Quarterly No. 69

July - September 2007

IGA
NEWS
Newsletter of the International Geothermal Association
IGA ACTIVITIES
Message from the President
John W. Lund, President
This is my last Message from the President, as I will be stepping down as President at the October 10th board meetingand the new President will be taking over on October 11th
at the new Board of Directors’ first meeting in Reykjavik,
Iceland. It has been an interesting three years for me andfor the Board. Much has been accomplished, mainly due
to the hard work of the various Board members, who mademy job easier. These accomplishments included:• Holding a successful World Geothermal Congress 2005
in Antalya, Turkey along with numerous short courses
and field trips. This meeting was under the leadershipof Dr. Orhan Mertoglu, chair of the Turkish Organizing Committee, and Dr. James Koenig, chair of the IGA
Organizing Committee.
• Moving the IGA Secretariat from ENEL in Italy toSamorka in Iceland. The transition was made smoothby the outgoing Executive Director, Dr. Ruggero Bertaniwith help from Iris Perticone and the Past President,
Dr. Guido Cappetti, and the new Executive Director
Valgardur Stefansson, who stepped into his role quickly.
Unfortunately, Valgardur passed away from cancer inJuly 2006, and the leadership role was taken over by
Dr. Arni Ragnarsson. He has continued to serve IGA
well.
• Applying for and obtaining a $US810,000 grant fromthe World Bank/GeoFund to perform a number of tasks
in support of their geothermal mission, and to support
the International Summer School, as well as a numberof other training courses. This was brought about by the
hard work of Dr. Gordon Bloomquist, chair of the Fin­ance Committee, and Dr. Arni Ragnarsson. The negotiation for this grant has taken almost four years of hard
work and negotiations with the World Bank, including
several trips to Russia, Iceland and Washington, D.C.
• Awarding the World Geothermal Congress 2010 to Indonesia, that will be held in Bali in April of 2010 withthe help of Board members Alimin Ginting and Dr. Jim
Lawless, who prepared and negotiated the agreement for

IGA ACTIVITIES

Message from the President
Election results
WGC 2010-It’s Not Too Early to Plan to Attend
How the IGA was born

EUROPE
Iceland/ Geothermal power plants in theHengill area

AMERICA
Mexico/News from Mexico

1
2
5
5

8

10

ASIA/PACIFIC RIM
Australia/ Geothermal research hub for
Adelaide
12/ Ideal stress regime for Olympic
Dam geothermal project
12
China/ China-Australia cooperation studyof hot dry rock13
New Zealand / Post Graduate Certificate in
Geothermal Energy Technology, theGeothermal Institute, Universityof Auckland, New Zealand.
14/ Increase in New Zealand geothermalenergy research
14

UPCOMING EVENTS
Geothermal meetings

15

IGA News, July - September 2007
the meeting. The IGA organization of this meeting will be under the leadership of Dr. Gordon Bloomquist, chair of theSteering Committee. Several organizing committee meetings have already been held in Indonesia. The first circularwill be available shortly.
• Publishing 12 issues of the IGA News under the expert supervision and work of Dr. Eduardo Iglesias and the editing of
Dr. John Garnish. This is our main information and communication medium for IGA, in addition to our website.
• Keeping our budget and finances in order, paying our debts and keeping a positive balance in our account. Dr. Kevin
Brown was the financial conscience for the Association, and kept a tight rein on our spending. No spending wasundertaken without his review and approval.
• Forming the Western Pacific Regional Branch, under the leadership of Dr. Jim Lawless, who is also the Branch’s first
President.
• Similarly forming the European Regional Branch under the guidance of Prof Kiril Popovski.
The Board of Directors has held two Board meetings per year along with the Annual General Meeting. The Board met
at the following locations with the help of the local Board members and sponsored by the country affiliate geothermal
association.
• Antalya, Turkey, 10 October 2004; hosted by the Turkish Geothermal Association; organized by Dr. Orhan Mertoglu• Ankara, Turkey, 14 and 15 February, 2005; hosted by the Turkish Geothermal Association; organized by Dr. Orhan
Mertoglu.
• Beijing, China, 13 and 14 September 2005; hosted by the Geothermal Chinese Energy Society; organized by Dr. Keyan
Zheng• Brussels, Belgium, 3 and 4 April 2006; hosted by the European Geothermal Energy Council in the Renewable Energy
House; organized by Dr. Burkhard Sanner.
• Chiba, Japan, 8 and 9 October 2006; hosted by Japanese Geothermal Associated; organized by Dr. Hiroaki Niitsuma,
Dr. Toshihiro Uchida, Dr. Sachio Ehara and Dr. Kasumi Yasukawa.
• Manila, Philippines, 5 and 6 March 2007; hosted by the Philippine Geothermal Association, PNOC Energy Development Corporation, and Unocal Philippines/Chevron Geothermal and Power Company; organized by Dr. ManuelOgena and Dr. Antonio Yee.
• Reykjavik, Iceland, 9 October 2007; hosted by Samorka and the Iceland Geothermal Association; organized by Arni
Ragnarsson, Olafur Flovenz and Gestur Gislason.
Annual General Meetings, as required by the IGA By-Laws, were held in Antalya, Turkey, 10 October, 2004; Beijing,
China, 14 September 2005; Chiba, Japan, 9 October 2006; and Reykjavik, Iceland, 9 October 2007.
In conclusion, I would like to thank my Board of Directors for their support over the past three years. I welcome andcongratulate the new officers and board members, listed elsewhere in this IGA News.

