First Nation Geothermal Project Completes First Two Wells in BC Canada

Source: Alexander Richter · THINK GEOENERGY · | September 3, 2021

With the successful drilling of two wells, the Clarke Lake geothermal project has been renamed Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal, giving it an indigenous name in a step towards decolonizing the site's identity.

Source: Ceremony at Clarke Lake field, BC, Canada (source: Ryan Dickie/ Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal)

The Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) in British Columbia, Canada has shared that the drilling of two full-size geothermal wells in the Clarke Lake field is now complete. One of the wells was developed by reentering and deepening an existing gas well, repurposing it for geothermal energy. With the two wells, a testing doublet will collect samples where brine is extracted through one well and injected back into the reservoir through the other. The testing phase will commence this fall; this includes a 30-60 day pump test period during which flow, temperatures, and water chemistry data will be collected. The Nation is a step closer to building one of Canada’s first geothermal projects.

Early results confirm highly porous rock and that the temperatures in the geothermal reservoir are 120 degrees Celsius or more. Collecting samples will enable further characterization of the geothermal resource; the analysis includes pH, temperature, pressure, gas content and composition, rock porosity and permeability, brine composition, and more. This data will help inform the design phase of the geothermal facility and identify other economic opportunities the project could provide.