Ram Power has said that the initial flow testing of 9-3 well at its San Jacinto-Tizate project site in Leon, Nicaragua, has produced a separate stream at a rate of 187,000 lbs/hr at an inlet turbine design pressure range of 85 bpsig with production from a down-hole zone that exceeded 500°F.
These initial results confirmed that well 9-3 will be a production well with an estimated initial capacity of 8 to 10MW (gross).
Well 9-3 targeted a nearly vertical fault at a depth of 5500′ and encountered multiple fractures and high permeability, according to the company.
A long-term flow test which involves the connection of the well to the project’s production piping will be performed starting in early October and will be certified by GeothermEx.
The phased expansion is designed to increase production from the current 10MW to 46MW in the first half of 2011 (Phase I).
The 46MW capacity will be expanded to 72MW in the latter part of 2011 (Phase II).
In 2012, there will be a bottoming unit added, which will increase production to an anticipated capacity of 85MW without the need to drill more production or injection wells.
There is a long-term power purchase agreement in place with a subsidiary of Gas Natural Fenosa, a Spanish utility.
The company said that the expansion will bring geothermal technology to an existing utility-scale power facility that will supply low cost geothermal energy to the region.