Belgium: Promising Geothermal Reservoir Below 2,500 Meters

Development of the first deep geothermal doublet in the Campine Basin of Belgium (European Geologist Journal)

Figure 1: Palaeozoic subcrop map of the Campine Basin (compiled after Langenaeker, 2000; Patijn & Kimpe, 1961). The map shows the location of the Balmatt site at Mol-Donk, offset wells used to define the Balmatt geothermal project and the geometry of the 2D seismic campaign of 2010.

In the fall of 2015 the first deep geothermal well was drilled in the municipality of Mol, Belgium. The primary objective was to explore the geothermal reservoir characteristics and the exact depth of the Carboniferous Limestone Group. Based on the test results of exploration well MOL-GT-01, a second well was drilled in spring 2016 creating a geothermal doublet of one vertical well (3,610 m along hole) and one deviated well (4,341 m along hole).

Both wells give new stratigraphic and structural insights into the geological history of the Campine Basin. Furthermore, the presence of a geothermal reservoir at depths below 2,500 m has been demonstrated for the first time in Belgium, unlocking opportunities for new developments elsewhere.

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