GI Europe Updated 2026-08-20

Gibraltar Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 10.7% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Gibraltar.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km Moderate
10.7%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Deep Target
6 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Direct Heat
172.4 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Continental Normal
28 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area High Accessibility
80.5%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
69 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 1.6% 2.5% 4.7% 5.9% 7.6% 9.8%
175°C 1% 2.2% 3.3% 4.4% 5.6% 7.2%
200°C 0.4% 0.8% 1.5% 1.8% 2.6% 3.1%
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
7 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
1 km² 10.7%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
1 km² 8.6%
4 ...and within 100 km town
1 km² 7.9%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 8.3 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 6.8 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 114.6 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 152.9 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 2.9 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 42%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 19.8%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 133.5 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 34.2 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 86.3 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 23.9 km
Model Temperature Spread Uncertainty (200°C) ±1.6 km

Transmission Grid & Demand Colocation

Infrastructure interconnectivity and urban power demand proximity

High-Voltage Transmission Network Length 102 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 67.7%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 80.5%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 84.6%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 24.3 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 5
Total Urban Population 0.2 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 49.1%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 17.1% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 19.3% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Gibraltar across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Gibraltar Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
6 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 29th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
172.4 °C Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 29th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
10.7% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 18th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
69 ZJ Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 57th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
28 °C/km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 40th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
80.5% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 80th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
19.8% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 20th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
23.9 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 47th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
34.2 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 38th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.7 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 47th percentile
Urban demand colocation
52.1% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 78th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Gibraltar

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

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Gibraltar indicates sedimentary_rift geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 10.7% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 80.5% of prospective geothermal ground within 50 km of existing high-voltage corridors.

Geological & Basement Setting

Subsurface lithology is characterized by sedimentary rift dynamics with median sediment thickness of 2.9 km and crustal thickness of 34.2 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 69 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Gibraltar 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 Gibraltar is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 1 model cells (land area: 7 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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