ML Africa Updated 2026-08-20

Mali Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 5.9% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Mali.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km Low Prospect
5.9%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Deep Target
6.4 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Direct Heat
158.3 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Continental Normal
21.7 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
53.7%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
137.7 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 0.5% 1.1% 1.9% 2.7% 4.1% 4.1%
175°C 0.3% 0.6% 1.3% 1.8% 2.3% 2.4%
200°C 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.4% 0.5% 0.6%
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
1 240 192 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
73 171 km² 5.9%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
39 293 km² 3.2%
4 ...and within 100 km town
36 328 km² 3%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 8.5 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 6.9 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 108.8 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 149.3 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.6 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 33.2%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 94%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 136 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 41 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 101.6 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 35 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 27 991 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 41.7%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 53.7%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 59.2%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 25.9 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 241
Total Urban Population 52.2 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 42%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 9.4% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 10.6% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Mali across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Mali Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
6.4 km Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 23th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
158.3 °C Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 23th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
5.9% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 10th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
137.7 ZJ Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 67th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
21.7 °C/km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 31th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
53.7% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 54th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
94% Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 94th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
35 km Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 23th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
41 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 26th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.6 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 45th percentile
Urban demand colocation
58.1% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 65th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

Need Interactive 3D Spatial Inversion for Mali?

High-resolution 3D temperature cubes, localized Curie depth inversions, fault network stress tensors, and drilling capex curves for Mali are accessible through our Premium & Enterprise subscription tiers.

Direct Founder Contact: founders@geothermalradar.com

Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Mali

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

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Mali indicates craton_shield geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 5.9% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 53.7% 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 0.6 km and crustal thickness of 41 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 137.7 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Mali 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 Mali is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 13 780 model cells (land area: 1 240 192 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.
Need Detailed Asset-Level Due Diligence?

Access 3D temperature grids, drilling cost curves, and micro-siting GIS layers.

Request Full Technical Dossier