Philippines: Montelago Geothermal Project Criticized for Not Providing Enough Local Power

Mindoro gov’t drops support for major geothermal project

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Oriental Mindoro has withdrawn its endorsement to a multi-million geothermal energy project, saying the proponent failed to provide the necessary power supply to Mindoro island.

In a resolution, the board rescinded its resolution in 2014 endorsing the Montelago Geothermal Project (MGP) of Emerging Power Inc. (EPI) for the drilling of geothermal wells as part of the exploration process to determine the viability of the $180-million energy project.

The board said Emerging Power failure to deliver its commitment to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO) Inc., based on the terms and conditions postulated under the Power Supply Agreement.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - Philippines: Government to Guarantee Power Supply Agreement for 40 MW Montelago Geothermal Project
• Tuesday, October 13, 2015 - Philippines: Drilling Starts at 40 MW Montelago Geothermal Project
• Thursday, September 17, 2015 - Philippines: Icelandic Company to Continue Drilling Contract at Montelago

Latin America: EOI for Geothermal Development Facility Funding to Open July 16

Geothermal Development Facility

Expression of Interest (EOI) for Call 4 will be open from July 16 to August 29, 2019.

Do you have a geothermal project for Surface Studies or Confirmation Drilling in one of the countries in the image above?

The Geothermal Development Facility (GDF) will open its fourth call to Expressions of Interest (EOI) from July 16 to August 29, 2019. We are very interested in knowing about your project. It can be the beginning of great opportunities for your project and the development of geothermal energy in Latin America.

Register Now.........

Remember, the Pre-Expression of Interest sign-up is always open.
Feel free to call us at +1 (716) 566 - 2741 or write us at info@gdflac.com

Geothermal Energy News from Around the World

Global Geothermal News - Weekly Update (Geothermal Resources Council)

A round-up of this week's international geothermal energy news.......

Click on the links below to view the whole story and other news on Global Geothermal News.

Germany: Borehole Geophysics and Geothermal Energy Workshop

Joint EAGE/BVG/FKPE Workshop on Borehole Geophysics and Geothermal Energy (EAGE)

22 November 2019, Munich, Germany

There is a great overlap between the needs for geothermal and hydrocarbon exploration. Responsible people in the geothermal energy sector should be aware of everything new in the oil and gas sector.

The workshop will cover those new methods and such enable geothermal projects to gain a better estimation of important parameters like permeability or a fracture inventory. In particular, the knowledge of porosity and permeability are key elements for an economic development of each geothermal project. This knowledge will finally contribute to in improved productivity of geothermal doublets.

More Information.........

Finland: Enough Geothermal Energy to Provide for Country's Energy Needs for Ever

Lämpökartta näyttää, kuinka maaperässä piilee rajattomasti energiaa
 - The heat map shows how unlimited energy lies in the soil (Helsingin Sanomat)

Suomen maaperässä on niin paljon energiaa, että se riittäisi kattamaan maamme energiatarpeet ikuisiksi ajoiksi.

Tästä energiasta tunnetuinta on niin sanottu maalämpö, eli geoenergia. Se on maankuoren ylimpään 300 metriin varastoitunutta energiaa, jonka lähteet ovat Auringossa, radioaktiivisten isotooppien hitaassa hajoamisessa ja maan sisältä säteilevässä lämmössä.

(From Google Translate) There is so much energy in the Finnish underground that it would be enough to cover our country's energy needs forever. 

The best known of this energy is so-called geothermal energy, ie geo-energy. It is the energy stored in the top 300 meters of the earth's crust, the sources of which are the Sun, in the slow decay of radioactive isotopes and in the heat radiating from the earth. If all the stored geothermal energy were recovered it would correspond to Finland's energy production for a thousand years.

Lue lisää........                            Read More.........

Science & Technology: Promising Technique for Geothermal Reservoir Characterization Using CT Scanning

Continuous porosity characterization: Metric-scale intervals in heterogeneous sedimentary rocks using medical CT-scanner (Science Direct)

by Stéphanie Larmagnata et al

CT-Scanner (Wikipedia Commons)

Although computed tomography (CT-Scanning) has been regularly applied to core analyses in petroleum geology, there is still a need to improve our ways to document porosity and porosity distribution in the entire pore scale spectrum, from the tens of nanometer to the meter-scale.

