Tasmania, Australia
KUTh’s flagship Australian geothermal project is located in eastern Tasmania where we hold exclusive rights to significant exploration acreage. KUTh has been active in Tasmania for over five years during which time we have undertaken a comprehensive surface exploration program employing extensive geological and geophysical methods including gravity, magnetotelluric, aeromagnetic and drilling surveys. The results of this program have allowed us to develop detailed 3D models of the deep thermal reservoir and to accurately target the most promising initial production zones.
The identification of potentially economic thermal reservoirs at depth in Tasmania supports the drilling of further deep exploratory holes. Information provided by these holes will be used to test and refine the models at depth. Positive confirmation at this stage will lead to production drilling in preparation for proof-of-concept circulation and commercial upscale.
KUTh Tasmanian tenement map. Red areas indicated the projected extent of our currently identified geothermal resources.
Our Tenements
SEL26/2005
Initially granted in 2006, KUTh received a five-year extension of term for licence SEL 26/2005 in 2011. The area of the renewed licence comprises 7,570 km2 and includes the highly prospective Lemont and Fingal Inferred Geothermal Resources, identified by KUTh’s exploratory work.
The renewal of SEL 26/2005 will enable the commencement of deep exploration activities to further assess these prospective areas and their potential for geothermal energy generation in eastern Tasmania.
Lemont Inferred Geothermal Resource Statement (4 July 2009)
Fingal Inferred Geothermal Resource Statement (9 March 2010)
Inferred Geothermal Resource Statements update (2011)
SEL 45/2007 & SEL 57/2008
SEL 45/2007 (granted in 2007) is located to the south of the main tenement and incorporates the Rheban thermal anomaly as identified by our shallow heat flow drilling program. SEL57/2008 (granted in 2009) adjoins SEL 26/2005 to the west and covers part of the Great Lakes region.
Combined, these three tenements bring our total Tasmanian land holding to just over 9,000 km2.
Hot Rock Target Zones
KUTh's data collection and analysis activities provide a consistent understanding of our Tasmanian project areas. They give a clear indication of the existence of a substantial hot-rock geothermal anomaly in eastern Tasmania. This anomaly comprises an area of about 4,200 km2 in which we have identified high crustal heat flow (above 90 mWm-2). Included within this is a zone of about 600 km2 with very high heat flow (above 100 mWm-2).
Our exploration plans are focused on the two most highly prospective targets within this zone, at Lemont in the central Midlands and at Fingal in the north-east.
At Lemont, a zone of very high heat flow coincides with geophysical anomalies that may indicate the presence of deep fluid-filled fracture zones. Granite bodies are predicted from gravity mapping to be buried 4-5km deep beneath this region. This area is interpreted as a Naturally Fractured Hot Rock play which may be host to natural permeability and hot fluids at depth.
At Fingal, high heat flow coincides with granite buried 3-4 km deep, as inferred from existing high-quality gravity mapping. This area is interpreted as an archetypal Hot Rock play in granite.
Schematic play diagrams for Lemont (left) and Fingal (right) Inferred Geothermal Resources
Following the completion of our surface exploration and analysis, we are now actively planning for the next stages of exploration and project development in Tasmania. Key amongst our priorities is further risk reduction via deep appraisal drilling and planning for the establishment of power generation, network connection, transmission and commercial operation.
For more detailed information of ongoing progress, please refer to our Investor Centre.