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 ...
Kalisz Embarks on Geothermal Revolution: 1,700-Meter Well to Unlock Network of Thermal Pools, Heated Apartment Blocks, and Homes By: Robert Buluma In the heart of Poland’s Greater Poland Voivodeship, the historic city of Kalisz is taking a bold leap into the renewable energy future. On February 25, 2026, city authorities signed a landmark contract to drill an exploratory geothermal well reaching 1,700 meters deep. The project, dubbed “Kalisz GT1,” aims to confirm the presence, quality, temperature, and productivity of thermal waters beneath the city — potentially transforming Kalisz into a hub for low-carbon district heating and a network of therapeutic thermal pools. The headline-grabbing Polish announcement — “Sieć basenów termalnych, ogrzane bloki i domy. Miasto drąży odwiert na 1700 metrów” — perfectly captures the ambition: a geothermal-powered network of thermal baths, heated residential blocks, and family homes. If successful, this could slash heating costs, improve air quality,...