Porosity imaging is particularly crucial for complex and heterogeneous rocks such as hydrothermally altered and fractured carbonates. The present work proposes an improved method using medical-CT to reliably estimate reservoir porosity.

The methodology tested on a large set of reference core material shows a strong correlation between conventional gas porosimetry techniques and porosity from CT-scan. The added value of the porosity measurements by CT-scan is, first of all, the generation of 3D images of pore network, allowing to assess spatial attributes of macropores, their distribution and connectivity. Secondly, the CT-scan method also provides continuous porosity profile at the millimetric scale. Both developments are crucial for the understanding of reservoir rock properties.

Read More.......

Continuous porosity characterization: Metric-scale intervals in heterogeneous sedimentary rocks using medical CT-scanner by Stéphanie Larmagnata et al. Marine and Petroleum Geology. Volume 109, November 2019, Pages 361-380.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2019.04.039

Education: Interview With Winner of Geothermal Design Challenge

Modern Geovisualisation: Interview With Bane Sullivan (Seequent)

One of the research groups we (Seequent) support is the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) project at the University of Utah. This project aims to provide research on enhanced geothermal systems (learn more here). This year, FORGE held a student Geothermal Design Challenge, asking students to “research data, interpret information and create a data visualization portfolio that will tell a compelling story about geothermal energy.”

One of the winners was Bane Sullivan – a geovisualisation developer, geophysics researcher and Master’s student at the Colorado School of Mines. Bane's team won for their project titled ‘Open Source Solutions for 3D Communication’. Their project used available open source software, including SimPEG (developed in part by Seequent’s Director of Cloud Architecture, Rowan Cockett) and the Open Mining Format (which we are also supporting).

Why did you decide to participate in the forge geothermal design challenge?
It was a good opportunity for me to showcase our work. Even if we didn't win, it was an opportunity for me to take data from one project and generate a few 3D visualisations using PyVista. And then be able to share, demo those, and say, "this is what the software can do."

A suite of open-source Python packages, enabling available data sets to be incrementally integrated into a 3-D scene, was used in this submission. Tools used include The Open Mining Format, ParaView, SGeMS, and SimPEG, along with additional tools made by the team itself. 3-D visualisations such as this submission could enable researchers and scientists to rapidly explore data, communicate findings, and facilitate the reproducibility of results. View the portfolio here.

Read More.........

United Kingdom: Project to Research Geothermal Resources Given Go-Ahead

Cheshire lays foundations for a sustainable future with green light given for world-class geoenergy research site (News Release)

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWACC) councillors have unanimously approved the British Geological Survey’s (BGS) planning application to site a UK Geoenergy Observatory at Ince Marshes in the north of the county.

The decision will see some 50 boreholes drilled down to 1200 m around a 12 km2 area, enabling scientists to gain the clearest picture yet of the underground environment.

The boreholes will be installed with some £2.5 million worth of scientific sensors, which will observe in unprecedented detail how the underground system works. The sensors will generate millions of terabytes of data on the chemical,
physical and biological properties of the rocks over a 15-year period, providing the nation with the knowledge it needs to unlock new clean, green, low-carbon energy technologies.

Read More...........

Geothermal Event! GRC Annual Meeting & Expo

Geothermal Event!

• Register for the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo now and save up to $150!
• Book your booth space now! Only 32 spaces left!
• Register for the Charity Golf Tournament! Only 11 foursomes left!

