Reported locally earlier this month, Exorka (fully owned subsidiary of Icelandic group Geysir Green Energy) continues drilling with a new drilling rig at its project in Mauerstetten, Bavaria/ Germany. The following is an excerpt of the article, which is in German.

The company hopes to reach fractures with sufficient water flows through side-tracking the existing well at a depth of 2,397.5 meters. Current depth reached is 3,320 meters (10,900 ft), with a target depth of 4,475 meters (14,700 ft).

Exorka still believes in the success of the project. Every day drilling costs the company around 60,000 EUR (US$ 85,000). Based on the feasibility study, the company plans to build a Kalina plant for the generation of electricity and provision of heating and continues to invest despite the current market conditions.

“This only works, as we are not as affected by the financial crisis”, so the company’s CEO Curd Bems. “As much as the crisis brings risk, it also provides opportunities. This is actually quite balanced.”

The drilling rig was put up in the beginning of the year and in mid-April drilling started again. The hot water supply is – according to Exorka – sufficient for the planned power and heating plant.

The region is part of the so-called Bavarian Molasse Basin, which has seen a strong interest in geothermal power projects mostly because of the Renewable Energy legislation in Germany, which provides a high feed-in-tariff for electricity generated through renewable resources.

Initially the drilling team reached a depth of 4,545 meters (14,600 ft) and measurements showed a sufficient heat target of 150 centigrades (302 Fahrenheit), but the water supply itself was not sufficient. Now the team is looking for layers carrying sufficent water supply for the project. Bems expects the drilling to show success by early June. In the mean time, the well see casing and cementing, as well as constant measurements.”

Source: Allgaeuer Zeitung (in German)