Election resultsÁrni Ragnarsson and Ólafur G. Flóvenz, IGA Secretariat
A new IGA BoD for the period 2007-2010 has been elected. The election material was sent by mail to IGA members withvoting rights at the beginning of June, including a personal password for web-based voting. Due to late arrival of membership lists from few Affiliated Organizations, their members received the election material later, either by mail or e-mail.
Originally the deadline for voting was July 15th but, on account of late postal delivery in some countries and in order toincrease the participation rate, the Executive Committee decided to extend the deadline until July 31st. After closing of
the election the votes were processed at the Secretariat under the supervision of the IGA Secretary.
The main election statistics are reported in Table 1. The total number of eligible voters is 3,269 IGA members. We
received 881 votes through the web and additional 38 paper ballots, most of them by mail and a few by fax. Thus the total
number of votes received was 919 and 95.9% of them were cast on the web. Of the total number of ballots received 15
were invalid, mostly because votes were received both as paper ballots and through the web from some members. Thus
the total number of ballots counted was 904 or 27.7% of the number of eligible voters, covering 42 countries. The total
number of valid preferences was 14,980. We would like to draw attention to the high percentage of votes cast on the web,which suggests that the need for paper ballots should be reconsidered in future BoD elections.
The geographical distribution of the counted ballots is reported in Table 2, which also shows the percentage of ballots
IGA News No. 69


received from each country out of the total number of eligible voters from the respective country. In Table 3 the distribution of votes received from the affiliated organizations is shown, along with the percentage of the eligible voters participating in each of them.
Table 4 shows the election results. The names of those elected are listed in alphabetical order and similarly for nonelected candidates. The results have been approved by the IGA President and the candidates have been notified. The
geographical distribution of the new BoD members is reported in tables 5 and 6. We send our best congratulations to thenew board.
Table 1. Main election statistics
Votes received through the web
Paper ballots received
Total votes received

881
38
919

Anonymous outer envelopes
Ballot received after the election closure
Vote from a non-member
Double votes
Total invalid ballots

1
1
1
12
15

Total ballots counted
Total number of eligible voters

904
3,269

Total number of valid preferences

14,98095.9%
4.1%
100.0%

27.7%
100.0%

Table 3. Ballot distribution from Affiliated Organizations
Affiliation
CGEA
GCES
ESGA
EGA
GGA
GtV
HGA
HTES
GAI-IS
API-INAGA
IGEA
GAI
UGI
IGAJ
LGA
MAGA
MGA
SPG
NZGA
NGAP
PGA
PGS
RGA
RUGA-GESSVG-SSG
TGA
GRC
Total

Country
CanadaChina
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Georgia
Germany
Hungary
Hungary
IcelandIndonesia
Iran
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Lithuania
Macedonia
MexicoNetherlands
New ZealandPhilippines
PolandPolandRomania
RussiaSwitzerland
Turkey
USA

Total
2
34
33
0
1
92
34
26
37
36
0
5
34
39
16
12
19
2
49
78
4
41
15
19
21
66
141
856

% voters
8%
51%
69%
0%
9%
12%
37%
58%
34%
36%
0%
15%
39%
43%
64%
32%
42%
6%
35%
34%
8%
61%
63%
38%
32%
77%
18%
27%