More Information and Register........

 ~~~~~~~~~~

Neck Wallets Sponsored By Ormat

The GRC would like to thank Ormat for sponsoring the Neck Wallets again for this year's Annual Meeting & Expo. We appreciate Ormat's continuing support and generosity.

At Ormat Technologies, Inc., we’re always on; delivering renewable power and energy solutions to our customers around the clock and around the world.

Clean, reliable energy solutions provided from geothermal, recovered energy, as well as energy management and storage solutions, is our expertise, commitment and focus. Our vertically integrated structure enables us to leverage our renewable energy expertise, our core capabilities, and our global experience to supply and develop geothermal, recovered energy, and energy management and storage solutions. For more information, please visit Ormat's website.

Costa Rica: Successful Operation at 55 MW Las Pailas II Geothermal Plant

Pailas II geothermal power project at 55 MW rated capacity has been achieved today July 3, 2019.

LinkedIn post by Didier Ugalde

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - Costa Rica: Start of Operations at 55 MW Las Pailas II Geothermal Plant Brought Forward to May
• Thursday, March 14, 2019 - Costa Rica: Wildlife Relocated from Around Las Pailas II Geothermal Project
• Monday, January 22, 2018 - Costa Rica: Drilling Completed for 55 MW Las Pailas II Geothermal Project
• Monday, October 17, 2016 - Costa Rica: Mitsubishi Hitachi to Provide Turbine for 55 MW Pailas II Geothermal Power Project

Belgium: Video on Mol Geothermal District Heating Project

Rencontres #129 : Report about deep geothermal energy - VITO (SPIEkingtoU)

(Video 1:56 Minutes)

At Mol, near Antwerp, in Belgium, hot water from deep underground is being transformed into energy in a groundbreaking project led by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO). SPIE’s state-of-the-art cooling systems are at the heart of the process. More information........

Europe: GeoSmart Project Kicks Off to Enhance Competitiveness in Smart and Flexible Geothermal Operations

Geosmart: Towards Flexible And Efficient Geothermal Systems (TWI Ltd)

TWI widens its remit in the geothermal revolution with the kick-off of project GeoSmart. With an overall budget of 17 million Euros, GeoSmart aims to implement technologies for geothermal to enhance competitiveness in smart and flexible operation. The project will address the strategic flexibility required from European geothermal installations, as they become significant energy sources over the next 20-30 years.

Despite the offerings, deployment of geothermal energy continues to remain a challenge mainly due to limited flexibility, large capital expenditures and, scaling issues, thus limiting its exploitation as opposed to the wind and solar power generation. In the context of GeoSmart project, the consortium aims to optimise and demonstrate innovations to improve the flexibility and efficiency of geothermal heat and power systems, specifically:

• Energy storage and power block management innovations to provide daily flexibility;
• Integration of more flexible Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems that can cope with variations in needs in the electricity markets;
• Combined Heat and Power (CHP) supplier to extract more heat from the post-generator ("waste" heat) brine outflows when required for increased heating supply during colder weather.

The GeoSmart consortium includes 19 partners across Europe including TWI (UK), VITO (Belgium), Zorlu Energy (Turkey), CEA (France), Atlas Copco (Belgium), EGEC (Belgium), Fraunhofer (Germany), Spike Renewables (Italy), ON power (Iceland), University of Iceland (Iceland), Middle East Technical University (Turkey), BERTIN (France), Gerosion (Iceland), Kadir Has University (Turkey), Technovative solutions (UK), Flowphys (UK), PVALD (Iceland), COSVIG (Italy) and Innovation Centre Iceland (Iceland).

Read More.........

Finland: Geothermal District Heating Project Taps Two-Kilometer-Deep Well

NREP, Logicenters and QHeat build the world’s first deep geothermal well in Espoo (News Release)

Nordic real estate investment company NREP and Logicenters will build the world’s first deep geothermal well with seasonal storage capability in Espoo in cooperation with the energy industry start-up QHeat. The project pilots a new, nearly emission-free energy solution for large real estate, producing as much as 40 times the heat energy of traditional geothermal heating.

