Newberry EGS wins approval for geothermal demonstration project in US

Newberry EGS has received approval from the Bureau of Land Management and the US Department of Energy for its Newberry enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) demonstration project located in the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, US.

Newberry EGS, a joint venture of Davenport Newberry and AltaRock Energy.

The project underwent a formal environmental assessment and received a finding of no significant impact from the government agencies which will aid in implementation of the second phase of the project.

The second phase of the project will see installation of an array of sensitive seismometers on the surface and in bore-holes for real-time monitoring of the EGS stimulation.

Water will be injected into an existing hot well to create multiple reservoirs of connected cracks 6,500-11,000 feet below ground.

The project will demonstrate AltaRock’s new technology and allow economic extraction of heat from the earth in locations where high temperatures can be reached by conventional drilling techniques.

The second phase of the Newberry EGS demonstration is expected to be completed in 2014.

Federal agencies, state agencies, government scientific labs, universities and Davenport Newberry, the well and geothermal lease owner were the key participants with AltaRock in the execution of first phase which involved planning for the well stimulation, environmental studies and public outreach activities.

The Newberry Volcano EGS Demonstration is partially supported by the Department of Energy with $21.4m in grant funds from the Department of Energy to AltaRock Energy matched by an additional $22.4m from the AltaRock-Davenport partnership.