Raft River Project In-Depth

The Neal Hot Springs project currently consists of 9.6 square miles of geothermal energy and surface rights leased by U.S. Geothermal Inc. The property is located in eastern Oregon; approximately 90 miles northwest of Boise. Chevron Minerals drilled at the site in the late 1970s and made a discovery of a commercial geothermal resource at a depth of 2,820 feet. A Chevron drill hole encountered high temperature and massive lost circulation of drill fluids within the geothermal zone, which indicates the potential for prolific production.

An independent consulting firm analyzed geothermal fluid from Neal Hot Springs and the resulting cation geothermometer indicates a likely reservoir temperature of 311ºF to 320ºF, with an estimated distal source temperature of 347ºF to 356ºF. A geophysical program using gravity and magnetic surveys was completed in February 2007 and will be used to develop drill targets. U.S. Geothermal is planning a production well drilling program to determine the commercial viability of the geothermal resource. The current development plan anticipates 26MW of power production.