The deep geothermal well developed by QHeat is a medium-depth geothermal well drilled to the depth of approximately two kilometres and can heat and cool large real estate areas or regional grids with near-zero emissions. The solution enables emission-free geothermal heating in growing urban areas, as well, as it is well suited to dense housing areas and groundwater areas. The pilot is carried out at the NREP Logicenters’ logistics property in Espoo, and it is estimated to reduce the property’s CO₂ emissions by as much as 90 per cent. The project is set to be completed by the end of November.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Monday, April 1, 2019 - Finland: Oil Company is Behind 40 MWth Espoo Geothermal District Heating Project
• Friday, February 15, 2019 - Finland: How the 15,000 Foot Deep Wells At the Espoo Geothermal District Heating Project Were Drilled
• Tuesday, July 24, 2018 - Finland: Stimulation Begins at at the Espoo Geothermal Deep Heat Project
• Monday, April 23, 2018 - Finland: Drilling at 40 MWth Espoo Geothermal District Heating Project Reaches Final Depth of 6,400 Meters
• Tuesday, May 10, 2016 - Finland: Drilling Starts for 40 MWth Espoo Geothermal District Heating Project
• Monday, December 1, 2014 - Finland: Large Scale Geothermal Energy District Heating Project to be Built in Helsinki Suburbs

Philippines: Leisure Resort Signs On for More Geothermal Power

Widus International expands deal with AboitizPower (BusinessWorld Online)

Aboitiz Power Co. said on Wednesday that it had signed up Widus International Leisure, Inc. to switch to its Cleanergy brand.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, the company said the owner and operator of the hotel and casino tapped AboitizPower for a 2.5-megawatt (MW) energy requirement, which is an expansion of its previous 1.5-MW supply deal.

The energy supply for the premier leisure destination at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga is being sourced from one of Aboitiz Power Co.’s renewable plants, the MakBan geothermal power plant that straddles the provinces of Batangas and Laguna.

AboitizPower said Widus signed a power supply agreement under the retail competition and open access (RCOA) scheme, which allows businesses and institutions with a monthly average peak demand of 750 kilowatts to source their energy supply from a retail electricity supplier.

“In the retail electricity market, customers are given the opportunity to choose the supplier and rate that will allow for savings and security from market volatility,” it said.

Read More.........

Ethiopia: Site Preparation Underway at Tulu Moye Geothermal Project

Ethiopia to launch $2.5 billion geothermal electric project (New Business Ethiopia)

The Tulu Moye Geothermal project will be implemented in West Arsi Zone in Oromia region of Ethiopia at a total cost of $2.5 billion. 

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tulu Moye Geothermal, Darrell Boyed told the state daily paper, The Ethiopian Herald that the company is currently performing various works in the project site including opening offices in the project site and in Addis Ababa as well as constructing a road at the project site.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Friday, June 14, 2019 - Ethiopia: Kengen Wins Contract to Provide Geo-Scientific Survey and Drill Eight Wells at Tulu Moye Geothermal Operations
• Monday, October 29, 2018 - Ethiopia: Contract Signed to Develop 50 MW Tulu Moye Geothermal Power Plant
• Tuesday, September 4, 2018 - Ethiopia: 520 MW Tulu Moye Geothermal Project Moves Ahead
• Friday, August 24, 2018 - Ethiopia: USTDA to Support Development of First 50 MW at Tulu Moye Geothermal Project
• Wednesday, December 2, 2015 - Ethiopia: Reykjavík Geothermal Awarded $1 Million for Exploration at Tulu-Moye Geothermal Prospect

The Geothermal Energy Magazine - 54 Pages Now Available Online

Now Available - GRC Bulletin - Vol. 48, No. 3, May/June 2019

The May/June issue of the GRC Bulletin is now available to download. Produced by the Geothermal Resources Council since 1972, the Bulletin is the voice of the international geothermal energy community.

In this issue:

• President’s Message, by Andy Sabin
• Executive Director's Message, by William Pettitt
• Communication from the GRC
• Inside Geothermal: 9 pages of geothermal energy news from around the world
• Geothermal Energy in Mining – A Renewable and Reliable Energy Solution, by Kyle Boynton et al.
• Preliminary Assessment of Offshore Geothermal Resource Potential of Portugal, by Lakshman R. T. Pedamallu et al.
• S4CE: Science for Clean Energy Project, by TWI Ltd.
• Geo-Drill: A Holistic Drilling Technology For Geothermal Systems, by Geo-Drill Consortium
• Geothermal in Negros Oriental, by Christ Quinicot
• Publications, Websites, Video & Maps
• Calendar of Events

