Malaysia: Geothermal Reservoir With Temperature Above 200°C at Apas Kiri

Insights Into the Apas Kiri Geothermal System from AK-1D – Malaysia's First Geothermal Exploration Well (Researchgate)

Libbey, Ryan et al & Green Energy, Tawau. (2017).
Geothermal Resources Council Transactions Volume: 41, presented at Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

This paper presents the findings of the first geothermal exploration well in Malaysia, which was drilled at the Apas Kiri prospect in Sabah, on the island of Borneo.

The well was drilled vertically to a depth of 1449 m and encountered bottomhole temperatures of ~200°C. Petrographic, XRD, and fluid inclusion analyses of the core from AK-1D have revealed a prograding sequence of hydrothermal alteration from argillic to phyllic assemblages, providing indications that the geothermal reservoir is associated with near-neutral pH, low-moderate salinity fluids.

The observed thickness of the argillic zone in the downhole samples is in close agreement with the thickness of the <20 ohm-m conductor in the 3D MT inversion model – a valuable verification that has helped to refine the conceptual model of the system by extrapolating the initial results to other parts of the prospect. The available data suggest that AK-1D intersects a deep outflow of the Apas Kiri geothermal system, and that temperatures of >200°C are likely to be encountered in the central upflow region closer to the summit of Mt. Maria.

The findings from Apas Kiri may serve as a useful analog when prospecting for other geothermal systems situated around waning volcanic centers.

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