Geothermal Drilling Preparation & Infrastructure Assessment In Indonesia: A Case Study In Western Nusa Tenggara

As an archipelago nation with geothermal prospects spread throughout its islands, Indonesia has various challenges in developing geothermal power generation. One of the key challenges is a lack of existing infrastructure development in the geothermal area and connectivity between the main islands. Another issue is that the majority of Indonesia's geothermal potentials are linked to volcanic activity and are located in high-relief terrain, which poses a number of geohazards. Other issues, such as community issues, regulation, and environmental concerns, make it more difficult for any developer to conduct a geothermal exploration project in Indonesia, particularly when it comes to building drilling infrastructure. Without proper infrastructures such as access roads, well pads, and water supply, the drilling cannot be conducted. The failure to assess the existing condition of the infrastructure and the required additional construction will also make the total cost for the campaign inflating and affect the whole project economics. Therefore, it is important to correctly assess the additional infrastructure required for carrying out geothermal drilling in the area.

A case study relating to geothermal drilling preparation as well as proposed drilling infrastructure in the Sembalun geothermal prospect area, West Nusa Tenggara, will be discussed in this paper. Areas of focus that will be reviewed are access roads for equipment mobilization, the recommendation for flat areas for drilling infrastructure needs (well pad, basecamp, warehouse, staging area, soil disposal site), drilling water supply, and drilling permits. The results and recommendations of the drilling preparation and infrastructure plans will be presented in this study.