The GRC Bulletin is only available online to GRC members. To make sure of your copy join the GRC today!

GRC Annual Meeting & Expo - Geothermal Event App!

Geothermal Energy Event - We've Got an App for That!

The GRC is again providing an event app for the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo. It is now available to download to an iPhone, Android or Windows Smartphone, tablet or laptop computer giving event attendees better access to information and networking.

The mobile app allows the GRC to post more information online and avoid print costs.

Did you know you can advertise on the GRC Event App? Contact Chi-Meng at Cmoua@geothermal.org for more information.

We strongly encourage you to download the mobile guide to enhance your experience at the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo.

You'll be able to plan your day with a personalized schedule and browse exhibitors, maps and general show info. You can browse all the essential information even without internet access.

Start off by downloading the container "Attendify" app, then search for "GRC Annual Meeting & Expo".


After a simple download and installation the app can be personalized with your own schedule and notes on activities. When you sign-in to the app you will be able to interact with other attendees and build an on-site network. Attendees will also be able to post their own photos and comments to the app for all to see on the "activity stream".

Scan this QR Code

The App is a work in progress, updates are loaded as information becomes available and your feedback is encouraged as you get familiar with it. All questions and feedback can be sent to Ian Crawford at icrawford@geothermal.org.

Download the app now!.......
Web Version.........

Philippines: Government Proposes Auction of 2,000 MW Renewable Energy

DOE plans auction of renewable power (The Philippine Star)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to auction off 2,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity to encourage developers to put up renewable energy (RE) projects, according to a top official of the agency.

The DOE is working on an RE program to attract investors in putting up clean energy power projects, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said during the pre-SONA Economic and Infrastructure Forum Monday.

“We want to build 2,000 MW of RE in 10 years (through) RE auction and green energy rate to motivate investors in the RE program,” Cusi said.

Read More..........

New Zealand: Eastland Group’s New Geothermal Power Plant is a “Significant” Factor Behind a Rise in Company Profits

Kawerau plant played significant role (Gisborne Herald)

(Courtesy Gisborne Herald)

Getting the new Te Ahi O Maui geothermal power plant operational was an “enormous” achievement, Eastland Group chief executive Matt Todd says.

“This is New Zealand’s first major renewable power plant in almost four years.

“It synced to the national grid on October 1, 2018, and is generating around 25 MW of clean, renewable energy — enough to power 25,000 homes. It was delivered alongside our iwi partners and co-investors the A8D Ahu Whenua Trust.

Mr Todd said energy generated was sold on the spot market and through a power purchase agreement. “Revenue from our two geothermal plants will be roughly $20m or 20 percent of total Eastland Group revenue. The reason we sell some of our output on fixed prices is to eliminate some of the spot market volatility.”

Some residents were already benefiting from lower power bills as a result.

Read More..........

Indonesia: Ormat Invests in Geothermal Power Project in East Java with 30-year PPA for up to 110 MW Capacity

Ormat Technologies Acquires 49% Of Ijen Geothermal Project In Indonesia (News Release)

Ormat Technologies, Inc. today announced that it has signed and closed a set of agreements to acquire from a Medco Power subsidiary 49% in the Ijen geothermal project company, which is holding the geothermal license to develop Ijen project in East Java. This acquisition further bolsters Ormat’s global portfolio, and particularly strengthens its position in Indonesia.

Under terms of the agreements, Ormat will acquire 49% of the shares of the Ijen geothermal project company and will commit to additional funding for the project exploration and development, subject to specific conditions.  A subsidiary of Medco Power will retain 51% ownership in the company. Ormat and Medco will develop the project jointly.

The Ijen project assets, whose final capacity will be determined after exploration, include a geothermal concession and 30-year PPA for up to 110 MW capacity. The project is ready for exploration and development with some slim holes already drilled and commercial operation is expected at the end of 2022.

