BOE Report recently published an article on the geothermal industry employing Alberta Oil and Gas expertise. The publication is a source of oil and gas news, advocacy and information that has a wide reach over energy professionals. The article briefly addresses the lack of knowledge around geothermal systems, and how geothermal energy is mainly still associated with “geo-exchange systems or residential heat pumps.”
As stated in the article, “Geothermal is being re-invigorated by new technology and one such technology being developed in Alberta is not as costly to construct and can be scaled up or down according to the needs of a project.” The article mentions the inefficiency of previous geothermal technology such as LEGE tech, and suggests that the technology developed by Eavor Technologies is more promising and eliminates the requirement for an energy-intensive LEGE’s pump.
Neil Ethier, the Director of Business Development – Americas, at Eavor says: “Alberta is a great place for geothermal because we have the people and the knowledge and expertise. We are drilling geothermal wells in the exact same way that we drill an oil and gas well with the same men and women running the rigs, so the experience and the technical know-how that we have in Alberta is probably the best in the world.”
The article addresses the energy transition, where Neil Ethier says, “We prefer to call it an energy diversification rather than energy transition. Alberta has been an energy powerhouse for decades. We want to continue that narrative and champion the geothermal space. We want to create an export industry where the knowledge, intellectual property, and technology sit here in Calgary. We want to be able to export it to the world instead of importing solar panels from China or wind turbines from Korea or Germany. We would see revenues coming into the province and the country instead of it moving in the other direction. That’s why we’re in Alberta. I think 95% of our company is ex-oil and gas people- that is the story of us growing and being part of that energy diversification story.”
