KZ Central Asia Updated 2026-08-20

Kazakhstan Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 6.6% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Kazakhstan.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km Low Prospect
6.6%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Deep Target
6.1 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Direct Heat
165.3 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Continental Normal
29.3 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area High Accessibility
85.5%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
512.2 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 0.9% 1.4% 2.4% 3.3% 4.1% 6%
175°C 0.6% 1% 1.5% 2.1% 3% 3.7%
200°C 0.2% 0.3% 0.6% 0.9% 1.2% 1.2%
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
2 724 900 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
179 843 km² 6.6%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
153 766 km² 5.6%
4 ...and within 100 km town
144 837 km² 4.9%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 9 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 6.8 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 109 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 147.3 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 3 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 16.9%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 24.8%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 140.7 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 28.3 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 78.9 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 23.2 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 54 927 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 75%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 85.5%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 99.5%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 30.1 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 507
Total Urban Population 33.3 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 10.6% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 11.9% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Kazakhstan across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Kazakhstan Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
6.1 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 27th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
165.3 °C Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 26th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
6.6% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 11th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
512.2 ZJ Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 85th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
29.3 °C/km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 42th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
85.5% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 86th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
24.8% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 25th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
23.2 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 49th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
28.3 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 49th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.3 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 54th percentile
Urban demand colocation
30.8% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 61th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Kazakhstan

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

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Kazakhstan indicates sedimentary_rift geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 6.6% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 85.5% 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 3 km and crustal thickness of 28.3 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 512.2 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 30 277 model cells (land area: 2 724 900 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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