Geothermal favourability in data-scarce regions: incorporating physical and socio-economic factors into a modified Play fairway approach, southwestern Yukon, Canada

Abstract

Geothermal energy could be used to reduce or replace diesel for heating in remote northern communities. Geothermal development has primarily focused on shallow, high-temperature resources, but interest in low-temperature and deep geothermal resource exploration has increased as energy costs and climate change policy have evolved. Here, we evaluated the low-temperature geothermal favourability in southwestern Yukon by adapting Play fairway analysis to data-scarce regions. Play fairway analysis is a spatial statistical tool that uses a layered data approach to model favourability and risk assessments for resource exploration. Previous Play fairway analyses concentrate on the physical aspects of geothermal favourability: heat, permeability, and fluid availability. This study presents an overview of potential direct and indirect physical parameters that could be used in a geothermal Play fairway analysis in data-scarce regions and introduces the importance of considering socio-economic data in the exploration phase. The socio-economic controls are grouped into quantitative and qualitative parameters that describe population trends and community interests. The framework presented is then applied to a Play fairway analysis for southwestern Yukon. Based on the physical and socio-economic analysis, there is interest in exploring geothermal potential along the Denali fault near Duke River to support the community of Burwash Landing.