Meager Creek geothermal project to be revived focused on hydrogen

Well MC6 being flowtested at Meager Creek, BC/ Canada in the mid-2000s (source: Western GeoPower)

With Meager Creek Development Corporation, a new developer is taking on the Mount Meager geothermal project, northwest of Pemberton in British Columbia, Canada.

Calgary, Alberta-based MCDC purchased the geothermal lease at Mount Meager. Since the late 1970s, the geothermal resource potential of the South Meager area has been investigated using various exploration techniques including geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and the drilling of numerous temperature gradient wells (slim-diameter wells used to measure subsurface temperature), deep slim wells and several full-diameter wells. During one flow test, one of the full-diameter wells – drilled by B.C. Hydro – was used to supply a 20 kW pilot geothermal power facility.

The economic downturn and low energy prices in the 1980s then saw the project abandoned. In the early 2000s, Canadian developer Western GeoPower then took on the South Meager project with plans to then become Canada’s first geothermal power development.

MT Surveys followed by three deep slim wells discovered a high-temperature permeable zone and two locations for two deep production-sized wells were identified in 2004 and drilled 2004 and 2005. The potential capacity of the reservoir was then estimated at 100 MW electric. The results of the exploration work completed to date strongly indicates the presence of a geothermal reservoir with an areal extent of 4.5 to 7.5 km², and an average temperature of 220 to 240°C with a maximum measured temperature of 275° C. These attributes identify the South Meager field as a “high temperature” field (defined as one with 200°C or higher temperature) and a major geothermal site (defined as a site with 100 MW or more of potential development capacity).

With the consolidation in the market and a focus on the U.S. the Meager Creek project was then abandoned. Now though it is reported that a Calgary-based group has purchased the geothermal lease to Mount Meager, northwest of Pemberton about 170 km from Vancouver, BC.

According to the new owners of the company, the idea will be to produce market-ready green hydrogen from geothermal energy by 2025 —“if not sooner,” said geologist Craig Dunn, MCDC managing director and president of WellDunn Exploration.

The site often having been described as the most promising geothermal “hot spot”—spearheaded by well construction engineering company Remedy Energy Services and WellDunn Exploration, along with a few external partners—was finalized in March 2021.

We assume that the plans for green hydrogen production are in line with previous challenges of planning for wider transmission and the electricity offtaker BC Hydro, the provincial utility, which has been quite reluctant on geothermal.

Earlier this year, we reported on exploration work by Geoscience BC and the  Geological Survey of Canada in the sider Garibaldi Geothermal Volcanic Belt under an Assessment Project. The combined effort between Geoscience BC, the Geological Survey of Canada and seven colleges and universities, led by senior research scientist Dr. Stephen Grasby, took place at the Pemberton-area volcano over the last two years. Its main goal was to reduce exploration risk into the renewable energy source by collecting more knowledge about what’s happening beneath Meager’s surface.

Now the project is looking at a strategy for development and the engagement with Lil’wat First Nation. Drilling could start late summer of 2022.

Geoscience BC is hosting  an online open house today Wednesday, Aug. 4 at noon (PST), to share findings and plans for the project’s second phase. Register to attend at bit.ly/371xMxX.

Source: Pique News Magazine, old project overview by Western GeoPower (of 2008)