Inpex : Commencement of Drilling Survey (Phase 3) in Bandai District, Fukushima Prefecture for Geothermal Energy Development (PDF 349KB)

Commencement of Drilling Survey (Phase 3) in Bandai District, Fukushima Prefecture for Geothermal Energy Development

Public Relations Group, Corporate Communications Unit

Akasaka Biz Tower, 5-3-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6332 JAPAN

June 17, 2016

Commencement of Drilling Survey (Phase 3) in Bandai District, Fukushima Prefecture for Geothermal Energy Development

TOKYO, JAPAN - INPEX CORPORATION announced today that the Fukushima Geothermal Project Team (the Team) has completed a three-year surface survey of geothermal resources at the area around Mt. Bandai in the Bandai-Asahi National Park in Fukushima Prefecture Japan and plans to commence drilling survey at a promising area confirmed from the surface survey.

The Team has been conducting a surface survey since 2013 with the consent of local communities and the financial support from Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), it will move onto the next phase; drilling survey in the area.

The Team consists of 11 companies: Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd., INPEX CORPORATION, Sumitomo Corporation, Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd., Geothermal Energy Research & Development Co., Ltd., Japan Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd., Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc., Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation Power Ltd., and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation.

1. Purpose and outline of the Drilling Survey

   The Team will drill two exploration wells (directional) to investigate underground temperature, geological structure, and the presence of reservoir as the 3rd Phase of geothermal survey.

2. Outline of the Geothermal Resource Survey

3. Phase 1 (completed in FY2013)

   Study to propose hot spring monitoring (e.g. survey for hot spring sources, and geochemical analysis of fluids)

4. Phase 2 (completed in FY2015)

   Study to estimate the underground structure (e.g. survey for hot spring monitoring, and observation of micro-earthquakes)

5. Phase 3 (FY2016 to 2017 (planned)) See Item 1 above.

6. A Schedule for Drilling Survey (Phase 3) (FY2016)

   Action

   Apr

   May

   Jun

   Jul

   Aug

   Sep

   Oct

   Nov

   Dec

   Jan

   Feb

   Mar

   Preparation for drilling

   Site arrangement

   Rig up

   Drilling

   BD-1 ⇒ Rig Slide ⇒ BD-2

   Rig down

   Monitoring of hot springs

   Observation of micro-earthquakes

   Summarizing data

   The schedule shown above is subject to change.

7. Schedule of the study

8. Based on the result of drilling survey, the Team will set up a plan for drilling development wells and present the plan to the local communities. Under the consent of the local communities, the Team will decide to move forward to the feasibility study. In this study, a drilling of geothermal fluid production wells, a drilling of re-injection wells, a demonstrative test, and an environmental assessment will be conducted.

   Scene of the ceremony to pray for the safety of the drilling survey held on-site today

   Media Contact: INPEX Tokyo Office, Public Relations Group, Tel) [phone]

   [Reference]

   Drilling site information

   Site	Description
   Address	Tsuchiyusawayama, Inawashiro-machi, Yama-Gun, Fukushima Prefecture
   Owner	Inawashiro Property Ward
   Status	Access to the site is prohibited as it is controlled by the Inawashiro Property Ward. Although a tour of the site is planned during the drilling survey, it is not allowed to enter the site for security and safety reasons.

   A Drilling plan for Exploration wells

   No.	Drilling site	Direction	Well data
   BD-1	Inawashiro Property Ward	Approximately 10 degrees west from southern direction	Diameter : 8.5 inches (21.59 cm) Drilling depth: 2,300 m (maximum) Vertical depth: 1,900 m (maximum) Deviation : 1,150 m (maximum)
   BD-2		Approximately 70 degrees west from southern direction

   Survey area and location of the exploration wells