Table 2. Ballot distribution per country.
Ballots were received from 42 countries
Country
Australia
Austria
BelarusBelgium
Bulgaria
CanadaChile
China
Croatia
Denmark
El Salvador
FranceGeorgia
Germany
Hungary
IcelandIndonesia
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Korea
Lithuania
Macedonia
MexicoNetherlands
New Zealand
NorwayPakistan
Philippines
PolandPortugal
Romania
RussiaSingapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Switzerland
TurkeyUganda
UK
USA
Total

Total
7
3
1
3
1
7
1
35
1
1
34
5
1
86
62
49
40
5
39
55
4
3
16
12
30
2
51
1
1
78
45
1
14
20
1
1
1
24
67
2
4
90
904

% voters
33%
18%
100%
38%
33%
17%
17%
47%
100%
33%
68%
38%
9%
12%
45%
37%
33%
16%
39%
44%
57%
75%
64%
32%
43%
5%
34%
50%
100%
34%
39%
33%
58%
38%
33%
25%
14%
29%
77%
67%
36%
14%
28%

IGA News, July - September 2007



Table 4. IGA BoD election results 2007.
The names of those elected are listed inalphabetical order and similarly for
non-elected candidates.
Name

ElectedMiklos A. Antics*
Godfrey Bahati*
Rosa Maria Barragán R.
Graeme Beardsmore*
Ruggero Bertani
Christian Boissavy*Paul Brophy
Surya Darma*
Alimin Ginting
Gestur Gíslason
Colin Harvey*
Paul Hirtz*
Roland N. Horne*
Beata Kepinska
Horst Kreuter*
Jim Lawless
Orhan Mertoglu
Francisco E. Montalvo L.*
Martin N. Mwangi*
Manuel S. Ogena
Sanja Popovska V.*
Konstantin O. Povarov*
Horst Rüter*Ladislaus Rybach*Benedict Steingrímsson*
Toshihiro Uchida
Francois-David Vuataz
Shigeto Yamada
Kasumi Yasukawa*
Keyan Zheng
Non-elected
Lauro F. Bayrante
Luis C. A. Gutiérrez-Negrin
Marek Hajto
Tamás Hámor
Mikhail D. Khutorskoy
Ramon Allan V. Oca
Yoonho Song
Gábor Szita
Koichi Tagomori
Tingshan Tian
Feliksas Zinevicius
Vladimir Zui* New BoD member

IGA News No. 69

Country
Romania
UgandaMexicoAustralia
Italy
FranceUSA
Indonesia
Indonesia
Iceland
New Zealand
USA
USA
PolandGermany
New ZealandTurkeyEl Salvador
Kenya
Philippines
Macedonia
RussiaGermany
Switzerland
IcelandJapan
Switzerland
Japan
Japan
China
Philippines
MexicoPolandHungary
RussiaPhilippines
S. Korea
HungaryJapan
China
Lithuania
Belarus

Table 5. BoD members distribution per continentContinent
AfricaAmerica
Asia
EuropeOceania
Total

New Board
2
5
7
13
3
30

Retiring Board
2
6
8
13
2
31

Table 6. BoD members distribution per country
Country
Australia
China
El Salvador
Ethiopia
FranceGermany
Hungary
IcelandIndonesia
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Macedonia
MexicoNew ZealandPhilippines
PolandRomania
RussiaSwitzerland
TurkeyUganda
UK
USA
Total

New Board
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
3
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
3
30

Retiring Board
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
4
1
1
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
3
31



