{"title":"From a natural disaster to a geothermal opportunity: The Lusi geothermal system investigated with Ambient Noise Attenuation Tomography","authors":"Matteo Lupi , Iván Cabrera-Pérez , Adriano Mazzini","doi":"10.1016/j.geothermics.2025.103369","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lusi, the youngest sediment-hosted geothermal system on Earth, pierced the surface in May 2006 in the Kendeng Basin (East Java). To investigate the subsurface and the fluid migration pathways feeding this large eruptive center we processed a dataset of seismic ambient noise. We compared the intrinsic attenuation distribution and the S-wave velocity structure of a region of the Javanese back-arc basin against its shear wave velocity structure. Our study highlights that Lusi’s plumbing system features two distinct fluid flow regimes, one across the shallow sedimentary units and one developing sub-vertically across the deeper domains of the basin. We show that ambient noise and intrinsic attenuation tomographies are complementary tools that should be performed routinely when studying geothermal systems. For decades, this region has been considered a hydrocarbon province as shown by the dozens of wells extracting hydrocarbons form the reservoirs. However, we instead highlight that such a basin is rich in geothermal resources. In particular, we argue that since the hydrocarbon extraction is declining and the energy transition is becoming imperative, the available hydrocarbon facilities should instead be repurposed for the extraction of geothermal resources. The high geothermal gradient, the steep topography of the nearby volcanic arc driving fluid flow and the well-studied subsurface, make this portion of the Kendeng basin an excellent geothermal site. Furthermore, the abundant geothermal resources at depth could be harnessed by re-purposing the dozens of wells drilled in the depleted oil and gas fields. Future geothermal operators should capitalize on existing infrastructure and turn the Lusi natural disaster into a geothermal opportunity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55095,"journal":{"name":"Geothermics","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 103369"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Geothermics","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037565052500121X","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Lusi, the youngest sediment-hosted geothermal system on Earth, pierced the surface in May 2006 in the Kendeng Basin (East Java). To investigate the subsurface and the fluid migration pathways feeding this large eruptive center we processed a dataset of seismic ambient noise. We compared the intrinsic attenuation distribution and the S-wave velocity structure of a region of the Javanese back-arc basin against its shear wave velocity structure. Our study highlights that Lusi’s plumbing system features two distinct fluid flow regimes, one across the shallow sedimentary units and one developing sub-vertically across the deeper domains of the basin. We show that ambient noise and intrinsic attenuation tomographies are complementary tools that should be performed routinely when studying geothermal systems. For decades, this region has been considered a hydrocarbon province as shown by the dozens of wells extracting hydrocarbons form the reservoirs. However, we instead highlight that such a basin is rich in geothermal resources. In particular, we argue that since the hydrocarbon extraction is declining and the energy transition is becoming imperative, the available hydrocarbon facilities should instead be repurposed for the extraction of geothermal resources. The high geothermal gradient, the steep topography of the nearby volcanic arc driving fluid flow and the well-studied subsurface, make this portion of the Kendeng basin an excellent geothermal site. Furthermore, the abundant geothermal resources at depth could be harnessed by re-purposing the dozens of wells drilled in the depleted oil and gas fields. Future geothermal operators should capitalize on existing infrastructure and turn the Lusi natural disaster into a geothermal opportunity.
期刊介绍:
Geothermics is an international journal devoted to the research and development of geothermal energy. The International Board of Editors of Geothermics, which comprises specialists in the various aspects of geothermal resources, exploration and development, guarantees the balanced, comprehensive view of scientific and technological developments in this promising energy field.
It promulgates the state of the art and science of geothermal energy, its exploration and exploitation through a regular exchange of information from all parts of the world. The journal publishes articles dealing with the theory, exploration techniques and all aspects of the utilization of geothermal resources. Geothermics serves as the scientific house, or exchange medium, through which the growing community of geothermal specialists can provide and receive information.