The Geothermal Tenements of Australia dataset was developed by combining state geothermal tenement datasets downloaded from online mapping applications. Geothermal tenements are only available for Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Western Australia has recently released 495 geothermal acreage blocks for exploration with Northern Territory in process of developing a Geothermal Energy Bill. The dataset is constantly being maintained, updated and enhanced on an ongoing basis. Sources are listed in descending order of reliability. www.pir.sa.gov.au/geothermal www.dme.qld.gov.au www.dse.vic.gov.au www.mrt.tas.gov.au Geothermal Company websites

Australia's emergent geothermal energy industry is growing rapidly. So far, 29 companies have applied for geothermal exploration licenses. The majority of these companies are prospecting for Hot Rock geothermal resources for electricity generation, with some companies targeting hydrothermal resources. The Hot Rock model in the Australian context comprises a thick sequence (>3km) of low-thermal conductivity sediments overlying deeper high-heat-producing granites. Until now, the key dataset available to industry to guide their geothermal exploration has been a map of crustal temperature at 5km depth1. Compiled from temperature measurements made in 5,722 petroleum wells across Australia, the map indicates a vast geothermal resource. Additional national-scale geothermal datasets are either incomplete, not publicly accessible, or have not been collected. In August 2006, the Australian Government announced an Energy Security Initiative. It provides $58.9M to Geoscience Australia (the national geoscience and spatial information agency) over five years for an Onshore Energy Security Program (OESP). The OESP aims to better understand Australia's geological potential for onshore energy resources such as petroleum, uranium and geothermal, and includes the acquisition of new seismic, radiometric, heat-flow, magneto-telluric, gravity, magnetic, geochemical and drill-hole data. Providing new data will help attract company exploration in new areas by enhancing the chances of discovery and reducing the risks to investors. Established as part of the OESP, a new Geothermal Energy Project will generate precompetitive geoscientific information for geothermal explorers through two major activities: creating maps of heat distribution across Australia, and developing a geothermal information system. Heat distribution will be mapped in three ways: (1) new heat flow measurements in existing and new drill-holes; (2) a granite source-sediment heat trap map to identify Hot Rock systems; and (3) enhancements to the 5km-temperature-map method of Chopra and Holgate1. The geothermal information system will include thermal conductivity, thermal gradient, geochemistry, density, and heat production amongst other data types. The Australian Government is also facilitating and funding the preparation of a Geothermal Industry Development Framework, which is being lead by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources. The Development Framework aims to support the growth of Australia's geothermal industry by identifying opportunities and impediments to the industry's growth, and developing strategies to ensure that technical, economic and regulatory obstacles are tackled in a coordinated way. 1 Chopra, P. and Holgate, F., (2005) A GIS analysis of temperature in the Australian crust, Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2005, Antalya, Turkey, 24-29 April 2005.

This is a paper submitted for the 29th NZ Geothermal Workshop, presenting information about the geothermal industy in Australia, the impediements the industry faces and Geoscience Australia's role in reducing the geoscience-related impediments. Paper abstract is as follows: Australia's emergent geothermal energy industry is growing rapidly, with 29 geothermal companies currently prospecting for Hot Rock and hydrothermal resources. The Hot Rock model in the Australian context comprises a thick sequence (>3km) of low-thermal conductivity sediments overlying deeper high-heat-producing granites. Until now, the key datasets available to industry to guide their geothermal exploration have been a map of crustal temperature at 5km depth, and heat-flow data. Both datasets suffer from regions of low data density and heterogeneous data distribution. The Australian Government has provided Geoscience Australia with funding for an Onshore Energy Security Program (OESP). Established as part of the OESP, a new Geothermal Project will generate precompetitive geoscientific information for geothermal explorers through two major activities: mapping heat across Australia, and developing a geothermal information system. The Australian Government has also awarded several renewable energy and start-up grants to the geothermal industry since 2000, and is currently funding the preparation of a Geothermal Industry Development Framework (GIDF). The GIDF aims to support the industry by developing strategies to ensure that technical, economic and regulatory obstacles are tackled in a coordinated way.

This volume is a compilation of Extended Abstracts presented at the 2008 Australian Geothermal Energy Conference, 19-22 August 2008, Rydges Hotel, Melbourne, organised by the Australian Geothermal Energy Association and the Australian Geothermal Energy Group. This Conference is the first dedicated conference organised by the geothermal energy community in Australia and has been made possible by the seed funding from the Australian Government under the Sir Mark Oliphant Conference funding scheme with additional sponsorship of the companies acknowledged earlier and paying delegates. This Conference is being held at a time of rapid growth in all sectors of the geothermal community. The number of companies engaged in exploration stands at 33, the number of leases held or applied for is 320, and the value of the work program for these companies exceeds $850 million between 2002-2013. The Australian Geothermal Energy Association has been incorporated to serve as the peak industry representative body. The Universities of Queensland, West Australia, Adelaide and Newcastle have new funding specifically for geothermal research programs. The Australian Government has continued its strong support of the sector through the Geothermal Industry Development Framework and Technology Roadmap, the Geothermal Drilling Program, and the Onshore Energy Security Program. All of the States now have legislation regulating geothermal exploration activity in place, and the Northern Territory has drafted legislation for presentation to parliament. This volume of Extended Abstracts starts with a summary snapshot of the global and national geothermal energy sectors. The rest of the volume is organised under three headings: Underground Science and Technology Power Conversion Technologies Legislation, Policy and Infrastructure

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.

