Drilling of the Banska PGP-4 nicely in Szaflary, Poland has hit the 5-kilometer mark with optimistic outcomes as far as progress is made to the 7-kilometer goal.
As of the tip of 2023, the bold geothermal drilling challenge in Szaflary, Poland has reached a complete depth of 5000 meters. The Banska PGP-4 nicely has thus far intersected a big reservoir with temperature of 120 °C. Drilling will proceed to the goal depth of 7000 meters, the place one other aquifer is anticipated, and the complete drilling course of might be accomplished inside the 1st quarter of 2024.
Plans for drilling a 7-km geothermal nicely in Podhale in Szaflary have been first introduced again in 2019. The goals of the challenge included the gathering of information on the subsurface geology of the Podhalanska Basin (or Podhale Basin), in addition to faucet right into a geothermal useful resource with temperatures exceeding 120 °C.
Preparations for drilling have been reported in early 2023, with precise drilling operations reported to have began by April. By October 2023, the nicely had reached its midway level. Drilling is at present nonetheless ongoing at a fee of roughly 40 meters per day.
Dr. Eng. Piotr Dlugosz, who gives geological supervision for the challenge, acknowledged that the idea is that there might be a 3rd aquifer at 150 °C encountered at 7000 meters depth. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a comparable nicely depth within the area, so that is an unexplored depth. The outcomes thus far have been optimistic with two reservoirs encountered thus far – one at 85 °C, and one other at 120 °C.
Tender for heating community quickly to be introduced
Geothermal power from the nicely is meant for use for networked heating within the commune of Szaflary and the town of Nowy Targ. To this finish, the native governments have acknowledged that tenders for the development of this heating community will quickly be introduced.
Roughly 10 kilometers of pipeline must be laid down to attach the nicely in Szaflary to the power of Miejskie Przedsi?biorstwo Energetyki Cieplej (MPEC) and to the residential areas of Nowy Targ. The Szaflary commune will then construct a piece of the community, albeit a considerably shorter one.
Each native governments have been granted PLN 30 million (approx. USD 7.5 million) from the Polish Order Fund: Strategic Funding Program to help the implementation of networked heating. The development of the primary line from the Szaflary nicely might be lined by the PLN 132 million (approx. USD 33.2 million) funding granted to the geothermal drilling operations.
