Why and how does CDGP limit access to some deep geothermal data

The Data Centre for Deep Geothermal Energy (CDGP – Centre de Données de Géothermie Profonde, https://cdgp.u-strasbg.fr) was launched in 2016 by the LabEx G-EAU-THERMIE PROFONDE - now ITI GeoT, https://iti-geot.unistra.fr/ - to preserve, archive and distribute data acquired on geothermal sites in Alsace. Since the beginning of the project, specific procedures are followed to respect international requirements for data management. In particular, FAIR recommendations are used to distribute Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable data “As Open as Possible, as Closed as Necessary”.

CDGP distributes data originating from academic institutions as well as industrial partners. The former are obviously open and disseminated without restriction, to fulfil Open Science requirements. The latter are nevertheless less opened, depending on the access restrictions given by the data owner. Up to now, the industrial data may be open, restricted to academic, distributed case-by-case (after owner’s agreement), or closed. Metadata are fully open. The access rights are also pushed to the EPOS TCS-AH platform (https://tcs.ah-epos.eu).

CDGP implemented an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting Infrastructure (AAAI) to handle the distribution rules. Business category is verified at least for academics to grant access. Datasets are provided (or denied) automatically if possible. If necessary, the user’s request is forwarded to the provider who can accept or disallow access. Reports listing datasets distributed to users are sent to providers every six months. This AAAI is build to earn and keep data providers’ trust, as well as to publicized data.

CDGP is trying to broaden the number of open datasets. There are questions on access restrictions to some vintage industrial data of Soultz-sous-Forêts, since some of them where acquired with public European funding. Also, industrial data from Vendenheim area where several felt earthquakes occurred (2019, 2020), currently not available, may become partly accessible since some exploration was done for “scientific purpose” and that expertise studies are required to understand the induced seismicity.