The presentations from the annual Peer Review of US DOE funded geothermal projects are now posted online.  AZGS presented the progress and results on the National Geothermal Data System we run on behalf of the Association of American State Geologists. NGDS is in a beta test mode, with over 17,000 data sets comprising more than 5 million records currently.  That number is expected to double or triple by year end.

The Geothermal Technologies Office funds 154 research and development projects leveraging nearly $500 million in total combined investment, and 95 of the those projects presented at the annual Peer Review event. Each project represents a growing technology sector in conventional hydrothermal, low-temperature and co-produced, or Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technologies, as well as technical and non-technical research and analysis.
Each year, DOE requires a rigorous review of investments by independent, qualified peers to assess key achievements in geothermal development and to meet strategic DOE guidelines. Peer Review offers geothermal stakeholders an opportunity to learn about the projects funded by DOE across a wide spectrum of technical complexity and funding magnitude, from research and development to demonstration and analysis. The event also opens a dialogue with other respected researchers in geophysics, geochemistry, modeling, tools, and more.
 
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Geothermal Technologies Office Peer Review meeting was held on April 22-25,  in Denver, Colorado.

ASU's School of Sustainability is using a crowd-sourcing approach to map global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.  The research team "developed a website with a Google Earth interface that makes it easy for everyday people around the world to enter information. The website, “Ventus,” aims to create a complete list of global power plants, something that does not exist and is needed to fully comprehend the global carbon emissions cycle."


Ventus: Crowdsourcing to map global CO2 emissions from ASU News on Vimeo.

 The Utah Geological Survey has released a geologic map of the Glen Canyon Dam area of southern Utah and northern Arizona (provided as two plates-east and west parts), which is one of several maps recently completed by the Utah Geological Survey that provide complete geologic map coverage of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The announcement says "Glen Canyon Dam, completed in 1964, is anchored in Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, the oldest formation exposed in the map area. Jurassic and Cretaceous strata are cut by a few small faults and warped by broad shallow folds. Surficial deposits consist of extensive river and stream terrace gravel, eolian sand, and minor alluvium and talus. The map is based on new field mapping and aerial photograph interpretation and is provided as two plates in PDF format with a 12-page explanatory booklet that describes map units."

Ref: Preliminary Geologic Map of the Glen Canyon Dam Area, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Coconino County, Arizona, and Kane and San Juan Counties, Utah, by Grant C. Willis, UGS Open-file Report 607, 2012.

Arizona mining companies are having a hard time finding qualified candidates for even high paying jobs, and that's symptomatic of  the industry nationwide.  

SME and GSA are offering a webinar on "Emerging Workforce Trends in the U.S. Energy and Mining Industries" on Thursday, May 23.


Following is the announcement from the two professional societies:
Access to energy and mineral resources is essential to support the United States' high standard of living, economy, and security. The outlook is bright for U.S. energy and mining jobs as these industries should continue to grow and pay well, but the nation will have to overcome a looming retirement bubble and low number of prospective employees skilled in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).  Some innovative solutions are being pursued, but more action is needed if the nation is to maintain a skilled workforce able to supply its energy and mineral needs.  The National Research Council (NRC) report Emerging Workforce Trends in the Energy and Mining Industries:  A Call to Action examines the current and future workforce situation for the non-fuel mineral, oil and gas, coal, nuclear, geothermal, solar, wind, and carbon sequestration sectors and frames some steps the nation can take to help ensure it meets the country’s future needs in these industries.

Leigh Freeman and Jerry Ventre, professionals with the mining and solar industries, respectively, were members of the NRC committee that authored the report.  They’ll provide a brief synopsis of the report and take questions from the audience.

• LEIGH FREEMAN is the principal and general manager of Downing Teal, Inc. He has over 30 years of domestic and international experience in the resource industries.  Early in his career, Mr. Freeman served in technical, management, and executive positions with large and small resource companies.  He serves in leadership roles for the Society of Mining Engineers, Society of Economic Geologists, Industrial Minerals Association, International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technologies, as well as Montana Tech, South Dakota School of Mines, University of Arizona, and Queen’s University. Mr. Freeman received his B.S. in geological engineering from Montana Tech of the University of Montana.
  
