NewBase 19 January 2024 Energy News issue - 1700 by Khaled Al Awadi_compressed.pdf

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NewBase Energy News 19 February 2024 No. 1700 Senior Editor Eng. Khaled Al Awadi
NewBase for discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE
Iraq and Saudi Arabia discuss oil market co-operation
The National + NewBase
Iraq and Saudi Arabia – Opec’s largest crude producers – need to align their views to maintain
stability in the oil market, Iraq’s Prime Minister said on Wednesday.
Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, who met Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman
in Baghdad, said he welcomed the entry of the kingdom’s companies into Iraq and discussed
expanding economic co-operation, according to a report by the Iraqi News Agency.
“Iraq welcomes the entry of Saudi companies into the Iraqi market, in which there are many great
investment opportunities today," Mr Al Sudani said.
He highlighted the “the advanced level” of relations between the two countries, especially in the
investment and energy sectors.
ww.linkedin.com/in/khaled-al-awadi-80201019/
Prime Minister reaffirmed Iraq's openness to developing partnerships with the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in various economic and investment sectors. They
also discussed cooperation in the energy and coordination in facing the effects
of climate change and the measures taken to mitigate its impact on the region.

Mr Al Sudani stressed the importance of stability in the oil market “under Opec’s umbrella”, in the
interests of both producers and consumers.
In December, the Opec+ group of producers agreed to voluntary output cuts of about 2.2 million
barrels per day for the first quarter of this year, on top of 3.66 million bpd agreed earlier.
On Monday, Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani said the country was committed to Opec+ and
was currently producing no more than 4 million bpd.
Iraq's current crude oil exports fluctuate between 3.35 million bpd and 3.4 million bpd, he was quoted
as saying by Reuters.
Last year, Iraq signed a $27 billion energy agreement with France’s TotalEnergies to develop oil
and gas resources and to improve the country’s electricity supply in the biggest single foreign
investment in the country at the time.
TotalEnergies will develop a one gigawatt solar power plant to supply electricity to the Basra regional
grid. Saudi Arabia's Acwa Power is also set to join the project.
Iraq has also been looking to boost its natural gas production as it heavily relies on imports to feed
its power grid.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, is expected to continue playing an active
role in balancing the oil market despite its recent decision to lower its production capacity target.
The kingdom “has taken the extra step of announcing additional cuts on multiple occasions,
essentially acting as a glue between supporting prices amid a weak consumption outlook”, Rystad
Energy said in a research note last week.
Given the current backdrop, the role of core Opec+ members, including Saudi Arabia, is set to
evolve from fulfilling demand during a supply crunch to sustained cut management, starting “as
soon as next year”, the consultancy said.

UAE unveils global roadmap for environmental education,
sustainable development at WEEC2024
WAM
The Abu Dhabi Roadmap, a high-level plan outlining global recommendations to bolster
Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), was revealed
on Day Four of the 12th World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC2024) at the Abu Dhabi
National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
A culmination of four days of vibrant discussions, workshops and events, the roadmap outlines a
call to action to catalyse and reinvigorate efforts in EE and ESD focused on addressing the Triple
Planetary Crisis.
Commenting on the announcement, Shaikha Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General at Environment Agency
- Abu Dhabi (EAD), said, “The Abu Dhabi Roadmap represents a pivotal moment on our path
towards a more sustainable and resilient future, and affirms the UAE’s dedication to enhancing EE
to help further catalyse us on that journey.
The WEEC2024 served as a dynamic stage to unveil this environmental plan. The mass of
knowledge gained and the ideas which have inspired us over the course of this congress are fitting
 Roadmap for environmental
education,sustainable
development

illustrations of the power of educational initiatives. Now, the Roadmap will continue to propel us in
our ongoing work to a greener future.”
Developed with input from a range of stakeholders across 83 countries including UNESCO, IUCN,
UNEP, UAE Ministry of Education, UAE Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment
(MOCCAE), Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, and Abu Dhabi Early Childhood
Authority (ECA), as well as a whole host of global environmental education experts, the Roadmap
was introduced by Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director, Environmental Information, Science and
Outreach Management, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. This unveiling occurred during a
dedicated session on the fourth day of WEEC2024.
During the announcement, he emphasised that the discussions from the congress had helped
inform The Abu Dhabi Roadmap. However, its inception traces back to COP28, where urgent calls
for action and intensified efforts in Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable
Development were echoed to confront the 'Code Red for humanity' represented by the Triple
Planetary Crisis.
Emphasising the significance of the announcement, Julia Heiss, Team Leader for Education and
Sustainable Development, UNESCO, said, “The 2024 World Environmental Education Congress
successfully brought together stakeholders from the global Environmental Education (EE) and
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) community globally.
The event served as a platform for exchanging ideas, innovations, and the latest developments in
the field. This global community of practice aims at transforming education to support a more
sustainable future not only at the international level but also regionally through the network of
Regional Centres of Expertise, and at the country level through the development of comprehensive
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiatives for the year 2030.”
Echoing the sentiment, Abdul-Majeid Haddad, Deputy Regional Director for West Asia, UNEP, said,
“Education is one of the key vehicles to achieve a sustainable future. The Triple Planetary crisis is
a clear and present danger, one that needs a coordinated and collaborative action.
UNEP’s Strategy is guided by the triple planetary crisis. We are indeed encouraged to see that
Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi has focused on this crisis and has managed to elicit a response
from environment educators from all across the world to take collaborative action towards
contributing to tackling this crisis in the 12th World Environment Education Congress conducted in
Abu Dhabi.”
Key recommendations include the need to urgently ramp up the pace and scale of EE and ESD,
and ensure they are prominent elements in both national and global agendas, with the Roadmap
highlighting the essential nature of events such as WEEC to foster better integration and amplify
the impact of shared goals.
The plan also encourages the harnessing of AI and smart technologies to help achieve
environmental goals while underscoring the importance of placing ethics and values at the centre
of EE and ESD to help foster emotional connections between society and nature. The complexities
of the present day were also acknowledged; the Roadmap sets out recommendations for evaluative
learning as a feature for improving the efficacy of EE and ESD interventions and combining green
skills with green jobs to drive sustainable development effectively.