Read More........

Make Sure of Your Booth at the Geothermal Energy Event of the Year

GRC Annual Meeting & Expo - A Geothermal Event!

15-18 September, Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, California, USA

In conjunction with the prestigious Annual Meeting, the GRC will also host an expo in which companies can promote projects, equipment, services, and technology to leading geothermal energy scientists, producers, renewable energy industry stakeholders, regulators, utilities, and key associated business leaders around the world.

56 exhibitors - so far - have signed up for the geothermal energy event of the year:

A.W. Chesterton Company	Ormat Technologies, Inc.
AMSA, Inc.	Paul Graham Drilling & Service Co
Baker Hughes, a GE Company	PCC Metals Group
Boart Longyear Company	PM International Suppliers LLC
BS&B Safety Systems, LLC	POWER Engineers, Inc.
Case RMC	PowerChem Technology
C-FER Technologies (1999) Inc.	Probe (formerly Kuster)
CFM San Diego	Quantec Geoscience Limited
CGG Geoscience	Quantum Spatial, Inc
Dept. of Oil Gas and Geothermal Resources	Rexa, Inc.
EGESIM	Scientific Drilling
Emerson/Caltrol, Inc.	Seequent
EnergyNet	Sinclair Well Products
EvapTech, Inc.	Solenis LLC
Exergy Spa	Southern California Valve
Fuji Electric	Suez
Gardner Denver Nash	Thermochem, Inc.
GeoMechanics Technologies	TNG Energy Services
Geothermal Resources Council	Torishima Pump Mfg.
Geothermal Resource Group	Tsurumi Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
GeothermEx	Turboden
Horizon Well Logging	U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology	Utah FORGE
Maxwell Oil Tools	Veizades & Associates, Inc.
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems	Webco
NALCO Water	Well Analysis Corporation
Navy Geothermal Program	Welltec Inc.
Nevada Division of Minerals	Wieland Thermal Solutions

More Information.........

Contact Ann Lay Email: alay@geothermal.org, Phone: (530) 758-2360 ext. 100 if you have any questions.

United Kingdom: Both Wells Completed at United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project

Update from the United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project (Geothermal Engineering Ltd)

Monday 1st July - We have now completed the drilling of both wells. UD-1 reached a depth of 5275m in April and on Friday 28th June UD-2 reached a depth of 2393m, having reached the Porthtowan Fault Zone.

Demobilisation of the Innovarig will now commence from this week. We are currently in the process of removing all the ancillary equipment before the removal of the main rig elements by the end of July.

Once the rig and ancillary equipment have all been removed from site, we will need to take time to prepare for the testing phase of the project. This may include the need for a ‘workover’ rig to carry out some activities.

More Information........

New Zealand: PhD Opportunity in Integrating Microseismicity with Geothermal Reservoir Models

Microseismicity Geothermal PhD opportunity (Geothermal Institute)

Do you want to work at the cutting-edge of renewable energy, where earthquakes and geothermal systems meet? The Geothermal Institute (Dept. Engineering Science, University of Auckland) is looking to recruit a PhD candidate for a funded project looking at developing new methods for integrating microseismicity with geothermal reservoir models.

These will help us to understand the super-deep, super-hot roots of geothermal systems, and develop better ways to sustainably utilise these resources.

Candidates must have a strong background in mathematics, computer programming and physics. Some geoscience background would be helpful but is not essential.

More Information and application form.........

France: Free Workshop Will Present First Results from Enhanced Geothermal Systems Project

Demonstration of deep geothermal in Europe – MEET H2020 technical workshop (MEET project)

October 23, 9am-7pm, Palais des Congrès, Arcachon, France
Workshop is free

The MEET project (Multidisciplinary and multi-context demonstration of Enhanced Geothermal Systems exploration and Exploitation Techniques and potentials) aims at demonstrating Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) in different geological conditions throughout Europe at an economically sustainable level.

The MEET project is part of the H2020 programme Secure Clean and Efficient Energy, Call H2020 – LCE – 2016 – 2017 (competitive low carbon energy). MEET is an innovation action project, grant agreement number 792037.

The MEET H2020 technical workshop aims at discussing and share with you the first results of the project.