WGC 2010-It’s Not Too Early to Plan to Attend
R. Gordon Bloomquist Ph. D., Chair, IGA WGC 2010 Steering Committee
The IGA World Geothermal Congress Steering Committee together with the Indonesian Organizing Committee are wellalong in the planning for WGC 2010. The Committees held a joint meeting in Bali in February of this year to assess the
proposed Congress facilities and hotels and to begin the long planning process. We were successful in establishing theinitial Congress schedule, preparing the first circular and shortly thereafter establishing the Congress Web site (http://geothermal.stanford.edu/wgc2010reg/default.htm).
The facilities visited were found to be first rate and will allow for all technical sessions to be held in the same venue. Up
to eight concurrent session are now planned to accommodate the anticipated 2000+ attendees. Hotels are all clustered near
the Congress facilities and will provide excellent accommodation.
So our planning is well underway. Now it is time for you to begin to plan to attend what we believe will be the largest
World Geothermal Congress yet held, one that will offer all participants the opportunity to share knowledge, renew ormake new friendships, enjoy the hospitality of our Indonesian hosts and enjoy one of the world’s most beautiful and geologically interesting venues.
The theme of the Congress is “Geothermal: the Energy to Change the World”. It is our sincere belief that accelerated
geothermal development can truly change our world for the betterment of all mankind including improving our environment, providing enhanced economic opportunities and fostering positive social change. Your participation will help makethis dream a reality.
Visit the web page, fill out the questionnaire and remember it is not too early to begin to plan to attend WGC 2010-Bali!
http://geothermal.stanford.edu/wgc2010reg/default.htm

					
					

How the IGA was born
Adapted from IGA News No.1, Spring 1990
The idea to develop a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization designed to serve the cultural, scientific, educational andinformational needs of the entire geothermal community dated back nearly 20 years before IGA eventually came into
existence. This possibility was first considered at the UN Symposium on Geothermal Energy held in Pisa in September,1970. Since that time, the idea had been discussed informally on several occasions during geothermal workshops andmeetings. Although belief in the basic idea was shared among those involved in geothermal energy throughout the world,
for a number of practical reasons the organization did not materialize, and the initiative did not get off the ground until
the beginning of 1986.
In January 1986, a group of geothermists relaunched the initiative within the U.S. Geothermal Resources Council(GRC). The GRC is an organization created in the 1960’s to encourage research and development of geothermal energy
in the United States. As the proposal to create an international organization to serve the worldwide geothermal community
met with favourable reception within the GRC, an ad hoc international committee was convened within the GRC in
1986. The committee felt that international representation and participation was better secured through the involvement,in addition to the GRC, of the five international geothermal schools, located in Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico and New
Zealand. These schools had already ex­pressed interest in the formation of an international geothermal association.
This charge was then handed over to an independent Organizational Working Group (OWG-IGA) made up of anumber of geothermists from various countries, which met for the first time in Sparks (Reno), Nevada, on October
10, 1987. This first meeting concluded with the formation of 3 committees that would take care of the initiative of aworld association (to be named the International Geothermal Association, IGA), study possible sources of financing, andprepare the Charter of the Association.
The 2nd meeting of the OWG-IGA was held in Auckland, New Zealand, from February 17-20, 1988. The Association Charter, which defines the guiding principles of the Association’s activity, was finalized and approved. Further, it
was decided that the time had come to establish the IGA officially and to register it for a legal domicile. It was decided
to apply to the New Zealand Dept. of Justice for incorporation. It was also agreed that the three OWG-IGA committees
should continue their activity.
The 3rd meeting of the OWG-IGA was held in Mexicali (Mexico), on October 13-15, 1988. As previously decided,
the IGA had been incorporated in New Zealand on JuIy 6, 1988; this had necessitated the creation of a set of
IGA News, July - September 2007


Rules of Incorporation to define the mode of operation of the Association. During the Mexicali meeting, a number ofresolutions was approved, one of the most important being to locate the Secretariat in Pisa, Italy. The Italian proposal
was accepted after careful examination of all 4 proposals submitted. The activity of the 3 committees was reconfirmed,
and the Secretary was asked to draw up a first draft of the Bylaws, to be reviewed by the Bylaws committee. The Bylaws
regulate in greater detail the mode of operation of the Association.
The 4th and final meeting of the OWG - IGA was held at Castelnuovo Val di Cecina (Larderello, Italy), on May
2, 1989. The purpose of the meeting was to conclude the work of the OWG, to consolidate the formation of the IGA,
to nominate 30 candidates for the Board of Directors (BoD) and to hand over the running of the IGA to the Secretariat.
41 people from 22 countries and 3 international organizations attended this meeting.
Following the adjournment of the OWG-IGA meeting, the participants immediately reconvened that same afternoon(May 2nd 1989) to open the First Meeting of the International Geothermal Association, which concluded on May 4th.
During those two and a half days, the first BoD was elected (from the 30 candidates nominated previously), which thennominated and elected the first four Officers. The Association Bylaws were revised and approved, and dues levels were
proposed for the various membership categories.
The first IGA Board of Directors (BoD) meeting took place on May 5th, 1989 in Castelnuovo. Six PermanentCommittees and their respective Chairmen were appointed, and the dues levels (proposed during the previous meeting)were approved. The possibility of giving financial support to needy persons was discussed, as was the idea of having
an Association logo. In accordance with the Rules of Incorporation, the BoD decided to hold the 1989 Annual General
Meeting (AGM) in October, and Stanford, California, was chosen as the location, taking advantage of the proximity of
the GRC meeting in Santa Rosa to maximize participation by minimizing additional travel. Further, it was agreed that the
2nd BoD meeting would follow the 1989 AGM.
The International Geothermal Association was finally up and running.

