[Offtopic] Re: Aussie Geothermal Energy

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

At 08:41 AM 28/02/2007, Niek writes:

> Although I do have a financial interest in this company,
> Petratherm also are conducting major work in hfr sites
> in SA and I also believe China. niek

Thanks for this and good on you, Niek. Such investments
in HFR technology are venture capital in Australia's future.

Just by the way ppl, Aussie geothermal start-up Petratherm
made an ASX 'Board Room Radio' announcement yesterday:

<http://www.brr.com.au/event/PTR/1080/19632>

Petratherm Ltd. Tuesday, 27 February 2007

New Geothermal Energy Project near Renmark 

Petratherm is pleased to announce that it has expanded its geothermal 
project portfolio in South Australia, following the acquisition of two new
Geothermal Exploration Licenses (GELs), located 26 kilometres 
northwest of Renmark, in South Australia’s Riverland Region. <snip>

The two new contiguous GELs capture the deepest portion of the Renmark 
Trough, a depression of the Murray Basin. The estimated depth to 
basement, based on seismic data, is 3.5 kilometres.  

Measured thermal gradients in the area are elevated and potentially 
around 40 degrees per kilometre. The current exploration initiative is 
looking to test a conventional geothermal model of  directly extracting 
hot brine waters from aquifers near the base of the trough. 

Two high voltage 132 KV transmission lines run through the tenement 
holding. Network analysis of the transmission system has confirmed that 
this is a strong portion of the National Electricity Grid and could 
easily support a large scale geothermal development.  

Whilst the region will not yield as high a geothermal gradient as 
Petratherm’s flagship Paralana Project, the licence area is attractive 
for geothermal exploration by virtue of its proximity to large capacity 
transmission infrastructure and the potential for the utilization of 
naturally occurring hot geothermal waters at depth, requiring relatively 
lower engineering costs to develop. <end quote>
--

> Hi all,
>
> If this Australian company is successful, then we will be able
> to generate Australia's entire power supply needs, with zero
> pollution (visual or otherwise) for the next one-hundred years
> very cheaply indeed. Yes .. all our power needs for a century.
>
> <http://www.geodynamics.com.au/IRM/content/howtoanim.htm>
>
> Although i have zero financial interest in this company because
> of the importance for our country of this technology, one likes to
> review progress. Here's the latest report and good luck to them!
>
>
> "Geodynamics Limited was formed in November 2000 to focus on the
> development of zero emissions, renewable energy generation from Hot
> Fractured Rocks (HFR) in Australia. The Company has HFR geothermal
> tenements in NSW, QLD and in the north-eastern part of South Australia.
> This latter area can be classified as the hottest non-volcanic region in
> the world.
>
> Geodynamics Limited is the largest known public company in Australia
> with a focus on HFR energy. It aims to be the largest renewable energy
> producer in Australia by developing emission-free, baseload electricity
> generation from known HFR geothermal resources.
>
> It is well advanced on Stage One of its three stage business plan based
> on the development of the known HFR geothermal resource in the Cooper
> Basin.
>
> Stage One is the demonstration of economic heat extraction from a two
> well circulation test via a developed underground heat exchanger. The
> Company has nearly completed this stage having drilled both wells in
> 2003/2004 (Habanero #1 & Habanero #2) and having successfully developed
> the underground heat exchanger.
>
> From February to June 2006, it endeavoured to drill a sidetrack to
> Habanero #2 to improve connection to the underground reservoir & bypass
> a lost completion plug. In early July 2006 it terminated the sidetrack
> well on Habanero #2 due to stuck drill pipe. The sidetrack if successful
> would have enabled the Company to complete its reservoir testing program
> shortly thereafter. A drilling review was completed and a decision was
> made to drill a new well, Habanero 3, rather than re-enter Habanero 2
> with another sidetrack.
>
> This new well will enable the Company to complete its reservoir testing
> program concluding with a six week circulation test. It is anticipated
> that the new well and subsequent reservoir testing program will be
> completed by the end of 2007.
>
> Geodynamics acquired global rights to the Kalina Cycle Technology (KCT)
> in January 2004.. a new patented power cycle which is substantially more
> efficient in converting medium temperature heat sources to power as
> compared to existing technologies. It has direct applications to the
> Cooper Basin HFR Project and also enables the Company to extend its
> business into Kalina based electricity generation .. <end quote>
> --
>

niek jansen
R-7 Science and ICT
Hincks Ave Primary
Schulz Ave
Whyalla
5600
S.A.
Australia
ph 61 08 86457266
fax 61 08 86450811

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Cheers, Niek ..
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia