WorldWide Drilling Resource

Drilling for Geothermal Plant in Indonesia Commences Adapted from a Press Release by KS Orka Renewables KS Orka Renewables Pte Ltd of Singapore announced drilling for the Sorik Merapi geothermal project in North Sumatra, Indonesia, has started. The first drilling rig, operated by Dati, is proceeding with drilling on pad A and another drilling rig from KS Drilling is being mobilized for another area in the concession, pad E. The 240-megawatt project is one of the largest greenfield projects in Indonesia. KS Orka is the 95% owner and developer of the project. KS Orka is a joint venture between Hugar Orka ehf (an Icelandic company) and Zhejiang Kaishan Compressor Co., Ltd. KS Orka combines the Icelandic knowl- edge in geothermal development with Kaishan’s power plant technology and man- ufacturing expertise to form Asia’s only vertically integrated geothermal and waste energy company. KS Orka brings to the project some of the most experienced geo- thermal experts and power project developers in the world. The KS Orka team plans to bring the first pilot power plant into operation some time this year. Don’t Forget to Maintain Your Battery! by Darren Stanley Geoprobe ® Service Manager The battery, and specifically the connections to it, seems to be one of the most neglected items on a drilling rig. The hydraulics and engine may get serviced routinely, but very rarely do people take time to clean and maintain the connections at the battery. Loose or corroded connections can lead to starting issues in the field. Routine maintenance of battery connections, and even the connections to the Master Disconnect can eliminate many problems down the road. A poor connection can lower the amperage from the battery getting to the starter, leading to cranking the starter too long without it starting, which in turn can burn up the starter or, at the very least, shorten its life. A good rule of thumb would be to simply remove and clean the connec- tions and reinstall them with some dielectric grease whenever you serv- ice the hydraulics. 31 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® FEBRUARY 2017