Marriott Drilling Group to drill Corbetti exploration wells in Ethiopia early next year

UK-based Marriott Drilling Group signed a contract to drill up to four exploration wells for the Corbetti geothermal power project in Ethiopia. The wells will be drilled in the Corbetti Caldera near Shashemene in Oromia. The contract follows Taranis Operations acquiring a majority interest in the project, with the Private Infrastructure Development Group retaining a minority interest of about 40%.

A drilling rig will arrive on site in the coming months, and final site preparation is underway to allow drilling to start early next year. Taranis is leading the next phase of exploration and development.

Following exploration drilling, the first phase of the project is expected to include production and injection wells and a steam field to support a 50 MW power plant, with a second phase planned to reach 150 MW. Corbetti is one of the first geothermal projects in Africa to be developed from greenfield by private capital.