Evolution of geothermal fluid paths for evaluating energy and CRM harvesting from potential and[...]

Organisation/Company Università degli Studi di Pisa Research Field Geosciences » Geology Geosciences » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 30 Apr 2026 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) Country Italy Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

• Position Overview

PhD Position Title: Evolution of geothermal fluid paths for evaluating energy and CRM harvesting from potential and active exploitation sites in volcanic areas.

Doctoral Candidate (DC) Number: 02

Work Package Number: 2

Research Field(s) (EURAXESS classification): GEOS-01/C

Country: Italy

EmploymentContract signature deadline(expected): July 31st 2026

Research activities Start Date (expected): September 1st 2026

Duration: 36 months

Working Hours: Full time equivalent

• MiningBrinesProject Description

MiningBrines (M ultidisciplinary I ntegration and N etworking for IN creased sustainability and multi-resources valorization of G eothermal Brines ) offers an innovative doctoral training program to address Europe's strategic need for sustainable access to critical raw materials (CRM), energy gases (EG) and renewable energies.

19 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will receive interdisciplinary training in geosciences (Work Packages 2 and 3), biogeochemistry (Work Package 4), artificial intelligence (AI) (Work Package 5), and socio-economic analysis (Work Package 6), equipping them with advanced skills in reservoir modeling, machine learning, advanced oxidation processes (AOP), and microbial enhanced recovery. DCs will also develop intuitive fluid chemistry modeling workflows and innovative multi-criteria intelligent decision support tools, preparing them to drive innovation in geothermal brine mining while collaborating with academic and industry partners on practical solutions.

MiningBrines introduces novel techniques to maximize geothermal multi-resource recovery while minimizing environmental impact. Key innovations include microbial-driven CRM recovery, customized AOP workflows, scalable AI models, and decision support tools that consider technological, economic, and societal aspects. These advances aim to reduce the environmental footprint of resource extraction and align with the sustainability goals of the EU Green Deal.

MiningBrines supports the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act by combining CRM and EG recovery with renewable energy production and circular economy principles, reducing Europe's import dependency and strengthening resilience. In addition, MiningBrines emphasizes collaborative education to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals capable of transforming geothermal multi-resources into a key driver of Europe's green transition.

The impact of MiningBrines goes beyond scientific advances, fostering a skilled workforce for academic and industrial sectors, while establishing Europe as a global leader in sustainable resource management.

MiningBrines promotes public awareness of the multiple benefits of geothermal energy, setting a standard for green industrial practices and long‑term strategic autonomy.

• DC02 Research Project Description

Objectives

The doctoral candidate will investigate the relationships between geological structures and fluid circulation within both actively exploited and potentially exploitable geothermal reservoirs hosted in volcanic rocks. The project aims to elucidate how fault systems, fracture networks, lithological heterogeneities, and hydrothermal alteration zones control permeability architecture and fluid pathways in geothermal systems enriched in Critical Raw Materials (CRM). A central scientific objective is to track the evolution of geothermal fluid pathways in order to assess their implications for sustainable energy production and CRM recovery from both prospective and operational geothermal fields located in volcanic settings. Particular focus will be placed on geothermal systems in the northern Latium volcanic province (Italy), using the Coso geothermal field (USA) as a reference analog for comparison and model validation.

Methods

The research will adopt a multidisciplinary approach integrating structural geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of hydrothermal systems with experimental and numerical methods. Detailed structural analyses will characterize fault geometries, fracture connectivity, and their role in controlling fluid flow. Petrophysical investigations will assess reservoir properties relevant to permeability and storage capacity. Mineralogical and geochemical characterization will include Electron Probe Micro‑Analysis (EPMA) of minerals and volcanic glasses, including melt inclusions, in order to reconstruct magmatic‑hydrothermal evolution and trace element partitioning relevant to CRM enrichment. Fluid inclusion studies and isotopic analyses on rock samples will constrain fluid sources, temperature–pressure conditions, and fluid–rock interaction processes. Laboratory‑based fluid percolation experiments will simulate reservoir‑scale transport processes and quantify permeability evolution under controlled conditions. These datasets will be integrated into thermofluidodynamic numerical models designed to simulate geothermal circulation and evaluate energy extraction and CRM mobilization potential in the investigated systems. Comparative analyses will be conducted between the conceptual geological and geochemical models developed for northern Latium and exploited geothermal reservoir analogs from the United States and Turkey to assess the robustness and transferability of the proposed multi‑resource exploitation framework.

