Archive for February, 2010
PNOC returns to GT business with Mt. Isarog project
In the Philippines, the Department of Energy awarded a geothermal exploration contract to state-run Philippine National Oil Co., which will spend upwards of $60 million to put up a geothermal power plant on Mt. Isarog, Camarines Sur. PNOC says the project has a potential capacity of at least 20 MW and an 18 gWh of [...]
NGP restarts Faulkner 1, updates drilling projects
In Canada, Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. has re-started the Faulkner 1 power plant. A temporary solution allowed two of the three generators to be restarted at reduced output levels. Engineering considerations limited start-up output to 13 net MW. The plant shut down in mid-January due to cable system failure. Permanent repairs remain on schedule and [...]
SPG making first use of coiled-tube drill in geothermal for second Alum well
In Canada, Sierra Geothermal Power Corp. says its second Alum observation well is being drilled coiled-tube technology to make deep drilling faster and more cost-effective. Coiled-tube drilling has been used in the oil and gas industry but is a first for drilling a geothermal well. Well 26-19 will test temperature and permeability to depths of [...]
Vulcan restarts Patua drilling
In Oregon, Vulcan Power Co. said it has restarted drilling operations at its Patua project site near Fernley, NV. The company’s drilling, geo-science, cementing, coring, engineering and construction teams will work over the next 24 months to complete Phase I of Patua, which will be the Vulcan’s first geothermal power plant, capable of producing 60 [...]
Pike Research launches renewable energy advisory service
In Colorado, Pike Research has introduced its new Renewable Energy Advisory Service, a subscription-based business information suite that provides insights and market intelligence for companies in the energy technology sector. The service covers energy sources including geothermal, solar, wind, biomass, and hydrokinetic and ocean energy, both at the utility scale and on a distributed generation [...]
Granite tests find record permeability
In England, exploratory drilling in Weardale, County Durham by Scientists from Newcastle University found record levels of permeability in granite, which is important for geothermal applications, as heat is extracted by pumping working fluids into the rock and drawing it back up again. Granite can be particularly useful as it can be rich in radioactive [...]
Indonesia will host World Geothermal Congress
In Indonesia, the World Geothermal Congress will be held in Nusa Dua of Indonesia’s Bali province on April 25-30. The meeting would be the largest event of world’s geothermal stakeholders conducted every five years by the International Geothermal Association. With the theme “Geothermal: the Energy to Change the World”, the congress will be attended by [...]
Excessive water boots ground source system
In Pennsylvania, too much water has forced the Hershey Middle School to forego a geothermal heat pump that could have saved 30% in utility costs. Derry Twp. School District buildings and grounds director Ed Consalo said bore holes found there was too much water underground to support the system, which had been authorized in December. [...]
Ormat reports record 2009 results
In Nevada, Ormat Technologies, Inc. released results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009 that included a 20.4% revenue increase for the year and a 14% generation capacity increase. The company’s net revenues for the year were $68.6 million and it generated 3.4 million MWh in 2009. In addition, Ormat restated [...]
Work at Raft River EGS project underway
In Idaho, work has begun at U.S. Geothermal Inc.’s Raft River project funded by a $10 million DOE Enhanced Geothermal System grant. The team will be lead by the Energy & Geoscience Institute from The University of Utah and includes U.S. Geothermal, APEX Petroleum Engineering Services and HiPoint Reservoir Imaging. U.S. Geothermal contributed an existing [...]