  
  
• GERARD (“JERRY”) VENTRE is a consultant in photovoltaic (PV) systems engineering, specializing in workforce development, system design, and product assurance. He has over 35 years of experience in research, development, design, systems analysis, and education. For 20 of those years, he led the PV and distributed power programs at the Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida. During that time he also managed the U.S. DOE’s Photovoltaic Southeast Regional Experiment Station, with emphasis on test, evaluation, and application of PV and advanced technologies.  He received his B.S. degree in aerospace engineering, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering and applied mechanics from the University of Cincinnati.

The full "Workforce Trends" report may be freely downloaded at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18250 

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. There is no cost to attend this Webinar.


2pm Eastern / 1pm Central / 12pm Mountain / 11am Pacific time
Space is limited.  Reserve your Webinar seat now at:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/981208314
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Arizona made the front page of The Northern Miner last week, with headline stories on Passport Potash's program in the Holbrook basin, and the sale of BHP's Pinto Valley copper mine.

The weekly paper is one of the leading news sources for the mining industry.

The Arizona Dept. of Transportation says there is currently no timetable for reopening US 89 which was closed earlier this year because of a landslide near Bitter Springs, south of Page [photo credit, ADOT].   Instead, the unpaved Navajo Route 20 (N20) is going to be paved starting at the end of the month to offer an alternate route. ADOT expects it to be complete in late summer.  The paving project was projected to cost $28 million.   The Federal Highway Administration has approved $35 million for repairs to US89.

An ADOT announcement says:

• This schedule assumes that the necessary agreements which are currently pending are finalized and in place.
• Improvements to US 89T (N20) will pave the unpaved 27-mile segment of N20 and includes the installation of fencing, cattle passes, cattle guards, and signage. 
• ADOT will consider bus pullout opportunities adjacent to US 89T (N20).
• Commercial vehicle traffic (trucks) will be allowed on US 89T (N20) once paving is complete.
• Once the paving is completed, ADOT would designate the route as US 89T (N20) and would provide roadway maintenance services.  After repairs to US 89 are complete, US 89T (N20) will be relinquished to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

US 89 Landslide Area

• Development of the Draft Final Geotechnical Report is anticipated to be complete at the end of May.  The Draft Final Report will provide recommendations for roadway repair.
• There is currently no timetable for reopening US 89, but ADOT is committed to restoring this important travel route as soon as safely possible.
• Strict security measures on US 89 are being enforced to ensure the safety of the crews and emergency vehicles.  This area is still considered unstable and is not safe for public travel. US 89 is closed to all traffic with the exception of authorized ADOT crews and emergency vehicles.  Additional security fencing and ongoing efforts to monitor the site are in place to prevent security breaches.
• In the event of an emergency, the public is encouraged to contact Navajo Emergency Services at 928.283.3111. 

Resolution Copper is facing a raft of challenges in its goal to develop one of the world's largest copper mines outside Superior, Arizona, but may go ahead with the project even if the controversial federal land exchange is not approved by Congress. 

 Parent company Rio Tinto cut the project budget substantially last year as part of a global belt-tightening and lack of progress in the land exchange the company wants to ensure the can go forward.   Resolution's other parent, BHP, just sold the Pinto Valley mine which had been the presumed site for the millsite and tailings.    Public support in the Superior area is waning as a result of these actions so Resolution staff are out on the road telling their story and answering questions.    Even so, polls show an 85% favorability in the greater Superior area.   [Right, head frame for shaft #10.  Credit, Nyal Niemuth, AZGS]

Vicky Peacey, senior manager of environmental and external affairs for Resolution provided an update to a crowd of about 150 yesterday in Tucson at the monthly Arizona Mining Alliance meeting.   She explained that regardless of the land ownership status the mine proposal would have to do National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies on the full project and environmental impacts.  She also indicated the possibility that the project could go forward without the federal land exchange, although that is not their preferred route. Vicki noted that many mines are developed on federal lands but doing so would mean a large reduction in economic benefits to local and state governments.

The permitting process is expected to take the rest of the decade with first mining projected in 2020.   The company has invested about $1 billion so far, and expects to eventually spend $6 billion getting the project ready for production.   The mine should produce 1 billion pounds of copper per year making it one of the top 5 in the world.  

