IQ Middle East Updated 2026-08-20

Iraq Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 14% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Iraq.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km Moderate
14%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Deep Target
4.6 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Direct Heat
193.5 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Elevated
37.7 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area High Accessibility
81.6%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
73.5 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 2.4% 4.8% 7.4% 11.8% 14.1% 18.2%
175°C 1.9% 3.6% 6% 8% 11% 11.5%
200°C 1.2% 2.5% 3.8% 5.2% 6.6% 8.5%
225°C 0.4% 1.1% 1.5% 2% 2.7% 3.2%
250°C

4-Stage Geothermal Resource & Infrastructure Funnel

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

1 Whole country
438 317 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
61 364 km² 14%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
50 073 km² 11.4%
4 ...and within 100 km town
41 709 km² 10.4%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 7.7 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 5.8 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 151.2 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 169.9 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 4.1 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 13.4%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 36.3%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 133 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 29 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 85.6 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 24.5 km
Model Temperature Spread Uncertainty (200°C) ±0.9 km

Transmission Grid & Demand Colocation

Infrastructure interconnectivity and urban power demand proximity

High-Voltage Transmission Network Length 15 250 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 67.8%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 81.6%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 90.5%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 20.9 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 135
Total Urban Population 12 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 68.7%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 22.4% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 25.2% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Iraq across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Iraq Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
4.6 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 49th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
193.5 °C Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 37th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
14% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 23th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
73.5 ZJ Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 58th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
37.7 °C/km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 54th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
81.6% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 82th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
36.3% Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 36th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
24.5 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 46th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
29 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 48th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±0.9 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 78th percentile
Urban demand colocation
60.6% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 68th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Iraq

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

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Iraq indicates sedimentary_rift geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 14% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 81.6% 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 4.1 km and crustal thickness of 29 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 73.5 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Iraq 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 Iraq is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 4 870 model cells (land area: 438 317 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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