Leapfrog Geothermal 2.4 released as geothermal energy demand rises
Tuesday 11 June 2013, 4:36PM
By Shine Group
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ARANZ Geo Limited, developer of Leapfrog® 3D geological modelling software for the mining, hydrogeology and geothermal industries, today announced the release of Leapfrog Geothermal 2.4. The major release, which further improves the interface to the specialist geothermal flow simulator TOUGH2, was accelerated due to the significant recent growth in the global geothermal market.
Shaun Maloney, CEO of ARANZ Geo, says, “We’ve seen significant growth in interest globally and recent licence sales include Turkey, Chile, Australia and the Philippines. Leapfrog Geothermal 2.3 was a significant milestone as users could create TOUGH2 inputs consistent with the geoscience model, a major workflow enhancement. Leapfrog Geothermal 2.4 is another leap and greatly enhances what users can do.”
Maloney says the company expects it to become the software of choice for the growing geothermal industry. “Climate change concerns, reduced reliance on nuclear and coal fired electricity generation, high oil prices, and government legislation and incentives, are driving commercialisation of geothermal and other renewable energy sources. This in turn is driving sales of our software.”
ARANZ Geo has leveraged the considerable geothermal research expertise that exists in New Zealand, a pioneer in large-scale geothermal energy use, to help develop Leapfrog Geothermal 2.4.
ARANZ Geo’s Product Director Richard Lane says, “Working with the geothermal industry in New Zealand has been a real asset for us. The different perspectives of the development group which includes Contact Energy, GNS Science and the University of Auckland have significantly added to the software’s success. Our software is well suited to the needs of the geothermal industry and will help ensure valuable natural resources are managed efficiently for future generations.”
The software is opening up new markets for ARANZ Geo. Turkey, an energy importing nation that meets half the country’s energy requirements by imported fuels, is one such market. Geothermal is seen as an attractive, clean and sustainable solution.
Leapfrog’s distributor in Turkey, Hayati Koyuncu, says, “Turkey has substantial potential for geothermal resources and is extremely active in the sector. Leapfrog Geothermal is a great tool for modelling, understanding and reevaluating the 3D geology of geothermal systems and the geothermal resources of Turkey.”
The software is being used by Turkish geothermal consultancy NTU Geothermal Consultancy Co. for all stages of geothermal resource exploration, development and production on both local and international projects.
Other recent licence purchases include leading geothermal companies from the Philippines, Chile and Australia.
Development group partner GNS Science, which supply Leapfrog Geothermal training on behalf of ARANZ Geo, have seen a surge in training with recent courses in Indonesia, Chile and the Philippines. GNS Science Business Development Manager Andrea Blair, says, "The geothermal industry has embraced this new software and is running with it. Demand for training has skyrocketed. It’s great to work with a smart Kiwi company that's demonstrating to the world that Kiwi's are still at the forefront of geothermal innovation.”
Excellent graphical capabilities
Leapfrog Geothermal’s graphical capabilities allow users to rapidly visualise and interpret in the high definition 3D environment, improving and speeding up understanding and facilitating communication. Leapfrog Geothermal’s high-end OpenGL 3.0 shaders leverage the local graphics hardware and achieve higher frame-rates for even more realistic rendering, especially when using transparencies.
TOUGH2 reservoir simulation
Enhancing the interface with flow modelling software such as TOUGH2 will further contribute to workflow enhancements made possible by Leapfrog Geothermal 2.3. In addition to gridding, input generation and results visualisation Leapfrog Geothermal 2.4 supports generators, atmosphere and basement boundary conditions.
Leapfrog Geothermal is a fast, dynamic, 3D geological modelling technology with innovative workflows that enables multiple hypotheses to be investigated during all stages of exploration. In early stage development the software assists geologists to efficiently decide on the best locations for well drilling. In later stages the software allows the geology to be used directly in reservoir models.