UK: EGS Energy forms alliance with Slovakian drilling technology pioneers
EGS Energy Limited, website snapshot
Alexander Richter
29 Oct 2010
UK-based EGS Energy Limited forms alliance with Slovakian Geothermal Anywhere to develop its pioneering technology in the deep drilling sector.
In an announcement by UK based EGS Energy Limited, the company reports “that it is working in alliance with Geothermal Anywhere, s.r.o. to develop its pioneering technology in the deep drilling sector. EGS Energy and Geothermal Anywhere intend to work together in coming months on applications for European grants under the EU’s Framework Programme 7 in the Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies Calls, amongst others.
Geothermal Anywhere is a drilling technology company located in Bratislava, Slovakia, that is developing a new deep drilling technology for the geothermal and oil/gas sectors based on non-contact methods of rock disintegration. An innovative patented concept has been created by a proven team of engineers and entrepreneurs, which amounts to a breakthrough in this speciality. This deep drilling approach is a rock crushing technology based on bringing together an electrical discharge, pulsed plasma and a jet of water in appropriate combination. Geothermal Anywhere believes that it will be able to integrate its proven technologies in high temperature and pressure environments.
One of the main issues for the deep geothermal industry is the cost of drilling to the required depths as a result of the time that this takes. Geothermal Anywhere’s radical method of drilling avoids the inherent limitations of conventional rotary drilling and associated transport of the drilling spoil. The possibility of reducing the drilling time significantly using this technology is a very attractive prospect for EGS Energy.
Geothermal Anywhere has recently represented Slovakia at the International Energy Agency – Geothermal Implementing Agreement (“IEA-GIA”) meeting in Iceland (7 October). At that meeting Slovakia was invited to become a full member of the IEA-GIA, which provides an important framework for a wide-ranging international cooperation in geothermal R&D: Environmental Impacts of Geothermal Development; Enhanced Geothermal Systems; Advanced Geothermal Drilling Technology; and the Direct Use of Geothermal Energy. This is an important milestone for Slovakia since it will lead to a wide international cooperation. Geothermal R&D there is substantially centred on new deep drilling technologies, a sector led by Geothermal Anywhere.
Roy Baria, Technical Director of EGS Energy, commented: “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Geothermal Anywhere on a project that could improve significantly the commercial returns in the nascent deep geothermal sector. Our experience of deep drilling for geothermal targets is extensive and we believe that we can add substantially to what is already an excellent team and a ground-breaking technology.”
Igor Kocis, CEO of Geothermal Anywhere, added: “Geothermal Anywhere is now entering a new stage of the company development. We have the essential financial coverage of our R&D costs for the creation of a drilling prototype. We now need international partnerships and common projects with experienced companies from the drilling and engineered geothermal system fields. EGS Energy is such a partner and we expect mutual benefits from this alliance.”
Source: release via e-mail
