Adelaide-based oil and gas company Whitebark had just recently been granted an Exploration for Geothermal Energy (EPG) permit for an area consisting of 190 sub-blocks in the Greater Brisbane and Gold Coast Region. Covering an area of approximately 589 square kilometers, the EPG2037 permit area was identified as a prospect for geothermal power generation following a comprehensive review of geological considerations and future market accessibility.
Initial indications from offset well data indicate an elevated geothermal gradient in the area. Whitebark believes that the license area has potential to be a future source for baseload, dispatchable, and long-term renewable energy for the South-East Queensland region.
UK-based geothermal technology company CeraPhi will support Whitebark as a strategic development partner using its proprietary closed-loop technology CeraPhiWell™. Deployable anywhere and allowing for the reuse of end-of-life oil and gas wells, the technology aims to de-risk new geothermal developments.
Last year, CeraPhi completed a commercial demonstration of its CeraPhiWell™ system at the KMA site in North Yorkshire, UK. The KMA site is owned by former shale gas company Third Energy, which CeraPhi has since acquired, giving the company a substantial portfolio of well sites across North Yorkshire.
“This relationship with CeraPhi is a fundamental part of our strategy in becoming a leader in the country’s energy transition. CeraPhi’s technology and expertise will help deliver on this vision through significantly enhancing exploration and development outcomes and deliver outcomes and provide further value to shareholders,” said Whitebark General Manager Adam Stepanoff.
“We look forward to working with Adam and the Whitebark team in delivering on their ambitions in the region, these tenements present a huge opportunity to scale geothermal energy and for Australia to become a major player in the geothermal sector. We have undertaken several studies in the region and have been sharing ideas and exploring opportunities for many months with Adam, it’s exciting to now be at the start of what we hope is the execution and delivery stage with a strategy for development set in motion,” added Founder and CEO of CeraPhi, Karl Farrow.
