WorldWide Drilling Resource

42 JUNE 2013 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Geothermal Testing Restarted in Aspen Article Compiled by Samantha Reed, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® More than a year after initial drilling began, the city of Aspen, Colorado, is con- tinuing its search for geothermal energy under its grounds. The project was first commissioned in 2008, when a study found temperatures beneath Aspen rang- ing from 90ºF (32ºC) to 140ºF (60°C). In 2011, drilling contractor, Dan’s Water Well and Pump Service drilled around 1000 feet beneath the surface of one of the city’s parking lots, but was unable to reach water. Twice in 2012, the city tried to resume drilling, but progress was halted because of delays and complications in reaching different agreements on the proj- ect. However, the city recently announced efforts have geared back up in drilling a test well to assess the city’s geothermal energy potential. Dan’s drilling professionals will at- tempt to find hot water within 1500 feet, and will stop if water is not found by that point per the agreement with the city. The contractor reached the 1000-foot mark in 2011, and only has 500 feet left to drill. If geothermal-worthy water is found, plans are to drill more test wells with hopes of eventually developing the energy into a public resource. The project site is essentially the same in size and appearance since it was started in 2011, with efforts continously being made to minimize the impact of construction to the surrounding areas. City officials are pressing the project on as an environmental initiative to aid the community in reducing its carbon footprint. Initial drilling began in 2011 on the project. Photo courtesy of the City of Aspen. Geothermal Drilling Set to Begin in Vanuatu Adapted from information provided by KUTh Energy KUTh Energy (Vanuatu) Limited, a subsidiary of KUTh Energy, has been granted a production license for Vanuatu, an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The Vanuatu Government agreed to allow the company to carry out geothermal exploration and development on the country’s main island of Efate. The company will begin deep drilling and resources assessment to determine the viability of a potential 8-megawatt (MW) geothermal power plant. Although agreements with key stakeholders, includ- ing landowners and state utility UNELCO must still be finalized, the company is confident they will be able to begin con- struction within 36 months after the PPA (power purchase agreement) is signed. The idea of geothermal power gen- eration is an exciting one for inhabitants of the island. Currently, the island is depend- ent on expensive imported diesel fuel for power generation. Clean, reliable geo- thermal power has attracted the interest of not only potential investors, but also banks and donor agencies to help get the project off the ground. The issuance of this production license gives the company exclusive geothermal development rights for 30 years. The next step is to define the resource and determine the exact loca- tion of production drilling. Once the final terms of the PPA have been completed, the company will begin its exploration drilling process. This will involve drilling three slim-hole wells to a depth of approx- imately 5000 feet. KUTh has three resource targets, the Takara, Teouma, and Epule, all of which are included in the license area. The company plans to begin the explo- ration process with the Takara resource area which is close to the northeast coast of the island. The Teouma includes a series of warm springs along the north- south Teouma Graben, a significant geo- logical feature which cuts across the entire island. The Epule covers an extension of the subsurface geothermal features from Takara. David McDonald, managing direc- tor for KUTh said, “Our approach to the development has been to make sure that we have the commercial and regu- latory setting in place to establish proj- ect viability. We are very conscious that with a small development it is important to get this settled before undertaking the investment in rig mobilization and drilling of the resource target. In this proj- ect, we are now well on our way...while there is still a long way to go, the issue of the production license is an important platform to launch from.” To keep geothermal power produc- tion comparable to the existing technical specification of the grid, KUTh plans to carry out the plant development in two phases, each phase comprising a 4-MW power generation block. The first phase is scheduled to be completed in mid- 2015, and the second phase should be completed in 2017. KUTh Managing Director David McDonald sealing the deal with Minister James Bule with Chief Ameara in attendance. • Simple installation • Trouble-free operation For more information call: (270) 786-3010 or visit us online: www.geothermalsupply.com Atlantis V Atlantis Vaauulltt “Advertising is totally unnecessary...unless you hope to make money.” ~ Jef I. Richards Wo r d s o f Wi sd om