Planning, supervision and evaluation of an international geophysical measurement campaign to explore high-enthalpy deposits in Comayagua, Honduras

Background

Due to its location along an active tectonic plate boundary (subduction zone), large parts of the Central American region are characterized by volcanism. The heat sources are therefore already located at relatively shallow depths, ideal for development through geothermal projects. Unlike large parts of Europe, the focus here is not on heat generation, but on power generation through high-enthalpy geothermal energy. The temperatures encountered underground quickly exceed 200°C, which can be used to drive steam turbines. Obvious indicators for the presence of a hydrothermal system are hot springs, geysers and fumaroles. Nevertheless, in order to characterize the exact location and nature of the reservoir and to significantly increase the chances of success of an exploration well, it is necessary to conduct preliminary geophysical and hydrochemical investigations in such areas. Due to the geology and ongoing microseismic activity in volcanic regions, Magentotelluric measurements are used instead of seismic measurements.

Geophysical measurement campaign

ERDWERK has been involved in the development of the geothermal market in the region for many years with a Spanish-speaking team with professional experience in Latin America. For the GeoComayagua project, ERDWERK was commissioned with the project management, as well as the planning, supervision and evaluation of the geophysical measurement campaign on a 15 km² area in Honduras. ERDWERK successfully completed all necessary steps to obtain funding from the Geothermal Development Facility (GDF), which consists of EU, kfW and World Bank funds. Once the grant was approved, ERDWERK worked with geophysics experts from the Costa Rican Energy Institute (ICE) to plan and execute the measurement campaign. During the campaign, a 10-person team together with local labor investigated the subsurface in rough terrain over a period of 2 months using various geophysical measurement methods (magnetotellurics, magentics, gravimetry, TDEM) and updated the geological baseline data in the region. Based on the survey results, ERDWERK created a 3D geological model to characterize the reservoir and define drilling targets.

Exploration well

Currently, the project is in the preparation phase for an exploration well. ERDWERK is in charge of the technical project management and responsible for the detailed drilling planning.