KSA, Greece for feasibility study on cross border power link
TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia and Greece have reached an agreement to conduct a feasibility study on a cross-
border electricity interconnection project, which is aimed at boosting the energy corridors between
the Middle East and Europe and thus contributing to the energy transition of the wider region.
Fo this purpose, a special purpose company, Saudi Greek Interconnection, is being set up by Saudi
National Grid and the Greek IPTO which will each hold a 50% stake in the venture.
The Greece-Saudi Arabia cross border electricity interconnection is a very important project for
Europe that can accelerate the Continent’s energy transition and provide access to new sources of
clean energy, said Manos Manousakis, the Chairman and CEO of Greek IPTO after signing the deal
with Waleed Al Saadi, the CEO of National Grid at a special event held at the Operator’s
headquarters in Athens.
"With the agreement we have signed with National Grid, the Saudi Greek Interconnection comes
into being. This cross border interconnection will further strengthen the energy corridors between
the Middle East and Europe, in which IPTO has an active role, contributing to the energy transition
of the wider region. Given the value of the Saudi Greek Interconnection for Asia and Europe’s

energy objectives, we aim to rapidly mature the interconnection and promote it as a Project of
Common Interest for the EU, he added.
The partnership between IPTO and National Grid, overseen by the Ministry of Energy and
Environment of Greece and the Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia, reflects the strategic cooperation
between Greece and Saudi Arabia in the energy sector, which was agreed at the highest level in
the summer of 2022, during the visit to Greece by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.
In the framework of this cooperation, the two electricity national transmission grid operators had
signed the shareholders agreement in September last year in Athens.
According to industry experts, the technical teams of both IPTO and National Grid have already
started working on the maturation of the electrical interconnection and its design parameters,
beginning with the assessment and analysis of the feasibility and commercial viability of the project.
Manousakis said the Greece-Saudi Arabia electricity interconnection is a key project that epitomizes
the strategic cooperation between the two countries in the energy field.
The Saudi Greek electricity Interconnection which will interconnect for the first time the kingdom
with the European continent, is the beginning of a new era that will strengthen the kingdom and
European interconnection and move towards energy transition and utilization of Renewable
Resources.
The two countries stressed the importance of strategic cooperation between them in a number of
issues of common interest in the field of energy, including the generation of electricity using
renewable energy, the establishment of the power grid, and the export of electricity produced using
renewable energy to Greece, and to Europe via Greece.
This project will enable the more effective use of renewable energy, access to sustainable electricity
generation and improved security of electricity supplies. It will benefit the socio economy of both
countries, he added.-

U,S Solar and battery storage to make up 81% of new U.S.
electric-generating capacity in 2024 .. U.S. EIA Information Administration,
Developers and power plant owners plan to add 62.8 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric-
generating capacity in 2024, according to our latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator
Inventory.
Data source: U.S. EIA, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory, December 2023
This addition would be 55% more added capacity than the 40.4 GW added in 2023 (the most since
2003) and points to a continued rise in industry activity. We expect solar to account for the largest
share of new capacity in 2024, at 58%, followed by battery storage, at 23%.
Solar. We expect a record addition of utility-scale solar in 2024 if the scheduled 36.4 GW are added
to the grid. This growth would almost double last year’s 18.4 GW increase, which was itself a record
for annual utility-scale solar installation in the United States. As the effects of supply chain
challenges and trade restrictions ease, solar continues to outpace capacity additions from other
generating resources.
More than half of the new utility-scale solar capacity is planned for three states: Texas (35%),
California (10%), and Florida (6%). Outside of these states, the Gemini solar facility in Nevada plans
to begin operating in 2024. With a planned photovoltaic capacity of 690 megawatts (MW) and battery
storage of 380 MW, it is expected to be the largest solar project in the United States when fully
operational.
Battery storage. We also expect battery storage to set a record for annual capacity additions in
2024. We expect U.S. battery storage capacity to nearly double in 2024 as developers report plans
to add 14.3 GW of battery storage to the existing 15.5 GW this year. In 2023, 6.4 GW of new battery
storage capacity was added to the U.S. grid, a 70% annual increase.

