Unlocking the Impermeable Reservoir: Lessons from a 30-Year Reservoir Engineer An Alphaxioms interview with Richard Joseph Holt, Principal Consultant in Reservoir Engineering at RESPEC . Context: Menengai East and Olkaria Central. Every geothermal developer knows the moment. The rig is gone and the money is spent. The well is drilled to depth, the temperature is there, and then the well will not flow. The heat is real, but the connection between the well and the reservoir is not. Wells like this sit at the centre of one of the most important questions in geothermal development: what do you do with a tight reservoir? Walk away and drill again, or find a way to unlock what is already there? To explore the question, Alphaxioms spoke with Richard Joseph Holt, Principal Consultant in Reservoir Engineering at RESPEC . Richard brings 30 years of global experience in geothermal energy. We framed our questions around two settings, Menengai East and Olkaria Central, and asked him how ...
Hungary Unlocks 29 Billion Forint for Geothermal Drilling: Jedlik Ányos Program Fuels Major Expansion in Europe's Geothermal Hotspot
Hungary's Geothermal Boom: Jedlik Ányos Energy Program Unlocks 29 Billion Forint for Deep Earth Exploration and Green Heat By: Robert Buluma Posted by: Alphaxioms Geothermal News Date: March 6, 2026 Hungary is stepping up its game in the geothermal arena with a major push under the Jedlik Ányos Energetikai Program (Jedlik Ányos Energy Program). As of early March 2026, fresh funding calls have opened, making a combined 29 billion footprint (approximately USD 80-85 million) available specifically for geothermal projects. This includes non-repayable grants to de-risk exploratory drilling and interest-free loans for larger-scale developments. For a country already in Europe's top tier for geothermal utilization thanks to the favorable geology of the Carpathian Basin, this is a game-changing injection that could accelerate the shift toward energy independence, lower heating costs, and reduced fossil fuel imports. Hungary's Exceptional Geothermal Advantages Hungary sits on som...