Zambia through geothermal exploration company, Kalahari GeoEnergy has announced to have completed drilling eight temperature gradient holes at the Bweengwa River Geothermal Resource Area paving way to for the commencement of slim well drilling.
The Bweengwa River Geothermal project is part of, Kalahari GeoEnergy’s resource delineation drill and well testing programme, which if successful will lead to a full technical and commercial feasibility study commencing late 2019.
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Bweengwa River Geothermal Resource Area
The surface manifestations of the Bweengwa River Geothermal Resource Area include three groups of geothermal springs that extend over 9km and lie on the southern bounding fault of the Kafue Trough.
The resource area is 35km north of the Southern Province town of Monze and 200km from Lusaka. Ongoing exploration has to-date included geology, hydrochemistry and the drilling of fourteen (14) temperature gradient holes totalling 3,500m. These wells are targeting 130O – 150OC geothermal fluids in the fault zone.
“Ultimately, geothermal power may provide a valuable component in Zambia’s drive to diversify sources of energy, increase generation capacity and the distribution of productive power as well as the ‘power to empower’ the community,” stated GeoEnergy.
The Kafue Trough is highly prospective for additional geothermal resources similar to Bwengwa River; it is therefore considered realistic that ongoing exploration may well significantly increase the current estimated resource capacity. Zambia has capacity to produce about 2,000MW of power, almost all generated by hydro plants such as Kariba North, which lies on a dam on the border with Zimbabwe.
