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Amemasudake project successfully conducts short flow tests, Hokkaido, Japan

Amemasudake project successfully conducts short flow tests, Hokkaido, Japan Flow tests at Amemasudake project site, Hokkaido, Japan (source: project release Oct 2015)
Alexander Richter 6 Oct 2015

After drilling three wells, the Amemasudake project by Idemitsu Kosan, Inpex Corp. and Mitsui Oil Exploration in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan reports having conducted short-term flow tests.

Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd., INPEX CORPORATION and Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd. announce “that a short-term flow test of geothermal exploratory wells have been conducted at the Amemasudake area (Akaigawa Village, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan) as a part of the joint geothermal energy development study since 2011.

The short-term flow test was started on October 1, 2015, at two of the four geothermal exploratory wells which have been drilled since 2013: geothermal exploratory well AME-1 and AME-3 were drilled in 2013 and 2015, respectively. The purpose of the Test is to confirm in detail the capacity (the volume of steam) of the wells, underground temperature, chemical composition of the fluid, and permeability of the formation around the wells.

Outline of the Study:

  1. Phase 1 (completed in FY2011): Surface study (geological survey, gravity survey and electro-magnetic survey)
  2. Phase 2 (FY2012-2016 (scheduled)): (i) Drilling of geothermal exploratory wells and improvement of service road etc. Geothermal exploratory wells are drilled to confirm the geological structure, underground temperature, and permeability of the formation. (Geothermal exploratory wells AME-1, AME-2 and AME-3 are completed. Drilling of AME-4 is now in progress) (ii) Monitoring of hot springs Monitoring temperature, flow rate and chemical composition of hot springs around the area.
  3. Future plans Phase 3 study including test well, production and injection tests, evaluation of the geothermal reservoirs and environmental impact assessment will be conducted based on the result of the Test and other study results in the Phase 2 study.

Source: Release