Australia expects to have first delivery of commercial geothermal power in 2012

Xinhua News Agency
May 4, 2011

Australia can expect its first delivery of commercial geothermal power by the end of 2012 from Petratherm's Paralana project in northern South Australia, local media reported on Wednesday.

In January, Petratherm successfully completed an initial test at its Paralana-2 well, where an injection of a small volume of water detected micro-seismic event as far as 300 metres out from the well hole.

A more major test is now scheduled for June, using higher volumes of water at higher pressure.

The test will be critical, and by achieving it will help determine the company's ability to get a commercial flow rate going between the injector and the eventual Paralana-3 production well.

According to the company's managing director Terry Kallis, the June test was achievable provided it continued to meet its targets.

"This is not a race and the sector has had its detractors but we are now within a very real and measurable 18-month horizon of achieving maiden production," Kallis told Australia Associated Press during the the South Australian Resources and Energy Investment Conference in Adelaide.

Petratherm plans to drill the deep Paralana-3 production well in the second half of 2011 and complete the final tests during the first half of 2012.

It said this would allow the commercial commissioning of the power plant by the end of 2012.

If so, the company will commission a 3.75 megawatt power plant.