Texas, with an expected 6.4 GW, and California, with an expected 5.2 GW, will account for 82% of
the new U.S. battery storage capacity. Developers have scheduled the Menifee Power Bank (460.0
MW) at the site of the former Inland Empire Energy Center natural gas-fired power plant in Riverside,
California, to come on line in 2024.
With the rise of solar and wind capacity in the United States, the demand for battery storage
continues to increase. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has also accelerated the development of
energy storage by introducing investment tax credits (ITCs) for stand-alone storage. Prior to the
IRA, batteries qualified for federal tax credits only if they were co-located with solar.
Wind. Operators report another 8.2 GW of wind capacity is scheduled to come on line in 2024.
Following the record additions of more than 14.0 GW in both 2020 and 2021, wind capacity additions
have slowed in the last two years.
Two large offshore wind plants scheduled to come on line this year are the 800-MW Vineyard Wind
1 off the coast of Massachusetts and the 130-MW South Fork Wind off the coast of New York. South
Fork Wind, which developers expected to begin commercial operation last year, is now scheduled
to come on line in March 2024.
Natural gas. For 2024, developers report 2.5 GW in planned natural gas capacity additions, the
least new natural gas capacity in 25 years. Notably, in 2024, 79% of the natural gas capacity added
is to come from simple-cycle, natural gas turbine (SCGT) plants. This year will be the first time since
2001 that combined-cycle capacity was not the predominant natural gas-fired technology. SCGT
power plants provide effective grid support because they can start up, ramp up, and ramp down
relatively quickly.
Nuclear. Start-up of the fourth reactor (1.1 GW) at Georgia’s Vogtle nuclear power plant, originally
scheduled for last year, has moved to March 2024. Vogtle Unit 3 began commercial operation at
the end of July last year.

NewBase February 19 -2024 Khaled Al Awadi
NewBase for discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE
Oil Prices slightly down , but stable , after last week gains
NewBase + Reuters + Bloomberg
Oil prices slightly fell this morning 19-02-2024 as investor attention returned to the demand outlook
after reports of higher producer prices in the U.S., the world's biggest oil user, stoked worries that
sticky inflation and higher interest rates would limit fuel consumption growth.
Brent crude futures were down 61 cents, or 0.7%, at $82.86 a barrel at 0440 GMT. The March
contract for U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude , which expires on Tuesday, was 41 cents, or 0.5%,
lower at $78.78. The WTI April contract was down 0.8%, or 60 cents, at $77.86.
Oil prices settled higher on Friday as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East more than offset a
forecast from the International Energy Agency for slowing demand.
Oil price special
coverage
Oil slipped from the highest level in three weeks as lingering concerns over the
demand outlook offsetting ongoing Middle East tensions.

Brent crude futures settled up at $83.47 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled at
$79.19 with the nearby March contract expiring on Tuesday.
"WTI and Brent eased on Monday morning as investors re-adjust to demand-side fears after a
significant jump in U.S. producer price index numbers," said Phillip Nova analyst Priyanka Sachdeva
in a research note.
U.S. producer prices increased more than expected in January amid strong gains in the costs of
services, which could amplify inflation worries.
Markets are also yet to see the direction of demand from China after that country returns from a
week-long Lunar New Year holiday, while Presidents' Day in the United States is set to keep trade
relatively muted.
Moreover, Federal Reserve policymakers on Friday signalled "patience" toward interest rate cuts.
Higher rates keep up the cost of buying oil, providing for a bearish market trend.
Over the weekend, tension in the Middle East continued as Israeli raids put the Gaza Strip's second-
largest hospital out of service, and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi fighters claimed responsibility for
an attack on an India-bound oil tanker.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would be able to cover "most levels
of disruption", ANZ Research analysts said in a client note, as its spare capacity is at an eight-year
high of 6.4 million barrels of oil per day.
"The market was also reminded of the uncertain outlook for demand, with the International Energy
Agency warning that growth is expected to lose its steam in 2024," ANZ said. The
agency forecasts a market surplus during the year.
The United Nations Security Council is likely to vote on Tuesday on an Algerian push for the 15-
member body to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict,
diplomats said, with the
United States signalling it
would veto.
In Europe, Russia on
Sunday said it had full
control of the Ukrainian
town of Avdiivka in its
biggest gain in nine
months, days ahead of the
two-year anniversary of its
invasion.
It was not immediately
clear whether the death of
Alexei Navalny, President
Vladimir Putin's most high-
profile opponent, in a Russian Arctic penal colony on Friday would trigger new sanctions on
Moscow, the world's second-biggest oil exporter.

