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Maibarara geothermal project on track in Batangas, Philippines

Maibarara geothermal project on track in Batangas, Philippines Maibarara geothermal field at Mount Makiling, Philippines
Alexander Richter 2 Aug 2012

Development of the Maibarara geothermal power plant in Batangas, Philippines is on track with EPC and steam-field development 35% complete.

Maibarara Geothermal Inc.(MGI) is on track for its planned Maibarara geothermal power plant in Batangas, so an announcement by PetroEnergy Resources Corp. yesterday.

“In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Francisco Delfin Jr., MGI president, said the construction of the steamfield fluid gathering system is 34.7-percent complete, as of mid-July this year.

He said the power plant’s engineering, procurement and construction undertaken by EEI Corp. is 35-percent complete.

Delfin said the manufacture of the major plant equipment by Fuji Electric is 43-percent complete.

He said MGI is currently drilling two geothermal wells to complete the steam supply and reinjection requirement for the 20-megawatt (MW) power plant.

The project is an integrated steamfield and power plant facility that will harness 20 MW of clean, indigenous and renewable energy to supply electricity to the Luzon grid beginning in late 2013. Further expansion of the project capacity beyond 20 MW is anticipated depending on how the geothermal reservoir will perform during initial commercial production.

The Maibarara geothermal power project is operated by MGI, a joint-venture corporation 65 percent owned by PERC’s subsidiary PetroGreen Energy Corp., and is 25 percent and 10 percent owned by Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. and PNOC-Renewables Corp., respectively.

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently awarded MGI a safety citation for attaining two years of safe operation without lost-time accident from February 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012.

The citation was given in connection with the monthly accident statistics requirement mandated by Section 16.4 of the Revised Geothermal Safety and Health Rules and Regulation enforced by the DOE.

The DOE said the award certified MGI’s regular and contractual employees have achieved a safety milestone of 505,121 man-hours worked without lost-time accident during the period.

In April the MGI signed a land-lease agreement (LLA) with the National Power Corp. (Napocor) and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. for two lots in Santo Tomas, Batangas.

The MGI said the lots will be used in the steam field operations of the Maibarara geothermal power project.

The MGI said the lots are titled in Napocor’s name and the LLA was signed pursuant to the service contract awarded by the DOE to MGI, giving the latter exclusive access and rights to conduct geothermal operations in the area.”

Source: Business Mirror