# Geothermal favourability in data-scarce regions: incorporating physical and socio-economic factors into a modified Play fairway approach, southwestern Yukon, Canada

## TL;DR

The paper explores geothermal energy potential in a remote Canadian region by combining physical and socio-economic factors in a modified Play fairway approach.

## Contribution

The study introduces socio-economic factors into geothermal Play fairway analysis for data-scarce regions.

## Key findings

- A modified Play fairway approach was adapted for low-temperature geothermal exploration in data-scarce regions.
- Socio-economic parameters were integrated alongside physical factors to assess geothermal potential.
- The analysis identified interest in geothermal exploration near the Denali fault in southwestern Yukon.

## Abstract

Geothermal energy could be used to reduce or replace diesel for heating in remote northern communities. Geothermal development has primarily focused on shallow, high-temperature resources, but interest in low-temperature and deep geothermal resource exploration has increased as energy costs and climate change policy have evolved. Here, we evaluated the low-temperature geothermal favourability in southwestern Yukon by adapting Play fairway analysis to data-scarce regions. Play fairway analysis is a spatial statistical tool that uses a layered data approach to model favourability and risk assessments for resource exploration. Previous Play fairway analyses concentrate on the physical aspects of geothermal favourability: heat, permeability, and fluid availability. This study presents an overview of potential direct and indirect physical parameters that could be used in a geothermal Play fairway analysis in data-scarce regions and introduces the importance of considering socio-economic data in the exploration phase. The socio-economic controls are grouped into quantitative and qualitative parameters that describe population trends and community interests. The framework presented is then applied to a Play fairway analysis for southwestern Yukon. Based on the physical and socio-economic analysis, there is interest in exploring geothermal potential along the Denali fault near Duke River to support the community of Burwash Landing.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40517-025-00345-6.