OMV AG plans to launch a seismic survey in December to explore the potential of geothermal energy in the East Styrian basin in the greater Graz area.
The Austrian state-backed energy company expects to drill an exploration well in the second half of 2026. “If the suspected geothermal potential is confirmed, OMV, together with Energie Steiermark and Energie Graz, is planning the long-term extraction of heat from deep geothermal energy for the greater Graz area and thus a sustainable, climate-friendly heat supply for the city”, OMV said in a press release.
OMV expects to explore the geothermal subsurface at 700-3,500 meters (2,296.59-11,482.94 feet), hoping to find hot water resources. The campaign is scheduled to end March 2026.
“Special seismic trucks will be used to generate vibrations, primarily along public roads, and the reflections from the deep rock layers will be captured and recorded using geophones”, OMV said. “The vibration excitations are comparable to natural ground vibrations in terms of frequency range and strength and have no negative impact on the environment. The measurements will cover a total length of around 900 kilometers.
“OMV has many years of experience with seismic campaigns and uses methods in Styria that have been tried and tested and have proven themselves worldwide in the past.
“The project is currently in the approval phase, during which all the necessary official approvals are being obtained to ensure compliance with legal requirements”.
Late last year OMV’s geothermal joint venture with Wien Energie GmbH began drilling for a geothermal plant with a capacity of about 20 megawatts in Vienna. That would be enough to serve 20,000 households in the capital according to the partners.
Commissioning is planned for 2028. Investment is estimated to be EUR 90 million, part of which would be shouldered by the Ministry of Climate Protection.
The joint venture, called deeep, was announced November 2023 with a plan to build seven more deep geothermal plants in the districts of Donaustadt and Simmering. “The timetable for implementation and the output of the plants will depend on the learnings from the pilot plant in Aspern”, the companies said at the time.
To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com
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