Pertamina harnessing innovative technologies to optimize geothermal operations
Field testing of the two-phase flowmeter in Indonesia (source: Mohamad Husni Mubarok)
Carlo Cariaga
30 Apr 2024
Pertamina Geothermal Energy is leveraging new, innovative technologies to enhance the efficiency of their geothermal power operations in Indonesia.
PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGEO) continues to explore the use off innovative breakthrough technologies to further optimize their geothermal operations in Indonesia. All these efforts are part of the state-owned developer’s commitment of advancing the local geothermal industry. The pronouncement was made by PGE President Director Julfi Hadi.
A major breakthrough in geothermal reservoir management comes by way of Flow2Max, a two-phase flowmeter that had been developed by Mohamad Husni Mubarok, PGE’S Production and Operational Excellence Manager. This has now been installed in five production wells in the Lahendong area in North Sulawesi after extensive testing and prototyping.
“This technology is the first in the world that allows monitoring two-phase geothermal fluid flow more reliably, easily, real-time, accurately, flexibly and reliably than existing technology,” said Julfi.
The technology fills an important gap in current geothermal reservoir management practices. Julfi further explained that the ability to measure fluid flow in real-time allows PGEO to more regularly evaluate well performance and predict the productivity of production wells, thus also allowing for the early detection of technical problems in wells.
Husni hopes that his technology can help revolutionize the geothermal industry by providing a way to enhance operational performance and production capability. “Our next task is to try our best to be able to utilize our patents into a new technology that will become a future business for PGEO and benefit other geothermal industries,” Husni added.
Another initiative of PGEO is the use of screw expander technology in power plant turbines win collaboration with PT Kaishan Orka Indonesia. The technology can generate power from low-quality heat sources, providing opportunities to increase the overall efficiency of geothermal power plants.
“This technological development and innovation is also based on PGEO’s belief that geothermal energy has great potential to become a reliable, sustainable, and environment-friendly energy source,” added Julfi.
In mid-2023, PGEO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kaishan Group, through subsidiary KS Orka Renewables, to utilize the waste heat and tail water from PGE’s existing geothermal power plants for further power generation. A key component of this agreement is the steam screw expander technology of Kaishan.
Source: Kontan
