model Temperature Spread Uncertainty (200°C) ±1.4 km

Transmission Grid & Demand Colocation

Infrastructure interconnectivity and urban power demand proximity

High-Voltage Transmission Network Length 12 350 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 43.1%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 57.2%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 66.6%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 9.9 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 64
Total Urban Population 5.7 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 70.3%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 8.8% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 9.9% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Benin across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Benin Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
6.7 km Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 19th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
156.3 °C Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 23th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
5.5% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 9th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
18 ZJ Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 39th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
25.2 °C/km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 36th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
57.2% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 57th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
84.4% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 84th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
41.2 km Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 9th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
49.5 km Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 11th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.6 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 78th percentile
Urban demand colocation
51.2% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 90th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Benin

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

Resource Overview

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

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 57.2% of prospective geothermal ground within 50 km of existing high-voltage corridors.

Geological & Basement Setting

Subsurface lithology is characterized by craton shield dynamics with median sediment thickness of 0.2 km and crustal thickness of 49.5 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 18 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Benin 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 Benin is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 1 251 model cells (land area: 112 622 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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