News

Kenya to need at least 12 drilling rigs by 2010-11

Alexander Richter 1 Dec 2009

Kenya will need at least 12 drilling rigs by 2010-11 in order to reach the ambitious geothermal growth targets.

Recent presentations by KenGen, published on some blog sites, state that Kenya will need at least 12 drilling rigs by 2010-11 in order to reach the ambitious geothermal growth targets.

According to the article, about 200 MW from current energy supply in the country “comes from geothermal sources now, although the government estimates it has the potential to produce 7,000 MW. The government aims to raise production by 2,000 MW by 2014…

Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company (GDC) [expects to] need at least 12 rigs by 2010-11 for the drilling of 72 wells each year and the acquisition of at least 100 well head generators over the next three years…and [with] main power producer KenGen, [has] secured funds and awarded a tender for two rigs and [are] seeking money for another two…

“…[T]he main obstacle in investing in geothermal [is] the high costs involved…[It] costs $6.2-$6.5 million to drill a well and a well-head generator costs between $7 million and $8 million…[but] Kenya [needs] to ramp up power production to meet growing demand…”

Source: New Energy News