NewBase Specual Coverage
The Energy world –February 19 -2024
CLEAN ENERGY
OFFSHORE GEOTHERMAL: A GREEN ENERGY RESOURCE
OF GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE AND ITS RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT
by Rebecca Bolton¹, Rob Crossley¹, Alex Fowler¹, Ulrich Schwarz-Schampera² and Lucy Njue
1 Purpose of this Document
This document intends to provide essential reference elements for framing this important
topic and to draw the attention of geoscientists, companies, regulators, policymakers and
society to the ideas, approaches and ethical perspectives that those involved in
geothermal resource development will need to develop and use, in particular:
1. A high-level summary of the marine geothermal system and co-production opportunities.
2. An overview of where geothermal can be deployed.
3. Best practices that will enable the responsible development of offshore geothermal.
4. The economic, developmental and socio-economic growth opportunities that offshore
geothermal can bring to developing nations.
2 Why This Matters
The IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report contains the stark warning that
“the pace and scale of climate action are insufficient to tackle
climate change” (IPCC 2023). Currently, the major options for
future mitigation of energy emissions to 2030 cited by the IPCC
are the continued expansion of wind and solar. Large potential
reductions in emission of methane during exploitation and use
of fossil fuels are also available, and carbon emissions can be
captured and stored. Other energy sources that IPCC note could
be expanded to 2030 without contributing directly to emissions
include bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS),
geothermal, hydropower and nuclear.
CGG has been investigating whether, in the longer term, the use of geothermal could be expanded
significantly beyond our current technical and geographical horizons.
Geothermal provides the benefits of both heat and power and gives the opportunity to generate
many cascading use opportunities. Geothermal energy is a proven baseload resource onshore,
although current commercial developments are often localized and difficult to develop at scale
because of the variable distribution of heat in the subsurface.

Hypothetically, an additional ideal green electrical energy resource with global impact would:
 Not add to atmospheric CO2 – and ideally would sequester and actively draw down atmospheric CO2.
 Not use more natural land – so it would be offshore.
 Be developed at scale and speed – under a single best-practice licensing regime that minimizes delays.
 Have a minimal environmental impact – independently monitored under a single protocol for consistency.
 Be capable of delivering reliable, steady power, and additional beneficial byproducts (such as
green hydrogen or ammonia – according to local demand and global economics).
 Use tried and tested technologies – though potentially in novel combinations.
 Not use critical minerals – and use materials that are relatively easy to recycle, such as steel.
 Not use fresh water – and ideally would be a net producer of fresh water.
 Not negatively impact existing sea life – and ideally would enhance it, develop aquaculture and
enhance the open water fishery.
 Be cost-effective.
Our research indicates that vast geothermal resources are present beneath the world’s seas and
oceans, and could provide an additional green energy solution that is close to the ideal scenario
listed above. The rift systems, which provide some of the world’s highest concentrations of
geothermal power onshore, are much more extensive offshore, in both national and international
waters.
Offshore geothermal for green energy and global development
We conclude that potentially substantial geothermal resources exist along the magmatically active
and 65,000 sq.km-long ocean floor spreading centers which occur in all of the world’s major oceans.
We also identify major geothermal potential along the flooded rift systems that represent the
landward continuation of the oceanic spreading centers, and additional geothermal potential in some
seas formed where the Earth’s crust is stretching.
The successful development of geothermal energy near volcanoes around the Indo-Pacific “Ring of
Fire” has become well established as the geothermal industry has learned to master the geological
complexity of the volcanic setting. We have learnt that each volcano is different in its magma types,
geothermal fluid chemistry and subsurface “plumbing”, whilst temperatures decrease rapidly away
from each volcanic geothermal area.
In contrast, the ocean floor spreading centers offer a more continuous belt of subsurface heat
because igneous or dilational tectonic processes, and resulting hydrothermal activity, occur along
the full length of each spreading system. The magma types and temperatures are quite similar in
most of the spreading systems, and the geothermal fluids are relatively consistent and chemically
benign – because they are essentially modified seawater.
The world-class geothermal potential of oceanic spreading centers is already demonstrated in
southern Iceland. Here, deposits from adjacent volcanoes have built up on top of submarine basalts
of the North Atlantic Oceanic Ridge, allowing the underlying submarine geothermal system to be
developed onshore. The experience gained from Iceland gives the world a “flying start” for
developing similar submarine geothermal reservoirs offshore. Offshore geothermal power does not
need to be transmitted by cable to shore: the power can be used to electrolyze the fresh water from
turbine steam condensate to give transportable green hydrogen or ammonia.
Offshore, we have the added advantage of being able to undertake rapid geophysical mapping of
the seabed and subsurface in order to design the most cost-effective pattern of drilling for