Educational factsheet discussing geothermal induced seismicity, what it is, why it happens, potential risks and mitigation strategies. Short abstract from factsheet header below: Hot Rock geothermal power production relies on using buried hot rocks to heat water and generate electricity. Australia is thought to have an enormous geothermal resource, capable of providing low-emission, cost-competitive energy for centuries to come. The nature of most Hot Rock resources in Australia necessitates artificial enhancement of the resources to make them viable for geothermal power production. One possible hazard associated with developing geothermal resources is induced seismicity. Induced seismicity is the term used to describe earthquakes generated by human activities. Induced earthquakes are associated with the movement of material into or out of the earth, for example during water reservoir filling, underground mining, and development of Hot Rock reservoirs. Exploration for geothermal energy in Australia has rapidly increased over the last five years, and geothermal exploration leases have been taken out around Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart and Geelong. If shown to have viable geothermal resources, geological enhancement of these areas for Hot Rock power production may generate induced seismicity. However, experience in Australia to date suggests that the risks associated with geothermal induced seismicity are very low compared to that of natural earthquakes, and can be reduced by careful management and monitoring.

The Federal Government has recently committed $58.9M in the Energy Initiative, a four year program scheduled to mid 2011, with the aim of identifying potential new energy sources in Australia. The program is targeted towards a specific range of energy commodities that include onshore geothermal energy. Using the latest geophysical imaging and mapping techniques, Geoscience Australia (GA) aims to provide pre-competitive geoscientific information that will help attract companies to explore in new areas by enhancing the chances of discovery and reducing the risks to investors. GA's Onshore Energy Security Program includes the acquisition of new seismic, radiometric, magneto-telluric, gravity, magnetic, geochemical and drillhole data in support of exploration for energy sources including geothermal, petroleum, uranium and thorium. Available maps of crustal temperature (Figure 1) clearly illustrate that the geothermal energy resource in Australia is vast. Electricity is expected to be generated from both hydrothermal (hot groundwater in situ e.g. the Great Artesian Basin) and hot fractured rock plays (e.g. buried hot granites within the Cooper Basin). Significant potential also exists for lower-temperature hydrothermal resources close to population or industry centres which may be useable by direct means. Currently the only geothermal energy being used in Australia is that which emanates from a 120kW plant located at Birdsville (Qld) which draws from the relative shallow hot waters of the Great Artesian Basin. The Geothermal Energy Project in the Onshore Energy and Minerals Division at GA aims to support ongoing geothermal energy exploration across Australia via the provision of enhanced maps of heat distribution together with a comprehensive national geothermal information system. Heat distribution throughout Australia will be mapped in three ways: (1) new heat flow measurements in existing and new drillholes; (2) a granite source/sediment heat trap map to identify hot fractured rock systems and potential geothermal plays (Figure 2); and (3) enhancements to the 5km temperature map of Chopra and Holgate (2005; Figure 1). The geothermal information system will comprise a wide range of information including (but not limited to) thermal conductivity, thermal gradient, density, and heat production data.

Geoscience Australia's Geothermal Energy Project is part of the Energy Security Initiative announced by the Prime Minister in August 2006. Geoscience Australia received $58.9 million over five years to implement the Onshore Energy Security Program by acquiring new data to attract investment in exploration for onshore petroleum, geothermal, uranium and thorium energy sources. The Program will acquire national-scale geophysical and geochemical data, including seismic, gravity, heat flow, radiometric, magneto-telluric and airborne electromagnetic data in collaboration with the state and Northern Territory governments under the National Geoscience Agreement. Formulating the Geothermal Energy Project The key geological ingredients of the "hot rock" geothermal model are high heat-producing granites overlain by thick accumulations of low thermal-conductivity sediments. The decay of low concentrations of radiogenic elements (mostly uranium, thorium and potassium) over millions of years produces heat in the granite. This heat may be trapped at depth within the crust by a sedimentary cover that lies above the granite like a blanket. Where temperatures are high, water circulating through the hot rocks can be used to generate electricity. At lower temperatures, the heat can be used for indirect use applications, such as space and water heating. By raising awareness of Australia's geothermal potential among decision-makers and the general public, the Geothermal Energy Project aims to support development of a geothermal energy industry by encouraging investor confidence. Extensive consultation with state and Northern Territory geological surveys and geothermal exploration companies has identified a list of key impediments faced by geothermal explorers. The project aims to reduce those impediments through geoscience input. The greatest identified geoscience need is for a better understanding of the distribution of temperature in the continent's upper crust. Two existing datasets the Austherm05 map of temperature at five kilometres depth, and a database of heat flow measurements suffer from having too few data points, compounded by poor distribution. Geoscience Australia aims to provide additional information for both datasets. A third way to predict heat distribution is to use geological modelling of high heat-producing granite locations and overlying low thermal-conductivity sediments. Other geoscience inputs to be developed to improve discovery rates and reduce risk for explorers include: -a comprehensive and accessible geothermal geoscience information system -an improved understanding of the stress state of the Australian crust -increased access to seismic monitors during reservoir stimulation -a reserve and resource definition scheme.

