NEWS

Short-term Flow Tests on Test Well for Geothermal Power Generation in the Oyasu region

October 4, 2018 Project

Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd. ("MOECO") has announced that it is being conducted short-term flow tests to gauge the capacity of a test well from 28th September to 18th October (planned). It has drilled in the Oyasu region of Akita Prefecture, Japan in partnership with Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and INPEX CORPORATION with which it has jointly pursued commercialization studies on geothermal power generation since 2011.



1. Details and objectives

The flow tests are being conducted on the test well A-1 and A-2 , which were drilled from May to September in this year. These wells will be evaluated their production capacity through 1-2 weeks continuous flow on the same size well as actual production well. Through these experiments, the companies verify details concerning well production capacity (volume of steam), underground temperatures, chemical composition of geothermal fluids, water permeability in the vicinity of the well, and other matters.



2. Overview of studies to date

(1) Stage 1: Completed in FY2011

Superficial surveys (ground-level geological surveys, gravitational exploration, electromagnetic exploration, etc.)

(2) Stage 2: Completed in FY2017

(i) Drilling survey, building roads for equipment transportation, etc.

Drilling exploratory wells* to study geological structures, underground temperatures and water permeability

* Exploratory well: Wells drilled to study underground structures and geothermal reservoir conditions in the initial stage of the study

(ii) Hot spring monitoring survey

Monitoring hot spring temperatures, yields, and chemical composition at nearby hot spring wells



3. Future schedule

MOECO and its partners plan to conduct the third stage of studies (including production and injection experiments, assessment of reservoir capacity and environmental surveys, etc.) from FY2018 to FY2021.


写真②10月3日に行われた地元の皆さんの見学会の様子.jpg

Short-term Flow Tests of Test Well



写真①試験生産井の噴気試験の様子.jpg

Scenery of a Tour Inviting Local Residents on 3rd Oct.