geothermal energy. This means that the experience gained from early offshore geothermal drilling
along the oceanic spreading centers can be rolled out rapidly along ocean spreading centers
worldwide.
Many of these resources lie in international waters and will be regulated by the UN Convention of
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its regulatory body, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), so
exploration, research, development and manufacturing opportunities can be shared across the
globe, for the benefit of humankind. Countries with ridge segments under national jurisdiction will
benefit from knowledge-sharing and technological developments. The prospects presented will help
low- to middle-income countries achieve sustained levels of economic productivity with a stream of
diverse and inclusive work opportunities with proper regulations and training programs:
 Immediate- to long-term job opportunities will include research and environmental monitoring roles.
 Medium-term job opportunities will include supply boat and helicoptersupport forexplorationand
initial development activities, followed by construction-based roles as offshore development
designs become standardized and suitable for modular construction in coastal or island states.
 Long-term job opportunities include production and environmental monitoring, maintenance and operations
support.
These are all critical roles which would be required through the multi-decade project life of each
offshore geothermal development.
Offshore geothermal ways forward
Evidently, the nature of each geothermal development will depend on the temperatures and flow
rates of the geothermal fluids, geographical location and climate, global and local economic drivers,
plus the interests of the stakeholders in each development. The diversity of potential offshore
geothermal resources and economic applications offers a real and urgent incentive for developed
and developing nations to collaborate. That collaboration should aim to ensure a fair distribution of
benefits, and to protect waters internationally through multi-facetted capacity building and sharing
of a diverse suite of marine technologies.
CGG has been awarded a patent for a novel combination of geological, geophysical and
engineering technologies to help explore and develop these resources (CGG, 2022). Our motivation
for obtaining the patent is to ensure that there will be no patent “blockers” delaying rapid
development of these resources. CGG patent licenses will be available at a reasonable cost to
companies from developed countries and at an easily affordable cost to underdeveloped countries
in their own exclusive economic zones or when participating in projects in areas administered by
the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
It is important to consider the UN sustainability goals for offshore geothermal developments
because they provide a framework for achieving development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The UN Sustainable
Development Goals (UNDP 2023) address a broad range of environmental, social, and economic
issues. The diversity and magnitude of opportunities presented by offshore geothermal resources
has the potential to contribute significantly to the achievement of many of the SDGs, particularly
those related to clean energy, climate action, responsible consumption and production, and
partnerships for sustainable development.

Since many of these geothermal resources lie in international waters administered by the ISA, the
scientific research, exploration, environmental baseline surveys, future production and economic
activity in the ISA areas could be developed in ways that maximize the benefits to developing
nations, whilst at the same time supplying large-scale multi-component green resources of benefit
to humankind.
1 Offshore Geothermal Resources and a Framework for their
Responsible Development
These notes represent a selection of the issues that will need to be addressed in the future by
specific guidelines for sustainable offshore geothermal development in order to develop relevant
laws and international best practice.
The widespread submarine rift systems of less than 10 million years old, which formed at oceanic
spreading centers, back-arc rifts, island arcs and in areas of thinning of continental crust, offer some
of the best potential for development of offshore geothermal power. We recognize that within these
areas there are scientifically significant sites that need to be studied before any geothermal
development.
Based on discoveries and research to date, active submarine vents occur at a spacing of 1 to 5 per
100km length of an ocean ridge system. Recognizing that our knowledge of these systems is far
from complete, environmental baseline studies need to continue at pace in order to identify those
vents which should be excluded from development on the basis of their special biology, chemistry
and physics.
Active vents discovered in the process of exploring for offshore geothermal resources should be
subject to the same environmental study and, if applicable, exclusion zone criteria. The size of
exclusion zones around active vents would need to be defined after consultation with the scientific
community, and then embodied by the ISA in a standard licensing agreement.
Protocols will need to be in place as part of the exploration license to ensure it is in the exploration
company’s interests to document these new vent locations. Future scientific research on the new
vents will, in the long term, benefit the offshore geothermal industry by improving our understanding
of how these geothermal systems work – thereby helping to improve exploration targeting and
reducing costs.
Some submarine brine pools are sites of leakage of fluids from the deep subsurface, carrying
implications for temperatures at depth, and all are extremely important sites for wildlife and for
existing and future research across the fields of biology, chemistry and physics. Discovery
disclosure and protection protocols designed for active geothermal vents should therefore also
apply to these types of brine pools.
The environmental impact of geothermal development will be very different from that of seabed
mineral mining. Offshore geothermal development has a very small footprint area, with economic
success dependent on drilling the smallest possible number of boreholes to obtain the geothermal
water temperatures and flow rates required for energy production. The fact that reducing costs and
minimizing environmental impact are economic drivers of geothermal development means that there
is natural co-alignment with pillars of the framework that should be documented for the responsible
development of geothermal resources.