The Federal Government has recently committed $58.9M in the Energy Security Initiative between mid 2006 to mid 2011 to identify potential on-shore energy sources such as petroleum and geothermal energy. Using the latest geophysical imaging and mapping techniques, this information will help attract companies to explore in new areas by enhancing the chances of discovery and reducing the risks to investors. The Onshore Energy Security Program includes the acquisition of new seismic, radiometric, magneto-telluric, gravity, magnetic, geochemical and drillhole data in support of exploration for onshore petroleum, uranium and thorium energy sources, in addition to an emphasis on geothermal. Maps of crustal temperature (e.g. Chopra & Holgate, 2005, Proceeding of the World Geothermal Congress, Turkey. www.wgc2005.org) show that the geothermal energy resource in Australia is vast. Electricity is expected to be generated from hydrothermal and hot fractured rock plays, while lower-temperature hydrothermal resources close to population or industry centres may be useable by direct means. The new Geothermal Energy Project in the Onshore Energy and Minerals Division at Geoscience Australia will provide precompetitive geoscience information for geothermal explorers. The two major activities directly in support of geothermal energy exploration are enhanced maps of heat distribution across Australia, and a geothermal information system. Heat distribution throughout Australia will be mapped in three ways: (1) new heat flow measurements in existing and new drillholes; (2) a granite source-sediment heat trap map to identify hot fractured rock systems; and (3) enhancements to the 5km temperature map method of Chopra and Holgate (op cit.). The geothermal information system will include thermal conductivity, thermal gradient, density, and heat production amongst other data types.

Work 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. The Energy Initiative of the Federal Government, announced in August 2006, has restarted a geothermal project in GA. This paper outlines the scope of the Onshore Energy Security Program, the development and implementation of the new Geothermal Energy Project, and progress to date. The Onshore Energy Security Program A program to acquire pre-competitive geoscience information for onshore energy prospects has begun following the Prime Minister's Energy Security Initiative. The initiative provides $58.9 million over five years to Geoscience Australia for the acquisition of new seismic, gravity, geochemistry, heat flow, radiometric, magneto-telluric and airborne electromagnetic (EM) data to attract investment in exploration for onshore petroleum, geothermal, uranium and thorium energy sources. The program will be delivered in collaboration with the States and Territory under the existing National Geoscience Agreement. A set of principles have been developed to guide the program. According to the principles, proposed work must: promote exploration for energy-related resources, especially in greenfields areas; improve discovery rates for energy-related resources; be of national and/or strategic importance; and data acquisition must be driven by science. The program is structured with national-scale projects for each energy commodity (geothermal, petroleum, uranium and thorium) and for geophysical and geochemical acquisition. Regional scale projects in Georgetown-Isa, Gawler-Curnamona, Northern WA and the Northern Territory areas will assess the energy potential of those areas in detail. Other regions will be prioritised at a later stage of the OESP. Formulating the Geoscience Australia Geothermal Energy Project Based on consultation with State and Territory geological surveys and geothermal exploration companies, a list of the impediments faced by geothermal companies was identified. The Geothermal Energy Project addresses those that require geoscience input. The greatest geological problem facing explorers is a lack of understanding of the distribution of temperature in the upper crust of Australia. The two existing datasets that map temperature and heat distribution - the Austherm map of temperature at 5 km depth, and a database of heat flow measurements - both require a great deal of infilling. It is also possible to make predictive maps of expected heat based on geological models. These three ways of mapping heat, and the work that the project will do in each of these areas, is described in more detail in later sections. Other geoscience inputs that will help improve discovery rates and/or reduce risk to explorers and investors include a comprehensive and accessible geothermal geoscience information system, a better understanding of the stress state of the Australian crust, better access to seismic monitors during reservoir stimulation, and a Reserve & Resource definition scheme. Increasing the awareness of Australia's geothermal potential amongst decision makers and the general public may also help the funding of the development of the industry through Government support and investor confidence. The Geothermal Project has involvement in all of these activities, as outlined in later sections.