This report addresses the feasibility and economics of a number of heat and power projects options for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). It also summarises the Habanero Trial results and applies these to the potential further development of the Habanero resource.
Report extract
Geodynamics Limited (GDY) has been exploring enhanced geothermal system resources in the Cooper Basin, near Innamincka, South Australia for the last ~10 years. Enhanced Geothermal Systems or EGS is a type of geothermal development that utilises the heat from hot granite rocks at accessible depths, generally less than 5 km, to generate electricity or produce process heat.
This exploration program culminated in October 2013 with the completion of the Habanero Pilot Plant (HPP) project. The HPP project is a demonstration scale 1 MWe EGS project consisting of two wells, a reservoir enhanced through high pressure stimulation, closed loop circulation for the extraction of EGS heat, and demonstration of electricity generation. It is the first of its kind in Australia and is a globally significant achievement.
In light of the technical success of the HPP project, GDY has investigated the feasibility of a small scale commercial EGS project supplying power/heat to a local consumer in the Cooper Basin, referred to as the\ Habanero Geothermal Project (HGP). The most suitable customers in the region are gas producers that require significant amounts of power and heat for gas production, processing, and compression. Santos currently has significant existing operations in the region, and new players, such as Chevron and Beach, are planning future production facilities. This document outlines a Field Development Plan (FDP) for the Habanero resource. It discusses at length key learnings acquired by GDY during the exploration of three EGS resources in the Innamincka granites: Habanero, Jolokia, and Savina. It also investigates the commercial viability of a next stage EGS project.