Acknowledgement and respect of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge of local communities
and indigenous groups who can provide key information in potential offshore geothermal areas will
be honored and integrated. For example, indigenous knowledge of long-term changes in fisheries
and the distribution of migratory species might help inform the design of geothermal developments.
By adhering to the law and to international best practices, the responsible development of marine
geothermal resources will prioritize environmental protection and the health and safety of all
involved. In ISA-administered areas, the benefits and opportunities will be shared fairly and
equitably, so that there will be active engagement to involve parties from developing and landlocked
nations in the development of marine geothermal resources.
We hope that the criteria established in ISA-administered areas would, where appropriate for
national priorities and interests, also be applied in national waters.
2 Best Practice
Offshore geothermal resource development is a new field and the practical implementation of
responsible exploration and development outlined below will require considerable thought and agile
learnings from practical experience. The types of social and environmental issues raised by offshore
geothermal are quite different from those related to geothermal activities on land, and the long-term
impact of offshore geothermal resource development deserves to be carefully discussed and
scientifically approached. The commentary provided below is designed for ISA-administered areas
(hereafter referred to as ‘Area’). It references some of the best practice procedures stated in the
draft High Seas Treaty (United Nations, 2023):
1) Identify and engage all relevant actors and stakeholders, including authorities, indigenous and local
communities, employees, contractors and non-government organizations. Maximize contribution to
sustainable development, manage and mitigate environmental risks and impacts, better understand and
meet the expectations and needs of
society and the political situation, assess social impacts and opportunities, conduct social
baseline studies, ensure good governance and maintain high standards of ethics.
2) Location and project-appropriate environmental impact reports will be required to be lodged and approved
by the relevant authority before any offshore activity commences. The assessment must look at the
cumulative impacts of the proposed activity over time and consider the protection of migratory species
across their entire migratory route. Companies and governments participating in these exercises will be
required to publish all relevant information and any finished reports through a public mechanism.
3) As part of the public mechanism, companies that wish to conduct activities offshore to advance research,
exploration or development for offshore geothermal will have to adhere to the minimum details of
submission as stated in the High Seas Treaty in order to ensure transparency.
4) Every effort must be made to ensure that the initial offshore geothermal wells are a success.Early success will
attract investment. Early failure will delay investment – a delay that the world cannot afford given the rate
of climate change and the slowness of national remediation actions.
a. In order to progress at the speed and scale required to make a meaningful impact on delivering
sustainable energy at affordable cost, all existing information needs to be readily available. All
existing and new data sets will need to be held in agreed project-friendly data structures, with
duplicate data sets stored in several secure but public data repositories.
b. This will ensure that gaps in existing data coverage can be accurately identified, enabling new work
programmes to be designed efficiently and without duplication.
c. In addition, since offshore geothermal wells are expensive to drill, it is vital that no offshore

geothermal well is drilled unsuccessfully owing to a critical piece of information not being available
to the exploration operation.
d. Emphasis on transparency will require that all companies wishing to research or develop offshore
geothermal will have to adhere to the minimum details of submission as stated in the High Seas
Treaty.
5) Existing information in this context is defined to include (but not be limited to):
a. Public, readily available data.
b. Data held by companies, institutions and individuals in sites which are theoretically public but
currently difficult to access.
c. Information held in national data repositories with limited-access policies.
d. Confidential information held by companies, institutions and individuals.
6) Companies, institutions or individuals contributing bona fide confidential information for offshore
geothermal use should be given appropriate credit for their contributions, whilst entities or individuals
found to have withheld public information should not be allowed to benefit from offshore geothermal
activities in exploration or development.
7) In order to encourage the acquisition of technical and scientific data of all types, no entity should be allowed
to insure against risk – in other words, the geological, engineering and environmental uncertainties will be
managed by the acquisition of relevant data and by taking appropriate action, not by risk insurance.
8) In order to encourage the rapid acquisition of new data for exploration purposes, each data type would have
a period of exclusivity of up to 24 months from the start of the data acquisition programme for that data
type.
9) In order to encourage the rapid acquisition of new data for development and production purposes, each
data type would have a period of exclusivity of up to 12 months from the start of the data acquisition
programme for that data type.
10) Particular credit will be given to data acquisition programmes that are not only fit for the immediate purpose
but are of sufficient quality to provide long-term cost effectiveness for offshore geothermal as a whole.
11) Many of the elements of the existing ISA legislation covering seabed mining activity could be readily adapted
to offshore geothermal. However, the legislation and licencing would benefit from the addition of some
protocols from onshore geothermal and offshore petroleum activities.
12) Onshore geothermal developments have for many decades been designed to handle the fluid temperatures
and fluid chemistries likely to be targeted by offshore geothermal – so it would be beneficial to add relevant
best practices from the onshore geothermal industry into the ISA legislation for offshore geothermal.
13) Offshore petroleum developments for oil and gas have for many decades been designed to handle fluid
pressures far in excess of those to likely be targeted by offshore geothermal, and the industry also has
experience of insulating tubing in deep water to minimise heat loss – it would therefore be beneficial to add
relevant best practice from the offshore petroleum industry into the ISA legislation for offshore geothermal.
14) The oil and gas industry is looking at repurposing some of its offshore infrastructure. The lessons learned
through that repurposing exercise will be useful in helping design, from the outset, offshore geothermal
infrastructure with repurposing within the circular economy in mind.
15) This move away from an extract-manufacture-use-discard model to one embracing the recycle, reuse, and
remanufacture concepts of a circular economy, will create new opportunities.
16) An additional focus on modular construction to help drive down costs will be possible because of the scalability of offshore
geothermaldevelopments,andmodularisationwillmakeiteasierforcoastalandislandnationstoparticipate in the manufacturing
processes.
17) Whilst it is possible that some oil and gas industry materials and structures can be directly repurposed for the new offshore
geothermal industry, adequate inspection and permitting safeguards will need to be in place to ensure that such materials and
structures will indeed be fit for the new purpose throughout the long lifetime of a geothermal development.