The first IGA meeting, 2-5 May 1989
Castelnuovo (Larderello), Italy.
IGA News No. 69

1989, FIRST ELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF(1989-1992):• OFFICERS,• BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BoD), and• PERMANENT COMMITTEES
Officers
President of the IGA: J.COMBS (USA)Vice-President: J. GARNISH (EEC)
Secretary: E. BARBIER (ITALY)
Treasurer: T. AMOR (USA)
1st Board of Directors
1) ALONSO ESPINOSA, H. (MEXICO)
2) AMOR, T. (USA)3) BARBIER, E. (ITALY)
4) BLOOMQUlST, G. (USA)
5) BUACHIDZE, G. (USSR)
6) CAREY, B. (NEW ZEALAND)
7) CATALDI, R. (ITALY)
8) COMBS, J. (USA)9) CUELLAR, G. (EL SALVADOR)
10) ELlASSON, E. (ICELAND)
11) FREESTON, D. (NEW ZEALAND)
12) GARNISH, J. (EEC)
13) GERARD, A. (FRANCE)
14) GREIDER, B. (USA)15) HERNANDEZ G., J. (MEXICO)16) KOENIG, J. (USA)17) LAHSEN, A. (CHILE)
18) MAHON, T. (NEW ZEALAND)
19) MEIDAV, T. (USA)20) MUFFLER, P. (USA)21) OJIAMBO, S. (KENYA)
22) OKANDAN, E. (TURKEY)23) OTTLIK, P. (HUNGARY)24) PALMASON, G. (ICELAND)
25) RYBACH, L. (SWITZERLAND)
26) SHEN, XIAN-JIE (CHINA)27) SQUARCI, P. (ITALY)28) TRAIN, I. (NEW ZEALAND)
29) VROUZI, F. (GREECE)
30) WANG, JI-YANG (CHINA)Permanent Committees(Those names which are underlined denote the Committee
Chairmen)Audit31) BATCHELOR, T. (UK)32) MAHON, T. (NEW ZEALAND)
33) MUFFLER. P. (USA)34) ROHRER, C. (UN)35) RYBACH, L. (SWITZERLAND)

Finance1) AMOR T. (USA)2) FREESTON, D. (NEW ZEALAND)
3) KOENIG, J. (USA)4) LAHSEN, A. (CHILE)
5) OTTLIK, P. (HUNGARY)Information and Education
1) BARBIER, J. (FRANCE)
2) BATCHELOR, T. (UK)3) BLOOMQUlST, G. (USA)4) CAREY, B. (NEW ZEALAND)
5) ELDERS. W. (USA)6) ELIASSON, E. (ICELAND)
7) GARNISH, J. (EEC)
8) HERNANDEZ G., J. (MEXICO)
9) MEIDAV, T. (USA)10) OKANDAN, E. (TURKEY)
11) PALMASON, G. (ICELAND)
12) POPOVSKI, K. (YUGOSLAVIA)
13) RYBACH, L. (SWITZERLAND)
Membership
1) BUACHIDZE, G. (USSR)
2) CATALDI, R. (ITALY)
3) DOWGIALLO, J. (POLAND)
4) FREESTON, D. (NEW ZEALAND)
5) GREIDER, B. (USA)6) HERNANDEZ G., J. (MEXICO)
7) OJIAMBO, S. (KENYA)
8) OTTLIK, P. (HUNGARY)
9) PALMASON, G. (ICELAND)
10) SCHULZ, R. (FRG)
11) WANG, JI-YANG (CHINA)
Nominating
1) BUACHIDZE. G. (USSR)
2) CATALDI, R. (ITALY)
3) CUELLAR, G. (EL SALVADOR)
4) ELIASSON, E. (ICELAND)
5) MEIDAV, T. (USA)6) OJIAMBO, S. (KENYA)
7) TRAIN, I. (NEW ZEALAND)
8) WANG, JI-YANG (CHINA)
Program and Planning
1) CERMAK, V. (CZECHOSLOVAKIA)
2) CUELLAR, G. (EL SALVADOR)
3) ELDERS, W. (USA)4) ELlASSON, E. (ICELAND)
5) GERARD, A. (FRANCE)
6) LAHSEN, A. (CHILE)
7) MAHON, T. (NEW ZEALAND)
8) MUFFLER, P. (USA)9) OKANDAN, E. (TURKEY)10) SHEN, XIAN-JIE (CHINA)IGA News, July - September 2007



