Permeability and Mineralogy of the Újfalu Formation, Hungary, from Production Tests and Experimental Rock Characterization: Implications for Geothermal Heat Projects

Hundreds of geothermal wells have been drilled in Hungary to exploit Pannonian Basin sandstones for district heating, agriculture, and industrial heating projects. Most these sites suffer from reinjection issues, limiting efficient use this vast resource imposing significant extra costs the required frequent workovers maintenance. To better understand cause issue requires details reservoir rock porosity, permeability, mineralogy. However, publicly available data properties rocks at project is typically very limited, because projects often omit or limit acquisition. Many hydrocarbon same are more extensively documented, but their core, log, production decades old unavailable public domain. Furthermore, many sandstone formations poorly consolidated, coring was always limited collected core unsuitable conventional analysis, only small remnant fragments being legacy wells. This study aims reduce gap showcase methods derive without using flow experiments. The thin-section XRD analysis mercury intrusion porosimetry, X-CT scanning followed by numerical simulation. We validate our results permeability testing, demonstrating effectiveness method detailed characterization constrain lateral variation across Basin. By eliminating need expensive bespoke obtain properties, such will contribute reducing capital cost developing energy projects, thus facilitating decarbonization global supply.