Planned third well for Montserrat safe from volcanic activity
Site of Well MON-01, Montserrat, Caribbean (source: Montserrat government)
Alexander Richter
25 Oct 2015
The planned third well for the geothermal project in Montserrat has been chosen carefully to not be affected by volcanic activity.
Local news report on discussion regarding the safety of the planned third well for Montserrat’s geothermal project. We reported on the planning for the third well in September.
According to Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) Director Rob Stewart, the safety risks have been carefully been studied.
The Montserrat Reporter reports that “the proposed site for the re-injection well is in St. Georges Hill. The Geothermal Well will be in addition to the other two facilities on the Cork Hill main road, Mr. Stuart says the MVO has been studying the risks carefully.
He says that because the new drilling area is just into Zone V and is “a sort of controlled area”, “we’ve looked at it very carefully but the thing is once the well is drilled, people won’t be working there and we’ve agreed with a decision on how to design the well and have a sort of bunker around it.”
Supporting the decision he explains: “I mean a pyroclastic flow has never reached where they’re drilling a well, the pyroclastic surge has never reach there, but there’s an outside opportunity,” adding, “the wellhead itself will be protected, so even if it is hit by pyroclastic flow it will not be damaged and it will not damage the project.”
He strengthened by confirming, “…and modeling it and we’ve come up with a solution that meets both the requirements of the geothermal design project but also meets the safety requirements we need.”
Recent reports from DFID and government said that the location has been secured and work should begin soon.”
Source: The Montserrat Reporter