More information...........

Europe: New Consortium Aims to to Develop New Drilling Technologies to Reduce Cost of Geothermal Drilling

Novel and cost-effective drilling technologies for geothermal systems (Graphenea)

Geo-Drill aims to reduce drilling costs through Down the hole (DTH) hammer, to advance drill monitoring through low-cost and robust 3D printed sensors and to improve component life through advanced materials and coatings.

Geothermal is currently the most underutilized of renewable resources, even though it is in principle, via engineered geothermal systems (also called enhanced geothermal systems, EGS), possible to exploit anywhere. A key issue with deep geothermal exploitation is its high cost, with 53% of the price of exploitation expended on drilling. This is especially true for deep EGS in hard rock (HDR – Hot Dry Rock), where cost increases due to increased drilling distance, increase in tripping times, harsher environments (temperature, pressure and geothermal fluid composition), reduced information (e.g. drilling blind) and time-to-information of lithology.

Now a European consortium gets together in a project to develop new drilling technologies to reduce the cost of drilling to large depths and at high temperatures. The target depth is 5 km, at temperatures of at least 250^oC.

Read More........

Science & Technology: New Radioactivity Model of Earth's Ancient Rocks May Help in Search for Geothermal Resources

New model suggests lost continents for early Earth (Phys.Org)

New radioactivity model may help in the search for hot rocks with geothermal potential.

A new radioactivity model of Earth's ancient rocks calls into question current models for the formation of Earth's continental crust, suggesting continents may have risen out of the sea much earlier than previously thought but were destroyed, leaving little trace.

Scientists at the University of Adelaide have published two studies on a model of rock radioactivity over billions of years which found that the Earth's continental crust may have been thicker, much earlier than current models suggest, with continents possibly present as far back as four billion years.

The researchers say the new radioactivity model also may help in the search for hot rocks with geothermal potential and can be used to produce more accurate models of oil maturation in sedimentary basins.

Read More.........

More information: D. Hasterok et al. A 4 Ga record of granitic heat production: Implications for geodynamic evolution and crustal composition of the early Earth, Precambrian Research (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.precamres.2019.105375

M. Gard et al. Variations in continental heat production from 4 Ga to the present: Evidence from geochemical data, Lithos (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.lithos.2019.05.034

Geothermal: Advancements in Drilling Technology Bringing Down Costs and Opening New Areas to Development

Bringing the Heat: Geothermal Making Inroads as Baseload Power (POWER magazine)

Including an interview with Will Pettitt, executive director of the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC).

Read the article.........

Singapore: Five-Day Geothermal Well Test Analysis Course By GRC Board Director

Modern Well Test Analysis (LDI Training)

August 26-30, 2019, Singapore

Cost: USD 4950 per person

Modern Well Test Analysis is a 5-day well test analysis course personally conducted by Dr. Roland N. Horne - a member of the GRC Board of Directors . This highly regarded course has been attended by thousands of oil and gas, and geothermal professionals around the world for more than 20 years.

In this course, Dr. Roland Horne will teach you how to:

• Interpret well tests to determine the properties of oil, gas and geothermal reservoirs.
• Analyze transient well data to diagnose well condition.
• Design well tests for maximum efficiency and success.
• Use computer-aided interpretation tools.

Register Online.......                  More Information..........

Germany: Voting for International Geothermal Association Board Begins

IGA Board Of Directors Election 2020-2023 Started (News Release)

The election for the International Geothermal Association (IGA) Board of Directors started 30 June 2019 and will run until 30 September 2019.

We are proud to announce that following the Board’s decision on ensuring gender balance and equality almost 40% of current candidates are female. Click here to watch a video about nomination process.

You can vote for up to 25 of 50 candidates from 23 countries:

Abraham, Sam	Li, Kewen
Aguilera, Pablo	Manzella, Adele
Ayling, Bridget	Matsuda, Koji
Bignall, Greg	Matthiasdottir, Kristin Vala