 My Tuesday interview about the National Geothermal Data System with Jane Poynter on Arizona Illustrated is posted online at the Arizona Public Media website. 
                                    

The Arizona Corporation Commission says they have "ordered former Scottsdale resident John M. McNeil, California resident [and former Edmonton Oilers owner] Peter Pocklington and their affiliated companies to pay $5,149,316 in restitution and a $100,000 administrative penalty for committing securities fraud in connection with a gold mining venture" near Quartzite, Arizona.   The ACC announcement went on to say:

The Commission found that, while not registered as securities salesmen or dealers in Arizona, respondents McNeil, Pocklington and their affiliated companies— Crystal Pistol Resources, LLC, Crystal Pistol Management, LLC, and Liberty Bell Resources I,LLC — told at least 120 investors that they had obtained mineral rights to a placer mine outside of Quartzite, Arizona, and would begin mining and processing gold on the site within a short period of time. The Commission found that the respondents obtained at least some investors by making unsolicited telephone calls to them and that some investors were taken to the mine site, which was located on U.S. Bureau of Land Management land. Additionally, the Commission found that Crystal Pistol prepared newsletters in which it claimed to be offering one of the most lucrative dividend plans in the mining business and that hedge funds and banks were interested in the project. The Commission found, however, that the estimates of gold resources on the respondents’ website were not supportable with the methods currently available in the industry. In settling this matter, the respondents neither admitted nor denied the Commission’s findings, but agreed to the entry of the consent order. CBC News in Canada reports that Pocklington issued a news release saying that his "company has worked diligently and honestly with its investors and any errors were the result of inexperience and naivete, not malice or avarice, and were quickly rectified."

The situation of the Navajo Generating Station [right, credit NGDS], a coal-fired power plant in Page, Arizona is complex.    It is a major economic engine for the Navajo Nation, a major supplier of power for the Central Arizona Project, a target of the EPA for air quality, and the focus of debate on all those topics.   Alan Dulaney,  Water Policy Administrator for the City of Peoria, wrote a column in this month's issue of the Arizona Hydrological Society newsletter that brings some of these complex interactions into focus.  It is reprinted below with approval of Alan and AHS:
Navajo Generating Station hangs by a thread. So stated David Modeer, General Manager of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD), on May 1 in Glendale. And the fate of a major portion of the reasonably priced, replenishable water supply for central Arizona hangs with it. The Central Arizona Project has been a goal for Arizona since 1912. Arizona takes 1.5 million acre-feet each year off the Colorado River and moves it through Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima Counties. But a tremendous amount of power is needed to move that water uphill to Tucson. Navajo Generating Station (NGS) provides that power, and keeps CAP water rates reasonable. Without reasonable rates, farmers have made it clear that they will pump mostly groundwater again, and municipal users would soon follow. All the progress that has been made since the 1980 Groundwater Management Act in moving the three most populous counties to sustainable water supplies could be undone. And it all comes to a head with NGS, which is facing a myriad of challenges to its continued existence.NGS sits on Navajo Nation land. On Monday night, April 29, the Navajo Tribal Council discussed the proposed lease extension which would allow NGS to operate beyond 2019. They came up with a new lease (10 amendments), voted 20-1 to accept their version, and President Ben Shelly signed it. But Salt River Project, which operates NGS, has said it will not accept the changes. NGS takes 34,000 acre-feet each year of Upper Basin Colorado River water from the Navajo Nation allotment for cooling, leaving only 17,000 acre-feet for the Navajo Nation. The Navajos want all their water back. They also want more control over the plant, and want the US Bureau of Reclamation to sign the lease. SRP and the other partners believe promises of more money and jobs will prevail. SRP must continue negotiating with the Navajos - but a new lease is by no means certain. In my opinion, non-Reservation folks do not truly grasp what the Navajos want, which is control over their own natural resources and cultural traditions. This is not a situation that can be resolved with more money; both sides are operating under different assumptions. I am not hopeful that a new lease will be possible as long as the two sides talk past one another.Just a couple of weeks ago, Nevada Power suddenly announced that they would seek legislative permission to withdraw as a partner in NGS. We already knew that Los Angeles Power and Water was withdrawing, but the Nevada announcement came out of the blue. I suspect that continuing uncertainty with the lease - and beyond that, new coal contracts, EPA visibility rule requirements costing up to $1.1 billion in retrofits, and other challenges still unresolved - caused Nevada to decide that withdrawing would be the best option. Who will be next to bolt?Arizona has done more water planning than any other state in the Union. The CAP canal is proof of that. Because of our water resources expertise, we sometimes think that our structure of water rights and engineering is unshakeable. It has brought us years of sustainable water at reasonable prices. Yet as David Modeer noted, uncertainty rules CAP from here on out. Only one thing is certain: the era of cheap water is over.Alan Dulaney,City of Peoria