18) Given the longevity of most geothermal developments, operation and environmental monitoring will be a vital part of the licence
agreement. Publication of the monitoring results will be required to help ensure the integrity of the operation and will also
provide a long time-series of new scientific data in under-sampled parts of the world’s oceans.
3 Blue Economy and Growth Opportunities
Offshore geothermal development in the Area administered by the ISA offers significant
opportunities for all members to collaborate. Well developed, well managed geothermal resources
can support the movement towards sustainable development and attaining the targets set under the
Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). By adhering to
the High Seas Treaty and international law, offshore geothermal presents a fair and equitable
opportunity for all nations.
The offshore geothermal system can ensure access to an affordable, reliable, sustainable baseload
energy that can be utilised for a number of processes that generate additional commodities and
revenue streams outside the realms of just heat and power. These co-developed processes have
the cascading potential to support many SDG’s.
Offshore geothermal resource development, viewed holistically, brings together a number of
technologies that requires a diverse network of expertise and engineering capacity. This demand will
therefore deliver increased job opportunities including scientific roles, engineering expertise and
operational support. Specific training programs for people from developing nations will equitably
distribute opportunities.
Although there are a number of suitable technologies available to deploy and harness the benefits
of offshore geothermal presently, there are several opportunities associated with technological
progress and innovation to further develop this resource.
The “Blue Economy”, from green shipping technology to ocean mapping solutions, contributing to
better protection and responsible management of marine resources, should significantly stimulate
demand for a range of sectors and expertise. Consequently, there is significant scope for new
business entities to enter the offshore geothermal space. The direct effect would be rapid growth in
the sector and a need to expand human and technological resource capacities.
With the focus on partnerships to achieve the UN sustainability goals, wealthier nations that have
supported the High Seas Treaty have pledged to support developing nations to protect international
waters through capacity building and the development and transfer of marine technology.
Offshore geothermal can offer multiple routes to commercialization, and hence a diverse range of
job opportunities within this immediate to long-term, sustainable employment framework. The
following illustrate the diversity of potential developments that may apply in different techno-
commercial and research settings:
Fresh water
In addition to generating green electric power, many offshore geothermal developments will deliver
large volumes of fresh water by condensing steam from the turbines, which, if close to shore, could
be used directly for agriculture or, with minimal processing, would be suitable for drinking.

Green hydrogen and green ammonia
In remote settings, the freshwater from condensing steam could be electrolyzed to produce green
hydrogen. The geothermal electric power could also be used to convert the hydrogen to green
ammonia, for use as fuel for shipping or for use in nitrate fertilizer.
In some geothermal developments, more fresh water may be delivered than can be converted to
hydrogen or ammonia from the available geothermal electricity – this means that options such as
utilizing floating wind farms or floating solar arrays to electrolyze the water might be adopted
according to the geographic setting and economic drivers.
Potential for enhanced fisheries and atmospheric CO2 draw-down
Fertilization of ocean waters by geothermal fluids occurs from numerous seabed vents at
ocean spreading centers and according to Shine et al., 2021 locally may fertilize the
surface waters, giving organic productivity “hot spots” in the open ocean which are
regularly visited by marine mammals and fish stocks.
Thus, the spent geothermal brines may offer potential for localized fertilization that mimics
natural processes. This could occur initially in an enclosed, controlled system during pilot
research phases and potentially later in the open ocean. The enhanced fishery could
initially take the form of aquaculture development adjacent to the geothermal power plant
in a controlled system, and if successful, later extended to enhance the open water fishery.
The process of leveraging naturally nutrient-rich seawater into enclosed systems for
carbon sequestration is already being implemented. However, given the negative results
of use of artificial fertilizers in the open ocean, extensive research into the environmental,
biological and fisheries implications of ocean fertilization by geothermal brines would be
required.
If the research results were positive, this could be particularly beneficial in the low-
productivity ocean “deserts” that occur above many of the world’s oceanic spreading
centers. If necessary, the oxygen by-product from hydrogen production could be used to
create well-oxygenated fertilized ocean waters. The increased primary productivity that
could accompany successful fisheries could help draw down atmospheric CO2 and offer
opportunities for biodiversity enhancement, sustainable fish food production and the
supply of valuable metabolites such as pigments.
If the fisheries enhancement model proved unattractive, the geothermal brines would be
re-injected into permeable rocks deep below the ocean floor. Subsurface re-injection of
brines is a well-established practice in onshore geothermal.
Minerals and mineralization
Our initial research into the amounts of minerals that could be extracted directly from the
geothermal brines over the lifetime of an offshore geothermal field suggests that these
may not be commercial, but the wide spectrum of elements available, advances in
extraction technologies and the changing minerals market, means this could be important

