Development making progress at Neal Hot Springs project of US Geothermal
Drilling rig at Neal Hot Springs, Oregon (source: US Geothermal)
Alexander Richter
15 Jun 2011
There is progress of development at the Neal Hot Spring project of U.S. Geothermal, being about 15-18 months away from bringing the plant online.
Recent news from the U.S. mention that “U.S. Geothermal is moving forward on its project to develop and construct a geothermal power generation plant west of Bully Creek Reservoir at Neal Hot Springs, with construction having started on some facilities and work completed on productions wells.
The Neal Hot Springs geothermal project was the first presentation of the first day during the Eastern Oregon Resource Advisory Council’s meeting Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Express. Members of the council provide advice to the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service concerning planning and management on federally-owned land and resources.
“Production wells are complete,” Scott Nichols, environmental lands and permitting manager for U.S. Geothermal, said during his presentation. Attention is now turning to injection wells, through which water that has been run through the power plant will be pumped back into the ground for reheating and maintaining the resource. The company will be relying on fractures in the rock to allow water to flow back to the production wells because the rock is impermeable.
Also, an office and shop are under construction and the remainder of the site, with the generating plant and cooling tower, will follow, Nichols said. Output from the plant is estimated to be up to 22 megawatts.
U.S. Geothermal received a U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee to help finance the project.
The company is about 15 to 18 months out from bringing the plant on line, Nichols said. An agreement has already been reached with Idaho Power on the sale of the general power.”
Source: Argus Observer