The USGS reports a magnitude 2.3 earthquake 19 miles east of Mesquite, just before 2 A.M. local time on Sunday morning.  [Right, orange star marks epicenter. Red line is surface trace of Hurricane fault zone.  Credit, USGS]

Electricity is being produced from low-temperature waste geothermal heat at a gold mine in Nevada, offering the potential for broader application of the technology at mines and oil and gas operations in many areas of the country.

ElectraTherm, a company that specializes in small-scale, distributed power produced from waste heat,  commissioned their second geothermal project utilizing low  temperature (170- 240°F/77-16°C) geothermal brine to generate electricity at the Florida Canyon Mine operated by Jipangu International. [Right, Electratherm's power module.  From the DOE Peer Review presentation - http://www4.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/sites/default/files/documents/gtp_pr2012_smallscaleelectrical.pdf ]

The project is supported by a grant from the US DOE Geothermal Technologies Office and will be generating electricity this year for less than 6¢ a kilowatt/hr, with ElectraTherm's new plug-and-play technology. DOE said "Building on this first-of-its-kind success, this emission-free electricity is the first in the nation to be generated from cost-free geothermal brine at a mine operation, and the technology has the potential for extremely broad application in many parts of the country, including oil and gas operations."

Treehugger.com notes that waste heat offers more power potential than all renewable resources combined.








Geothermal Technologies Office: Low-Temperature Geothermal Resources

Here are a few recent publications on Arizona from the US Geological Survey with links to the downloadable files:
Hydrogeologic framework and estimates of groundwater storage for the Hualapai Valley, Detrital Valley, and Sacramento Valley basins, Mohave County, Arizona,2013, Truini, Margot; Beard, L. Sue; Kennedy, Jeffrey; Anning, Dave W., USGS Scientific Investigations Report: 2012-5275, http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20125275
 Bedrock and surficial geologic map of the Satan Butte and Greasewood 7.5’ quadrangles, Navajo and Apache Counties, northern Arizona, 2013, Amoroso, Lee; Priest, Susan S.; Hiza-Redsteer, Margaret, USGS Open-File Report: 2013-1007, http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20131007 
Geologic map of the Topock 7.5’ quadrangle, Arizona and California, 2013, Howard, Keith A.; John, Barbara E.; Nielson, Jane E.; Miller, Julia M. G.; Wooden, Joseph L., USGS Scientific Investigations Map: 3236,  http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3236 

A piece of what may be the first meteorite from Mercury found on Earth has been donated to the ASU Center for Meteorite Studies in Tempe.

ASU's School of Earth & Space Exploration reports that

meteorite enthusiast Fredric Stephan donated two pieces of specimen NWA 732, a green meteorite recovered in Morocco, totaling 10 grams. CMS now holds 10 grams of the 345 grams found. [Right,  Melissa Morris (assistant director of ASU’s Center for Meteorite Studies), meteorite collector Fredric Stephan, and Laurence Garvie (collection manager of ASU’s Center for Meteorite Studies) hold samples of the center’s newest acquisition: A meteorite that has been suggested to hail from planet Mercury. Photo by Andy DeLisle.  Credit, ASU]

[Taken from the ASU announcement]

Copper is the theme of a unique program at the ASU Art Museum on May 7 for a lunchtime conversation "at the intersection of geology, sustainability, and art—in the midst of the exhibition, Cu29: Mining for You."
Former Colorado State Geologist Vince Matthews will give a presentation on the global competition for mineral resources. "Ongoing demands for mineral resources in the U.S., coupled with exploding economies in India and China, are straining energy and mineral resources in unprecedented and unnerving ways."

