Geothermal well drilling service provider ThermaPrime Drilling Corp. on Wednesday announced it completed its drilling projects that boosted the steam production of Philippine Geothermal Production Company Inc. (PGPC) in Luzon.

“ThermaPrime successfully drilled a total of 12 production wells and three multilateral injection wells, and carried out 10 work-over jobs over a period of four years,” said ThermaPrime, which is part the Lopez-led First Philippine Holdings companies.

It said the drilling works have boosted the steam production of PGPC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SM Investment Corp. (SMIC), by 100 megawatts in its geothermal steam fields in Laguna, Batangas and Tiwi, Albay.

“One of the drilled wells in the Makiling-Banahaw area is by far the country’s deepest for ‘large hole’ with a depth of 11,849 feet. It also holds a speed record for geothermal drilling having been completed in under a month,” ThermaPrime said.

Meanwhile, PGPC targets to increase its renewable energy output to 600 MW in line with the government’s goal to raise renewables’ share in the energy mix.

Last June, its mother company SMIC said it would be investing PHP3 billion a year to develop five new geothermal projects in north and south Luzon, including Kalinga, Daklan, Cagayan, Mount Labo and Malinao. (PNA)