EUROPE
Iceland

Geothermal power plants in the Hengill area
Sigurgeir Björn Geirsson (Orkuveita Reykjavíkur)Overview
The Hengill area in SW-Iceland area is one of the most extensive geothermal areas in Iceland, where several potential
sub-areas suitable for geothermal development have been identified. Since 1990 Orkuveita Reykjavíkur has operated theNesjavellir geothermal power plant. Today Nesjavellir produces 120 MWe electric and 300 MWth thermal. To meet increasing
demand for electricity and hot water for space heating in the industrial and the domestic sectors Orkuveita Reykjavíkur isbuilding a CHP geothermal power plant at Hellisheiði. The development area is located about 20 km east of the capital area.
The company is also planning to build at least two new geothermal power plants in the Hengill area, in Hverahlíð and Bitra.
Figure 1 shows the development area of the Hellisheiði power plant and regulated areas for Hverahlíð and Bitra.
The capacity of the Hellisheiði Power plant will be 300 MWe electric and 400 MWth thermal. Estimated capacity of thepower plants in Hverahlíð and Bitra will be 90 MWe and 135 MWe respectively.
Currently Hellisheiði power plant (fig. 2) is producing 90 MWe from two 45 MWe units and the construction of the
2nd and 3rd stages of the power plant are in progress. This involves the erection of a 33 MWe Low Pressure Unit andtwo additional high pressure units, 45 MWe each. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the power plants at
Hverahlíð and Bitra is under way and will be published in the third quarter of 2007.
The Hengill area
The Hengill area is a rural mountainous area in Iceland in the middle of the western volcanic zone that runs from
Reykjanes in a northerly direction to Langjökull. The bedrock consists mostly of palagonite, formed by volcanic eruptions below glaciers during the last ice age, and Holocene basaltic lavas. The Hengill region is one of the most extensive
geothermal areas in the country. Surface measurements and heat distribution indicate an area of around 112 km2. The
high temperature geothermal area at Hengill covers three central volcanoes and their surroundings. The youngest one is
the most active, whereas the oldest is eroded but still geothermally active.
Areas that are already utilized by Orkuveita Reykjavíkur or are under construction lie on the active fault zone of the youngest volcanic feature of the Hengill area, which reaches from Nesjavellir in the north to Hellisheiði in the south, about 30 km
in length. A fault zone which is part of the Hengill Volcano cuts through the volcanic zone from south west to north east.
The most important areas for production in the Hengill area are connected to this fault zone, i.e. Nesjavellir in the north andHellisheiði in the south. Three recent volcanic fissures are among the features that characterize these areas. They erupted 10,
6 and 2 thousand years ago. The two most recent ones can be found along the entire fault zone. These volcanic fissures are
considered the main sources of geothermal energy at Nesjavellir and the same is considered true for Hellisheiði.
Construction plan for the power plants in the Hengill area
The power plant at Hellisheiði will be a cogeneration plant. It will be built in modules and units will be added as the market
demand increases. The power production capacity of each electric unit will be 45 MWe, with 33 MWe for the Low Pressure
Unit. For each thermal unit the capacity will be 133 MWth. A similar approach will be used for the two new power plants; they
will be built in 45 MWe units. Table 1 shows the main construction stages for the power plants in the Hengill area and wheneach stage will start operating, assuming that the EIA for power plants in Hverahlíð and Bitra will be approved.
Table 1 - The main construction stages for the power plants in the Hengill area
Commissioning
Hellisheiði Power plant
Electric Power Station
Thermal Power Station
Hverahlíð Power plant
Bitra Power plant

