Director of Public Works Ron Beardsley is calling it ‘very good news’ as he reports that the temperature at the geothermal site in the Cork Hill/Weekes area at Well #1has increased to 219.5°C. However, the news created enough doubt as ZJB radio reported it as “still a high probability of finding geothermal energy.”
This comes on the heels of concerns and interest expressed by the Montserrat Geothermal Power Co (MGPC), which was incorporated by Citizens for the Redevelopment of Montserrat (CRM) group. In a press interview on June 28, 2013, the MCPC issued a press release that stated, “Well #1 has been completed, capped and is at present ‘resting,’” adding the dubious, “Information on its possible capacity has been ‘obscured’.”
MGPC press release/conference
Three representatives from the group featured at the press conference but businessman Julian Romeo introduced the company as follows: “MGPC has been working on this project since 2006 to have the geothermal resource explored and evaluated,” noting, “This phase has now reached a critical juncture.”
Earlier reports about the geothermal exploration from the drilling had indicated that the geothermal resource was definite, but its power had to be ascertained and testings were being done for verification.
This week Beardsley tells ZJB radio that there is much water compressing the well which needs to start flowing. “We are making arrangements to bring in additional equipment which will help us to pump off some of the water that’s compressing in the well at the moment and then we can start pulling it out…and then we can do our long-term testing from that point,” he said.
In their press release, MGPC said that for a resource to be proven three things had to be present. , Sam Rhys reiterated and explained this later by. “To have a productive resource 3 things must be present: Temperature.(At least 150°C); Pressure and flow.”
They explained further, “Pressure and liquid flow have not been brought to the surface,” which they say creates some doubt.
But they confirmed their knowledge of the production efforts, stating that Capauno Engineering are responsible for confirming the operations. They said at the time that, “There must be temperature, pressure and flow, tested for a minimum of two months to “prove” the resource.” This is as much as Beardsley confirmed later, referring to, “our long-term testing.”
In the meantime it was revealed that work at the sites have been delayed as there has been another breakdown of equipment.
Equipment and procurement Issues
As they responded to questions, the MGPC representatives expressed concern that they have not been able to get firm responses on the status of the resource and in particular whether the problems experienced are not the result of inappropriate drilling equipment, raising procurement questions. It is popular belief that drilling at the site had just not penetrated deep enough.
In fact, members of the group have long questioned the drilling capacity of the Iceland Drilling rig, which has the capability of going down a depth of only 2,400 meters (approximately 7,872 ft.
TMR has learnt from official sources, that the drilling rig required for the work to be done on the exploration in Montserrat should have been a minimum capacity of 2,800 meters.
The MGPC are however hopeful, that despite the equipment constant breakdown, “Well No2 has been drilled to more than 5,000 ft. and is still going down. We must all hope that the final result will be in our favour,” they said.
MGPC state their interest.
The group in their release revealed that they believed the time had come to remind: “MGPC is a company set up with the EXPRESS purpose of enabling all the peoples of Montserrat to become shareholders in the single most important development to take place in living memory.”
It is their plan that, “MGPC WILL on behalf of the people of Montserrat provide a bid for the geothermal power complex in response to an Expression of Interest (EoI) or any other legally authorised tender.”
That a, “PPP (Private Public Partnership) will be agreed where GoM, for a holding in the company will provide the resource, land and access for the plant along with all the necessary rights and privileges”
