Pre-Competitive Geoscience for Geothermal Exploration and Development in Australia: Geoscience Australia's Onshore Energy Security Program and the Geothermal Energy Project

Abstract

Work conducted at the Bureau of Mineral Resources (now Geoscience Australia) in the early 1990s was instrumental in bringing Hot Rocks geothermal research and development to Australia. Following the announcement of the Federal Government’s Energy Initiative in August 2006, a new geothermal project has been started at Geoscience Australia. Pre-competitive geoscience previously made available for the minerals and petroleum industries has been extremely useful in assisting the geothermal exploration industry to date. This paper outlines the scope of Geoscience Australia’s Onshore Energy Security Program and the development, implementation and progress to date of the new Geothermal Energy Project, including new data acquisition programs specifically aimed at assisting geothermal explorers. Geoscience Australia is the Australian government’s geoscience and geospatial information agency within the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.