WorldWide Drilling Resource

Update: Success in Guatemala Adapted from a Press Release by U.S. Geothermal, Inc. Last month, WWDR re- ported that U.S. Geothermal, Inc. was restarting its drilling project at the El Ceibillo Project located near Guatemala City (see Geothermal Drilling Continues in Guatemala on page 17 of the November issue of WWDR ). The company recently announced its subsidiary, U.S Geothermal Guatemala S.A., has completed drilling well EC-2A and it successfully intersected a commercial geothermal resource. The resource was intersected at a depth of 1300 feet and had a flowing temperature of 389°F (198.5°C). This well was drilled to follow up on a 2014 temperature gradient drilling program in which two shallow wells also found high-temperature fluids, but not in commercial quantities. “We are extremely pleased with the results of this well, discovering geothermal fluids with both high temperature and in commercial quantities,” said Dennis Gilles, CEO. “We are additionally pleased and grateful to the Minister of Energy and Mines, for providing the final approval of our modified concession agreement. Our goal now is to continue to expand the reservoir area, and define the expected size of the project so we can move forward to secure a Power Purchase Agreement and start construction.” Based on this discovery, two additional wells have been sited to extend the re- source area to the south and west of the known high-temperature permeability area. Drill pads are being constructed and drilling of the next well is expected to begin soon, depending on the weather. Pending results of these two wells, a decision will be made on the location for a production size well to fully test the resource to deter- mine its size and production characteristics. 39 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® DECEMBER 2015