Bjarnason, Bjarni	Meier, Peter
Blair, Andy	Morata, Diego
Brogle, Sylvain	Olivar, Maria Victoria M.
Brotheridge, Jane	Omenda, Peter
Capuano, Louis	Oyama, Hiroshi
Caranto, Joeffrey A.	Prieto, Angela
Casimiro Espinoza, Emigdio	Rotich, Abel
Chandrasekhar, Varun	Sabin, Andy
Darma, Surya	Sangin, Sepehr
Falcone, Gioia	Schmidlee, Virginie
Guglielmetti, Luca	Siratovich, Paul
Hajto, Marek	Suryantini, Ninik
Harskamp, Bob	Svalova, Valentina
Hillbrand, Gudrun	Szita, Gabor
Huenges, Ernst	Tingshan, Tian
Izquierdo-Montalvo, Georgina	Utami, Pri
Jahrfeld, Thomas	Verdoya, Massimo
Jalilinasrabady, Saeid	Wielenga, Jelle
Kaya, Eylem	Wissing, Lothar
Kiryukhin, Alexey	Yasukawa, Kasumi
Letvin, Amelia Ida	Zemedkun, Meseret

Please cast your vote here: https://www.geothermal-energy.org/igamembers/

If you are a member of an Affiliated Organization, please contact your coordinator and get your IGA ID (log-in & password) to be able to access the IGA Voting Platform.

If you are a corporate, institutional or individual member, you will receive your login credentials from the IGA Team.

Europe: Geothermal News from EGEC

The EGEC Newsletter June 2019 - The Voice of Geothermal in Europe

The June issue of the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) Newsletter is now available.

Click here to download. In this issue:

News

• EGEC Geothermal Market Report 2018
• Energy Gang, GTM Podcast – Will geothermal ever boom like “fracking”?
• Geothermal heat and CO2 feeding commercial algae production in Tuscany

Projects

• ETIP Deep Geothermal Recommendations For The European Energy Transition Fund
• Geothermal In The National Energy Plans To 2030
• Report On Competitiveness Of The Geothermal Industry
• Financing Deep Geothermal Demonstration Projects

Global: Calendar of Geothermal Energy Events

Geothermal Energy Calendar from the Geothermal Resources Council

NZGA Seminar: The Future of Geothermal in a Low-Carbon Economy

11 July, New Zealand
https://nzgeothermal.org.nz/nzga-seminar/

6th Geothermal Congress for Latin America and the Caribbean (GEOLAC)

17-18 July, Santiago, Chile
http://newenergyevents.com/geolac/

2019 ARMA-CUPB International Geothermal Conference

5-8 August, Beijing, China
http://www.arma-cupb.com/homePage/cupb/index.html

7th Indonesia International Geothermal Convention and Exhibition (IIGCE)

13-15 August, Jakarta Convention Center, Indonesia
http://www.iigce.com/

6th China International Geothermal Energy Technology & Equipment Exhibition & 11th Chinese GSHP Conference & Exhibition 2019 

18-20 August, Beijing, China
http://www.dyrbw.com/news/show.php?itemid=75860

3rd International Geothermal Conference GEOHEAT 

3-6 September, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russian Federation
http://www.igc-geoheat.com/

1st Conference on Geophysics for Geothermal and Renewable Energy Storage

8-12 September, The Hague, Netherlands
https://events.eage.org/en/2019/near-surface-2019/conferences/1st-conference-on-geophysics-for-geothermal-and-renewable-energy-storage

43rd GRC Annual Meeting & Expo

15-18 September, Palm Springs, California, USA
www.geothermal.org/meet-new.html

1st Philippine Geothermal Conference (National Geothermal Association of the Philippines)
Beyond Conventional: Low-Medium-Enthalpy Geothermal Resources and Applications

2-3 October, Manila, Philippines
https://www.ngaphil.com/

Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern

7-9 October, Munich, Germany
www.praxisforum-geothermie.bayern/en

European Geothermal Workshop 2019 -
Characterization of Deep Geothermal Systems

9-10 October, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
http://www.agw.kit.edu/EGW2019.php

Geothermal Resources in Sedimentary Basins Conference

15-18 October, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
http://gssb2019.com/

IGC Turkey Geothermal Congress & Expo

6-8 November, Izmir, Turkey
https://www.igc-turkey.com/

Der Geothermiekongress 2019

19-22. November, Munich, Germany
https://www.der-geothermiekongress.de/kongress-2019/der-geothermiekongress.html

1st Canadian Geothermal Students Day 

21-22 November 2019, Québec City, Québec, Canada
https://canadiangeothermal.wixsite.com/cgsd

41st New Zealand Geothermal Workshop (NZGW) 

25- 27 November, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
https://nzgeothermal.org.nz/

4th National Geothermal Conference - RENAG - 
Colombian Geothermal Association (AGEOCOL)
25-28 November, Medellin, Colombia
https://renagcolombia.wixsite.com/2019

World Geothermal Congress 2020

27 April - 1 May 2020, Reykjavik, Iceland
www.wgc2020.com/

44th GRC Annual Meeting & Expo 

18-21 October 2020, Reno, Nevada, USA
www.geothermal.org/meet-new.html