Technical Validation of Geothermal Energy Wells - Honduras and Mexico

Description

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is seeking a specialized consulting firm to provide technical assistance for the independent verification and determination of the technical success or failure of geothermal wells currently under drilling or recently completed. All validation, testing, and verification activities must be conducted on-site to provide a data-driven basis for resource confirmation and future field development planning.

1. Geographical scope and success criteria
Target locations: Technical assessment of up to three (3) geothermal wells located in Mexico:

Two (2) wells in Cerro Prieto (Mexicali).

One (1) well in Las Tres Vírgenes (Baja California Peninsula).

Success threshold: A well will be formally classified as technically successful when it demonstrates a commercial production capacity of at least 3.5 MWe.

2. On-site technical assessment and validation
Data verification: Compilation and review of final drilling reports, well completion data, and production logs to ensure completeness, internal consistency, and data traceability.

Parameter review: Validation of drilling and completion parameters—including well depth, casing configuration, drilling conditions, and intercepted formations—against the expected subsurface geothermal model.

Field testing validation: Direct on-site inspection of production test data, verifying flow rates, pressure, temperature, test duration, instrumentation reliability, and the consistency of measurement methods.

3. Performance analysis and certification
Discharge characterization: Evaluation of well discharge behavior, focusing on flow stability, enthalpy conditions, and thermodynamic phase behavior to characterize resource potential.

Standardized evaluation: Assessment of production performance utilizing international frameworks, specifically incorporating IFC criteria for geothermal well success to calculate specific steam consumption.

Technical statements: Issuance of an independent technical report and a final technical statement for each well, explicitly declaring its success or failure.

Certification and support: Provision of formal certifications of exploratory well success to relevant technical authorities, along with evidence-based technical support in the event of observations or disagreements.

Note: Interested companies must review the requirements in the BEO Bidders Portal.