Expected Results

The project is expected to deliver a comprehensive geological and structural characterization of exploitable geothermal sites in the northern Latium volcanic province, framed within a comparative perspective using the Coso geothermal field as a reservoir analog. It will provide a quantitative assessment of the Critical Raw Material potential of northern Latium geothermal systems based on integrated petrophysical and geochemical characterization of reservoir rocks and fluids. The development of thermofluidodynamic numerical models will allow simulation of geothermal circulation patterns and resource extraction scenarios, thereby refining conceptual models of fluid evolution and reservoir performance. Through systematic comparison with exploited analog systems in the United States and Turkey, the research will evaluate the suitability and scalability of the proposed methodology for multi-resource harvesting in volcanic geothermal reservoirs, contributing to improved strategies for combined geothermal energy and CRM recovery.

• Supervisory Team

Main Supervisor (host institution): Prof. Paolo Fulignati (University of Pisa, Italy)

Co‑supervisor(s): Keith Rainville (Coso, USA), Andrea Dini (CNR‑IGG, Italy), Marion Louvel (CNRS, France), Nebojša Atanacković (UOB, Serbia)

• Planned Secondments (institution, country, duration)

Secondment one at Coso, USA, October 2027 – December 2027, to investigate Coso geothermal field.

Secondment two at CNR‑IGG, Italy, April 2028 – June 2028, to perform isotopic analyses on rock samples.

Secondment three at CNRS, France, August 2028 – October 2028, to conduct fluid percolation experiments in reservoir rocks.

Secondment four at UOB, Serbia, April 2029 – June 2029, to develop the thermofluid numerical model of the study area.

• Training and Network Environment

The successful candidate will be part of the MiningBrines Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Doctoral Network, a European training programme bringing together universities, research institutes, and industry partners. Doctoral candidates will benefit from:

• Joint network‑wide training schools and workshops
• An interdisciplinary and international research environment

Where to apply

E‑mail

Requirements

Research Field Geosciences » Geology

Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Master’s degree or a similar degree with an equivalent academic level in Earth Sciences (or equivalent), a master’s degree that gives access to a PhD program in the country where it was obtained and meets the admission requirements of the PhD program of the university for this position.
• Strong motivation for interdisciplinary research
• Excellent command of spoken and written English (mandatory)
• Activation of the PhD position is subject to academic approval by the University, to be made after the selection process. The candidate will be enrolled in one of the PhD programmes (Geosciences e Ambiente) at the Department of Sciences of the Terra at the University of Pisa, under the supervision of Prof. Paolo Fulignati.
• Ability to work in a team
• Good background in structural geology
• Good background in petrology and geochemistry of hydrothermal systems

Languages: ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

• Contract type: Full‑time doctoral temporary contract according to national legislation and MSCA Doctoral Networks requirements.
• Salary: MSCA living allowance + mobility allowance (+ family allowance if applicable), adjusted by country correction coefficient.
• Social security: Full coverage according to national regulations.
• Funding is provided for research, training and networking activities.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must comply with the MSCA eligibility criteria:

• Must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment.
• Can be of any nationality.
• Should be enrolled in a doctoral programme during the project.
• Must comply with the mobility rules: in general, they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organization for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
• Copies of diplomas and list of courses taken, and grades obtained need to be included in the application.
• A letter of application.
• A 1‑page critical summary of an article of their choice.
• The name of two contact persons (former teachers or supervisors, who are asked to send a support letter).
• Academic credentials to a dedicated email address.

2nd round of selection

The 3 best candidates for a position will be interviewed by videoconference.

During the interview, additional scientific and soft skills competences will be evaluated.

Recruitment follows MSCA principles of transparency, merit‑based evaluation, and equal opportunities. State security requirements are out of the MiningBrines Consortium hands.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe under grant agreement No. .

This project has received funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Università di Pisa (UNIPI) Country Italy City Pisa Geofield

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute COSO Operating Company, LLC (COSO) Country United States State/Province California Geofield

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Country Italy Geofield

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Country France Geofield

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Univerzitet U Beogradu – Rudarsko Geoloski Fakultet (UOB) Country Serbia Geofield

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