re latest announcement, page-81

Hey geo.

Ok, was hoping no-one would have seen those hosing the tracks fotos. lol

Ok, justification is that they were not laterally constrained sufficiently so they buckled.

Just trying to demonstrate there are a number of forces acting on the string / pipe.

The pipe will have come to an initial equilibrium when lowered into the hole. The net longitudinal stress in the pipe will be a combination of initial heat equilibrium as the hole & pipe soaks to whatever the heat gradient is (270deg ambient at 4km as reported by GDY = 70 deg per km) which at normal steel coe's appears similar to the weight stress. (Very ball park here. Whatever the TLA is is for Back of the Envelope calculation - "BEC")

Post equilibrium, running hot fluid back up the pipe IF it is constrained at the bottom will reduce the stress as the pipe expands. (i.e.opposite of what one would expect, counter acting the weight stress)

IF not bottom constrained, then the pipe relaxes / expands and again, not a big issue, relatively constant weight stress.

I suspect that most of the issues are in the top of the stem, ie combination of weight of the pipe adding longitudinal stress, whatever the joining technique changing the metallurgy of the pipe and the elevated temperatures (but the fluids are only at 200degC) and pressures (don't know what these are) could lead to a situation where the steel in the casing mechanically fails.

Woosh, as they say in the failure analysis business.

This hypothesis is aided by the failure being in the sauna (sorry) cellar.

If so, relatively simple augmentation of the capabilities of the stem at the top (change in material or increases in thickness) and away we go.

Fingers crossed.

But, DYOR, and when no-one knows the details, wait for the announcement.

Esp where a number of posters have given Gerry credit for shareholder disclosure.