Green

Geothermal Exploration On Nevis Is A Success!

Geothermal Well on Nevis Island

Steam Ejecting From Nevis 1 Geothermal Well

Charlestown, Nevis
June 03, 2008

Monday June 02, 2008, marked a milestone in geothermal explorations on Nevis and in the Organisation of East Caribbean States (OECS), when the first commercially sound reservoir jetted steam from a depth of 3720 feet at the Spring Hill Nevis I site. Minister with Responsibility for Public Utilities, Natural Resources and the Environment Hon. Carlisle Powell, who was on site said he was never doubtful that geothermal energy was available on Nevis.

“There was never any doubt all studies said there was geothermal energy it was just a matter of finding it.

“I am absolutely delighted that thy have been able to prove the first well as commercially viable. Of course there is still a lot of work to be done before we can turn this steam into electricity but I am confident that West Indies Power (WIP) and its subcontractors are doing the right thing,” he said.

Meantime, Chief Executive Officer (WIP) Mr. Kerry Mc Donald, told the Department of Information of the significance of the find. He cited that it was a sustainable reservoir with an approximate temperature of 480 degrees Fahrenheit which had enough energy for a geothermal power plant.

“The significance of this is that at 3500 feet we hit a small fracture and we developed that small fracture the same as this. To develop that fracture we took out the drill bit so we had an open pipe that we were using to develop it. That took 20 hours to develop about 1/20 of this amount of steam. We went down 200 more feet at basically 2:30 we started to develop this [and] at 3:30 the steam came out. The drill bit is still in the pipe so in other words what you are seeing is steam coming around the little cracks between the drill bit and the pipe wall so this pipe is not open. All you are seeing is what’s coming around the sides, so if we opened this pipe it would be flowing about five times more than this.

“We feel all the water we use to drill with, will be out of this in roughly 30 hours and we will have nothing but the pure steam. What this says is we are in the reservoir.  This is a sustainable reservoir and this is enough to build our geothermal power plant,” he said.

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Nevis Adopts Legislation To Govern Geothermal Energy

Charlestown, Nevis
April 7, 2008

With renewable energy to become a reality in Nevis, the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) has embarked upon putting the legislative legal framework in place to govern the area of renewable energy to be adopted by the NIA. Legal Advisor to the NIA Mr. Patrice Nisbett made the remark during a press conference held at the Conference Room of the Administration Building in Charlestown, on April 4, 2008.
 
“As the Legal Advisor and the person responsible for the legislative agenda and for drafting legislations in Nevis, we are here this week working along with two gentlemen from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to finalize what would be the best piece of legislation that would be enshrined in the law and subsequently set out the Legislative Framework for which Geothermal Energy would be governed,” Mr. Nisbett said.
 
According to the Legal Advisor, the natural consequence of what is contained in the relevant legislation would address license, permits and concessions. He also said models related to purchase agreements were also looked at, which would be amendable to both the provider of the electricity and the buyers of the electricity.

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Nevis Island’s Renewable Energy Project Promising

Charlestown, Nevis
March 04, 2008

Junior Minister of Communications, Works and Public Utilities in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), the Hon. Carlisle Powell said the geothermal energy project had generated a tremendous amount of interest throughout the Caribbean and the international community.
 
Minister Powell made the statement during a sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly on February 28, 2008, at the Assembly Chambers at Hamilton House.  While he gave an update on a number of important projects that his ministry had been engaged in, the Utilities Minister said latest reports from West Indies Power Nevis Limited were encouraging.
 
“This project has generated a tremendous amount of interest throughout the Caribbean and indeed the international community. I continue to be bombarded with calls from power companies, Ministries and interested parties.

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USVI & Saba Interested In Nevis’ Geothermal Scheme

Charlestown, Nevis
February 29, 2008

Two high powered delegations from the neighbouring United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and the Dutch Territory of Saba left Nevis today February 29, 2008, following a two day visit for a first hand look at the ongoing geothermal explorations on the island.
 
Both delegations were welcomed to the island by Premier of Nevis Hon. Joseph Parry at his Bath Plain Office on Tuesday and were hosted by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) at a dinner in their honour at the Four Seasons Resorts on Wednesday.
 
Following a drill site visit to the West Indies Power Nevis Ltd Spring Hill site on February 28, 2008, Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands Mr. Greg Francis accompanied by his Senior Policy Advisor Mr. Nathan Simmonds and Director of the Virgin Islands Energy Office Mr. Bevan Smith Junior told the Department of Information that he was impressed with the operations and that geothermal energy was something they planned to look into.

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Caribbean Neighbours Admire Nevis Island’s Geothermal Plan

Charlestown, Nevis
February 29, 2008

Premier of Nevis, the Honourable Joseph Parry welcomed a United States Virgin Islands (U.S.V.I) and a Saba delegation to Nevis Wednesday to discuss the Nevis Geothermal energy plan and how the two islands could benefit.

The USVI delegation, led by Lt. Governor, Mr. Gregory Francis, included Nevisian born, Mr. Roosevelt David, former Senator in the USVI and Mr. Nathan Simmonds, Senior Policy Advisor, while the Saba delegation included Commissioner’s, Chris Johnson and Bruce Zagers.

During Premier Parry’s introductions of the cabinet, Lt. Governor Francis said he was very pleased to see such a young staff as part of the government.

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