It’s called ‘spudding.’ It’s the process of beginning to drill a well in the oil and gas industry and Borealis GeoPower is doing it near the Kinbasket Reservoir – but it’s not oil they’re drilling for.
Borealis GeoPower, a Calgary-based energy company began drilling on Monday, June 11, and they aren’t looking for oil. They are looking for heat radiating from the earth’s core, finding its way up through the Rocky Mountain trench.
The four geothermal test wells, if successful, could give rise to the first geothermal power plant in the country, potentially supplying the valley with stable local power. The test well will show how the temperature increases with depth and, with luck, will confirm the exploration work already been done in the area over the last eight years.
This is the first exploratory drill hole in the area despite an interest in the area’s geothermal resources dating back to the 1970s.
