NE Africa Updated 2026-08-20

Niger Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 5.6% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Niger.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km Low Prospect
5.6%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Deep Target
7.1 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Direct Heat
141 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Continental Normal
26.2 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
55.1%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
123.6 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 0.3% 0.9% 1.5% 2.1% 2.3% 2.6%
175°C 0.2% 0.4% 0.5% 0.8% 1% 1.1%
200°C
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
1 267 000 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
70 952 km² 5.6%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
39 095 km² 3.1%
4 ...and within 100 km town
32 586 km² 2.6%

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 7.7 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 106.7 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 131.4 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.5 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 21.4%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 86.8%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 135.1 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 41.6 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 99.6 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 38.6 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 20 836 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 43.3%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 55.1%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 63.6%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 8.7 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 450
Total Urban Population 39.4 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 50.3%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 9% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 10.1% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Niger across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Niger Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
7.1 km Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 13th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
141 °C Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 16th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
5.6% Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 9th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
123.6 ZJ Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 65th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
26.2 °C/km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 37th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
55.1% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 55th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
86.8% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 87th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
38.6 km Lower 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 15th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
41.6 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 25th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.6 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 62th percentile
Urban demand colocation
47.1% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 62th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Niger

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

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Niger indicates craton_shield geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 5.6% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 55.1% 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 0.5 km and crustal thickness of 41.6 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 123.6 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Niger 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 Niger is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 14 078 model cells (land area: 1 267 000 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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