Above: drilling in Montserrat
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Montserrat’s geothermal exploration drilling is approaching a depth of 1,000 metres, the government said this week.
The project began drilling wells on March 17 on the volcanic island.
At that depth, the temperature is estimated to be approximately 150ºC, or 302ºF.
In a release, Roger Almond, project manager at the Montserrat Geothermal Project, said the depth is just about half of the ultimate depth of the well.
Once the well reaches its heat reservoir temperature, which can range from 200ºC to 250 ºC, the project will move to a second site for additional exploration.
Montserrat, along with Dominica, is leading the Caribbean charge for geothermal energy. Another island, Nevis, launched a geothermal project several years ago, but it has since stalled.