The Sydney Apec Leaders’ Declaration On Climate Change, Energy Security And Clean Development, released on Sunday 9th, didn’t hold much of interest for the geothermal sector, except an agreement to “establish the Asia-Pacific Network for Energy Technology (APNet) to strengthen collaboration on energy research in the region.

Participation in the Network will be open to all research bodies in the APEC region. The aim of the Network will be to facilitate research linkages and co-operation in areas such as clean fossil energy and renewable energy. APNet will be inaugurated at a major energy research conference in 2008.” Could be one to watch out for next year.

A new player burst onto the Australian geothermal energy scene on Wednesday 5th. Uranoz Limited (URO) came out of left field with a six-page ASX announcement that had the sector talking for days.

URO has entered the game with three big projects and a high profile Managing Director (subject to ratification at an October EGM). Bertus de Graaf will oversee the development of the projects on the Limestone Coast (purchased from Scopenergy Limited), in India (JV with GeoSyndicate Power Private Ltd) and in Kyrgyzstan (JV with Kentor Gold Ltd; I had to grab my atlas for this one…it’s between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.)

After a brief trading halt, Green Rock Energy announced on Tuesday 4th that it has been awarded three new GELs in the Patchawarra Trough of the Cooper Basin, and raised another $1.3m through a private placement to supplement working capital.

The Cooper Basin tenements are prospective for lower temperature sediment hosted geothermal resources.

A story in the Melbourne Herald Sun on Tuesday 4th told of 300 students who were taught about the Dilwyn Geothermal Aquifer at the Victorian Youth Environment Conference at Port Fairy.

Year 9 students from Portland Secondary College “dressed as geologists, hydro-geologists, water-board representatives and business investors” explained to the other students that the aquifer is “close to magma in the earth's core” and has “potential uses in aquaculture, spa resorts, industries and, most importantly, improving the sustainability of Portland's existing [but decommissioned] geothermal heating infrastructure.”

At 10:30 am on Sunday 2nd, ABC TV ran a segment on the geothermal energy sector on “Inside Business”.

The story featured Torrens Energy Ltd, Geodynamics Ltd and HDRPL. A transcript can be read at: http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/content/2007/s2021659.htm

HDRPL expanded into a much larger suite of rooms in our current building.

This was necessary to accommodate our growing number of staff. Any of you are welcome to drop by and visit whenever you are in Melbourne.

Geothermal Resources Limited (GHT) released its fourth quarter activity report.

GHT has completed four diamond drill holes to 500 m depth on its Frome Project and is planning to collect temperature logs from the four holes.

At the same time, GHT will log several deep mineral holes “to develop a 3 dimensional temperature gradient model for the region, which will guide the location of the next series of shallow holes as well as aid in targeting the optimal positioning of deeper test holes.” Thermal conductivity measurements will also be made on core from the drilling program.

At its Crower Project, GHT “continues to evaluate available heat flow data for numerous deep boreholes.”