May 2020 GRC Bulletin

Read the Full May 2020 GRC Bulletin Here

DJIBOUTI: AfDB Grants US$ 3.22 Million for Geothermal Project Around Lake Assal (Afrik21)

A geothermal exploitation project around Lake Assal is receiving US$ 3.22 million in financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The project will eventually produce 50 MWe in two phases.

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First Geothermal Independent Power Producer in Ethiopia (ESI Africa)

The African Development Bank has welcomed a decision by the Trust Fund Committee of the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), one of two funds within the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), to extend a $10 million concessional senior loan for the development of the 50MW Tulu Moyo Geothermal Power Plant project in Ethiopia.

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In Memoriam: GRC Remembers Two Members

Two members of the geothermal sciences and GRC community passed away early this year. GRC shares the legacies of John Wilson Pritchett, a pioneer geothermal scientist, and Constance "Connie" Parks-Karl, a champion of women's roles in male-dominated fields.

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Can the Fly Ash, Metakaolin and Silica Flour in Light-Wellbore Cement Slurries Prevent Alkali-Silica Reactivity of Glass Microspheres?

Cementing is a required process for drilling and completing any types of wellbores, those producing geo-fluids, or used for injection of waste fluids. The cementing process is completed by pumping the cement down through a casing string, then back up between the formation and casing where the cement forms bonds between the two and seals off fluid flow in this area. The hydrated cement slurries used in the wellbore construction are expected to maintain their integrity throughout the life span of the well, often at high temperatures and pressures as well as being exposed to geochemically aggressive fluids. Loss in cement integrity can lead to fluid migration through the cement, as well as structural issues that result in costly workovers during service life of the well, and would increase complexity of permanent plugging and abandonment of the well as well. 

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California Banks on Lithium Extraction and Geothermal Holds the Key

“California has the potential to be the leading supplier of lithium in the world,” said California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild. It’s a bold statement from the state level, but one that is backed by both a growing demand for the metal and the development of new geothermal extraction technologies.

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Transformational Change Comes to the Geothermal Resources Council

This industry magazine has been published since 1972, and has been a backbone of the geothermal industry. Since then it has been providing relevant news for our members, valuable technical articles, and information on the latest innovations in our industry. Over the years, the Bulletin has changed formats many times; though we moved away from a printed format two years ago, we are still continuing the tradition of informing our members, community, and public in the most accessible way.

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Successful Well Design and Remedial Cementing by Top Squeeze Method at Steamboat, NV, USA

Ormat drilled well 42A-32 in the Steamboat field in 2018 to support injection at its Steamboat complex. Injection well 42A-32 was drilled to replace existing injection well 42-32 in the Steamboat field. Geologic conditions present at the well location include an unconfined NCG (non-condensible gas) entrained steamzone above a highly fractured and permeable reservoir. Well 42-32 had issues with lost circulation, lack of cement returns on the intermediate casing string, and later during its operating life, the well had cement and casing corrosion requiring multiple scab liners. As a result, the well operated for less than 10 years.

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Growing Geothermal Industry in Canada Supported by Canadian Oil Service Sector (Hydrogen Fuel News)

The Canadian Oil Service Sector has teamed up to provide the growing geothermal industry in Canada with support through a new alliance. This alliance will promote development in this renewable energy and create jobs for former oil workers.

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Munich Taps into Geothermal Power to Widen District Cooling Grid (Recharge News)

Munich utility Stadtwerke München (SWM) is investing €80m ($87m) to expand its climate-friendly district cooling network with pipelines carrying cold air from a geothermal plant in the southern district of Sendling to a grid supplying inner-city clients.

The 20-kilometre-grid so far had been fed by the cold from underground streams and ground water in the area, and pushes down electricity consumption for cooling by 70%. SWM’s geothermal plants so far produce power and heat for the district heating system of Germany’s third-largest city.

The cold pipeline under the ‘Cool City 2.0’ plan from the Sendling geothermal plant to the inner city will be 5kms long and is expected to be built by the end of next year.

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