Akutan, Alaska presents positive results from two exploration wells
Akutan island, Alaska (source: flickr/ alaskan-girl, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
28 Oct 2010
The city of Akutan, Alaska, reports results from its successful geothermal exploratory drilling program, expecting the possibility of a 10-12MW plant with a business plan expected to be completed in early 2011.
At the GRC Annual Meeting in Sacramento, “The City of Akutan, Alaska presented results of its successful geothermal exploratory drilling program. The City intends to develop power from high-temperature geothermal fluids recently discovered in the Hot Springs Bay Valley of Akutan Island, 735 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Two exploratory wells were drilled to characterize the power and heat output capacity of Akutan’s geothermal resource. AK Geothermal, a geoscience consulting firm, is managing the technical elements of the project. AK Geothermal project manager, Amanda Kolker Ph.D., is presenting the preliminary findings of the drilling program to conference attendees.
Among the preliminary finds reported by Dr. Amanda Kolker is the following assessment:
Akutan slimhole wells encountered very high geothermal gradients, two-phase fluid (water and steam) at 359° F; and evidence for a reservoir of even hotter fluid that could be accessible by drilling.
“These extremely encouraging results mean that the resource could likely support planned geothermal energy development at Akutan,” Kolker said.
The City will now move to the production drilling phase of the project, which involves system design, cost estimating and permitting, according to Ray Mann of RMA Consulting Group, the City’s Program Manager.
“All indications are that we have a production-quality resource in Hot Springs Bay Valley that will support our plan to develop a 10-12 Megawatt power system,” said Mann. “As a result, the City expects to complete its business plan in early 2011 in order to arrange financing for the project.”
Source: Alaska Business Monthly
