Leveraging New Mexico’s Legacy Subsurface Data Archive for Geothermal Exploration and Development

Abstract

New Mexico has well-developed petroleum and mineral resources across the state, generating a vast archive of subsurface data through drilling, exploration, and production. With the growing urgency of the energy transition and state-level incentives for renewable energy, geothermal resources are now a priority. The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources' (NMBGMR) Subsurface Library archives subsurface exploration information from fossil fuels, mining, geothermal, and groundwater resources and serves as an incredible resource for advancing geothermal development. The New Mexico Bureau's Subsurface Library serves as a central repository for a wide variety of subsurface data, including continuous and skeletal core, drill cuttings, physical and digital geophysical and temperature well logs, as well as petrochemical and geochemical analyses, from wells across the state. Subsurface data has already been used extensively in various research projects involving critical mineral, groundwater and oil & gas exploration and emerging low-carbon technologies such as carbon sequestration. Additional information relevant to geothermal exploration resides with partner agencies, and together, these collections represent an excellent resource for geological and engineering insights relevant to geothermal exploration, and for building out a more extensive geothermal database for New Mexico. This paper serves as an update of nearly two decades of new data from new wells and acquisitions, updates to workflows for accessing, integrating, and interpreting these publicly available data sets specific for geothermal exploration and research. Resources covered include the NMBGMR's Subsurface Library and Geothermal database, OCD’s digital hub, and state-level efforts to expand geothermal databases. Case studies—such as updated thermal and heat flow maps of New Mexico and updated subsurface interpretations—demonstrate practical applications of this data repository for identifying and de-risking geothermal exploration opportunities. By synthesizing these resources into a coherent guide, we aim to support developers and researchers in leveraging New Mexico’s extensive subsurface record with recommendations for improving accessibility, identifying gaps, and fostering collaboration to enhance geothermal exploration and development across the state.