"After the presentation, Phoenix artist Matthew Moore and ASU geologist Steve Semken will join Matthews in a free-wheeling discussion. Moore will showcase the Cu29 exhibition, a collaboration with London artist Clare Patey, ASU faculty, and students. The exhibition centers on the endangered elements in the periodic table, specifically copper, a mineral at the core of Arizona’s history, economy, environment, and cultural life."

Co-sponsored by the ASU Art Museum. Limited free parking available at the Ceramics Research Center on the northeast corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
ASU Art Museum
Mill Avenue and 10th Street
Arizona State University, Tempe campus
(lunch will be provided)

[taken in part from the museum announcement]

Kinder Morgan received permits from the Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, for two new carbon dioxide wells in the St John's field in eastern Arizona.

The  10-26-30 State (permit #1146) and 9-25-30 (permit #1147) wells are both in Apache County.

Kinder Morgan intends to produce CO2 for shipment by pipeline to New Mexico and West Texas for use in enhanced oil recovery operations.    When the EOR process is complete, most of the CO2 should be sequestered in the oil producing geologic horizons.

BHP Billiton sold its Pinto Valley copper mine and associated rail line for $650 million, which is a lot more money than analysts expected.   According to Reuters news service, "Deutsche Bank had estimated the mine could sell for around $274 million, while UBS estimated it was worth $500 million."

A panel of bankers and investors is at the Governors Geothermal Workshop in Phoenix today explaining what the geothermal industry needs to do to finance development of this renewable resource.   Lending from financial institutions was represented as much cheaper than selling equity.

Rich Endicott, President of The Biltmore Bank in Scottsdale, told the audience that traditional bank lending (underwriting) expects the primary source of repayment to be from savings generated by the geothermal system.  But lenders also are looking for secondary and tertiary sources to ensure repayment - this may come from equity investors, government guarantees, or the system host for example.

In addition to cash flow, lenders also are looking for secure collateral and evaluation of the character of the borrowers and the project.   Collateral includes purchase agreements for the energy, long term leases, government performance guarantees and incentives, credit insurance, or assets.


Rick Tallman with Renova Capital said his company is investing millions in electricity production from geothermal but the high cost of drilling deep wells and potential for problems makes this a much higher risk endeavor.   He said many of the current hydrothermal projects around the country except for the Geysers field in California are in this situation.   He said that ground source heat pumps are one of the safest, lowest risk energy investments you can make; the technology is well established, drilling is very shallow, and the unknowns are fewer.

Rick urged creation of a state  revolving loan fund as a way to stimulate geothermal energy development.  He noted that most water systems in the US have been funded this way over the past decade.   The rapid payback and low risk makes it an effective tool and actually is a money maker for the state.

There's an interesting column by one of the Motley Fool team, making the case that the rising costs for developing new potash mines in Saskatchewan are making Arizona look like a good deal.

Canada produces over 40% of the world's potash which is used mostly as fertilizer and the US imports more than 85% of the potash needed in the nation.    But estimated costs for junior miners in Saskatchewan to start a new mine have ballooned to be twice the cost per tonne of production of a new mine in Arizona according to Peter Epstein.  He urges investors to look at Apache Junction-based Passport Potash  which is trying to develop a 2 million tonne per year underground potash mine in the Holbrook area.  [Right, thickness map of potash in Holbrook basin.  From AZGS report]

[Thanks to Thomas Poscharsky for bringing the column to my attention]

The US House passed the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act (H.R. 527) by a vote of 394-1 last week.   An analysis by AAAS says the bill authorizes the Secretary of Interior to restore for sale "crude helium for federal, medical, scientific, and commercial use"  pricing helium from the national reserve at market prices.   This will encourage the private sector to develop helium resources to replace the dwindling federal reserves.  Arizona has historically had some of the richest helium deposits in the country and Kinder Morgan is developing the St. John's carbon dioxide field which will also produce helium [Right. Credit, Enhanced Oil Resources]

AAAS reports that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee introduced a discussion draft of a companion bill.