in future.
In Iceland, innovative research is being conducted on CO2 sequestration and storage by
carbonate mineralization in subsurface basaltic rocks. We do not currently know whether
this additional green benefit would be viable for offshore geothermal.
Infrastructure
In order to maintain demand and support marine geothermal development, new
infrastructure both offshore and onshore will be required. Onshore infrastructure
developments can include storage and distribution centers for the produced commodities,
laboratory facilities, improved transport networks and support service hubs.
Some of the new resource support requirements are not tied to the geography closest to
the geothermal resource, so research, development and manufacturing opportunities can
be shared across the globe. The involvement of the ISA will ensure that opportunities
from international waters and the Area are shared with people in less economically
developed areas. For example, during an offshore development this can be achieved
through a number of strategies:
- Collaborating with local organizations and stakeholders can help ensure that opportunities
are shared with people in less economically developed areas. They can help identify
individuals and communities needing employment and training opportunities and help
facilitate their participation in the project.
- Providing training and capacity-building programs can help people in low- to middle-
income areas acquire the skills and knowledge needed to participate in the offshore
energy development project. This can include programs that focus on technical skills,
project management and leadership development.
- Providing development opportunities for existing geothermal facilities in developing countries (e.g.,
Eastern Africa).
- Developing a targeted hiring policy can ensure that job opportunities are equitably shared.
This can include a requirement that targeted communities fill a certain percentage of jobs
or that contractors and subcontractors hire from targeted areas.
The prospects presented will help low- to middle-income countries achieve sustained
levels of economic productivity with a stream of diverse and inclusive work opportunities.
The requirements for good-standard, well trained personnel will be necessary for the
success of offshore geothermal. These training opportunities would be inclusive and
target all social demographics. Some of the learnings and training can be transferred to
onshore applications, enabling people to share and implement their knowledge amongst
their communities.
Companies which plan to undertake activities in international waters will need to carry out
environmental impact reports and assessments with the relevant authorities. A drive in

terms of technology innovation in monitoring for a marine geothermal project life cycle
does not only bring business opportunities, it also has the potential for crossover linkages
with other marine sectors.
Compulsory, long-term data acquisition through environmental monitoring, system
impacts, and production analysis will help drive further research into marine and offshore
energy sciences. There are numerous opportunities to build research capacity in low- to
middle-income countries and provide the basis for evidence-based tools for decision-
makers.
The additional data and economic resources from fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
from offshore geothermal will assist decision-makers in their global aims to enhance
marine conservation and promote the sustainable use of ocean-based resources in order
to help mitigate future challenges the oceans may face.
Concluding Remarks
Most countries are committed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris
Agreement to reducing their carbon emissions to net zero. Emission achievements will be reviewed in the First Global
Stocktake, but currently these are insufficient to reduce global CO2 levels in line with decarbonization targets.
A huge coordinated international effort is required and a global green energy resource with the potential to be developed at
scale and speed must be identified. CGG’s research concludes that offshore geothermal has the potential to be a major
contributor to achieving the targets set out in the Paris Agreement. Through our offshore geothermal patent and multi-decadal
subsurface data, experience, diverse expertise, and high-performance technology, we are poised to help countries and
companies develop a series of pilot offshore geothermal projects and to support acceleration of the marine environmental
research that will be needed to accompany development of the resulting resources.
Schematic showing offshore geothermal resource exploration and development adjacent to sea floor
spreading centers generating baseload power, fresh H2O, green H2 and NH3 with the potential for CO2
storage and controlled ocean fertilization (image © CGG).

NewBase Energy News 19 February - Issue No. 1700 call on +971504822502, UAE
The Editor:” Khaled Al Awadi” Your partner in Energy Services
NewBase energy news is produced Twice a week and sponsored by Hawk Energy Service – Dubai, UAE.
For additional free subscriptions, please email us.
About: Khaled Malallah Al Awadi,
Energy Consultant
MS & BS Mechanical Engineering (HON), USA
Emarat member since 1990
ASME member since 1995
Hawk Energy member 2010
www.linkedin.com/in/khaled-al-awadi-38b995b
Mobile: +971504822502
khdmohd@hawkenergy.net or khdmohd@hotmail.com
Khaled Al Awadi is a UAE National with over 30 years of experience in the Oil & Gas
sector. Has Mechanical Engineering BSc. & MSc. Degrees from leading U.S.
Universities. Currently working as self leading external Energy consultant for the
GCC area via many leading Energy Services companies. Khaled is the Founder of
the NewBase Energy news articles issues, Khaled is an international consultant,
advisor, ecopreneur and journalist with expertise in Gas & Oil pipeline Networks,
waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection
and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Middle East,
Africa and Asia. Khaled has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in
the areas of Gas & Oil with extensive works on Gas Pipeline Network Facilities & gas
compressor stations. Executed projects in the designing & constructing of gas pipelines, gas metering &
regulating stations and in the engineering of gas/oil supply routes.
Has drafted & finalized many contracts/agreements in products sale, transportation, operation &
maintenance agreements. Along with many MOUs & JVs for organizations & governments authorities.
Currently dealing for biomass energy, biogas, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. He has
participated in numerous conferences and workshops as chairman, session chair, keynote speaker and
panelist.
Khaled is the Editor-in-Chief of NewBase Energy News and is a professional environmental writer with over
1400 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable

energy, waste management, plant Automation IA and environmental sustainability in different parts of the
world. Khaled has become a reference for many of the Oil & Gas Conferences and for many Energy program
broadcasted internationally, via GCC leading satellite Channels. Khaled can be reached at any time, see
contact details above.

NewBase 19 January 2024 Energy News issue - 1700 by Khaled Al Awadi_compressed.pdf

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