SD Africa Updated 2026-08-20

Sudan Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 51.2% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Sudan.

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km High Potential
51.2%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Very Shallow
3 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Superhot
356.8 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Volcanic / Rift
73.3 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
66.4%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
1580.7 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 20.3% 50.3% 84% 98% 99% 100%
175°C 25.5% 42.6% 67.9% 95.5% 99% 100%
200°C 18.6% 36.4% 62.3% 82.9% 99% 100%
225°C 13.9% 34.6% 53.1% 83.4% 96.4% 100%
250°C 15.9% 28.1% 49.8% 63.9% 83.9% 100%

4-Stage Geothermal Resource & Infrastructure Funnel

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

1 Whole country
1 861 484 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
953 080 km² 51.2%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
632 845 km² 34%
4 ...and within 100 km town
532 914 km² 29.5%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 5 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 3.5 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 291.5 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 316.6 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.5 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 24.4%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 90.2%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 135.6 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 32.8 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 94.8 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 11.7 km
Model Temperature Spread Uncertainty (200°C) ±1.3 km

Transmission Grid & Demand Colocation

Infrastructure interconnectivity and urban power demand proximity

High-Voltage Transmission Network Length 30 643 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 58.1%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 66.4%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 75.6%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 29.7 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 499
Total Urban Population 66.5 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 30.4%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 81.9% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 92.2% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Sudan across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Sudan Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
3 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 71th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
356.8 °C Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
51.2% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 85th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
1580.7 ZJ Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
73.3 °C/km Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
66.4% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 66th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
90.2% Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 90th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
11.7 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 74th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
32.8 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 41th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.3 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 72th percentile
Urban demand colocation
81.7% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 72th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Sudan

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

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Sudan indicates rift_volcanic geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 51.2% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

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

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 66.4% of prospective geothermal ground within 50 km of existing high-voltage corridors.

Geological & Basement Setting

Subsurface lithology is characterized by rift volcanic dynamics with median sediment thickness of 0.5 km and crustal thickness of 32.8 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 1580.7 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Sudan 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 Sudan is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 20 683 model cells (land area: 1 861 484 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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