IGA News No. 69

Fall 2006
Stage 1

Fall 2007
Stage 2

Fall 2008
Stage 390 MWe33 MWe90 MWeFall 2009
Stage 4133MWthFall 2010
Stage 590 MWe90 MWe90 MWe>2010

Complete
Powerplant

267MWth

303 MWe
400 MWth

45 MWe90 MWe135 MWe
Environmental Policy
Orkuveita Reykjavíkur is determined to be a leader in matters concerning the environment, and that environmental
management should be one of the company’s priorities. Orkuveita Reykjavíkur has put a lot of effort into the EIA for the
Hverahlíð and Bitra power plants to define how the new power plants and their development area can be environmentallyfriendly. In order to do that the power plants will be designed so that they fit into the landscape with minimum effect. The
following list describes a few methods to fulfil this prerequisite:• The main power house will be designed in harmony with its surroundings. It will also be hidden or semi-hidden frompre-defined key viewpoints.
• All buildings will be painted in colours so they will meld with their surroundings and if necessary they will be semiburied in the ground.
• Production wells will be grouped on drilling sites. The area of the drilling sites will be minimized and steam transmission pipes on the drilling sites will be in underground trenches. Well head silencers and other equipment for the boreholes will be placed in semi-hidden buildings.
• The steam transmission pipeline will be adjusted to the landscape, for example with mounded earthen barriers and, if
necessary, the steam transmission pipes, which are usually on the surface, will be put underground.
Conclusion
Orkuveita Reykjavíkur is planning to produce at least 600 MWe and 433 MWth by the end of 2010 in its power plants in
the Hengill area. Orkuveita Reykjavíkur realizes the importance of protecting the country’s natural resources and ensuring, as far as possible, their sustainable utilization.

Fig. 1. Overview of the development area for Hellisheiði power plant and regulated areas for Hverahlíð and Bitra.

IGA News, July - September 2007

10

Fig. 2. Computer generated picture of the front of the Hellisheiði power plant.

AMERICA
MexicoNews from Mexico
Luis Gutiérrez Negrín, Comisión Federal de Electricidad, Mexico
New website of the Mexican Geothermal Association

The AGM has launched a new official website, which can be accessed through the URL: http://www.geotermia.org.mx. The site is in Spanish and includes the following sections:
La Geotermia: Here is a brief explanation on geothermal systems, a table with geothermal-electric installedcapacity in the world, and the Mexican geothermal fields.
Organización: This section presents the objectives and characteristics of the AGM and the current Board of
Directors.
Estatutos y Asambleas: Here are included the official By-Laws and the minutes of the last general assemblies.
Membresías: Presents the benefits of becoming a member of the AGM and the current fees. It includes anon-line route for registration.
Noticias y eventos: This section presents some news and further technical meetings and events related to geothermics in Mexico and worldwide, including the next AGM annual congress.
Ligas y contactos: Here is a list of links for institutions or associations involved in geothermics, in Mexico andworldwide, and direct links to the e-mails of some persons of the AGM Board of Directors.
Revista Geotermia: Presents a list of the more recent numbers of the technical magazine Geotermia, published twice a year in Spanish with abstracts in English or vice versa, and the possibility to consult it on line or
down-load a copy of the file in pdf format.
Boletín IGA News: Here are the more recent issues of this IGA News, excepting the current issue, which canbe consulted on-line or be down-loaded as a pdf file.
Otros: This section contains other materials of interest for the geothermal community, some in English and

IGA News No. 69

11some in Spanish, including the monthly newsletter of Baker Hughes (Geothermal News) and the weekly newsletter of the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA Update), uploaded with permission from the authors.
The AGM invites you to pay a visit to their new website.
Retirement of the manager of the Comisión Federal de Electricidad geothermal division
Alejandro Abril-Gaspar, manager of the CFE’s geothermal division (the Gerencia de Proyectos Geotermoeléctricos, or GPG) since March 2003, retired in last April. The GPG is in charge of the exploration, operationand development of all the Mexican geothermal fields to produce electricity (Cerro Prieto, Los Azufres, Los
Humeros and Las Tres Vírgenes) and currently operates 240 production and injection wells delivering 70 million tons of steam per year to produce 6 700 GWh. Alejandro Abril-Gaspar, 56, a drilling engineer with 30
years of service in the CFE, spent most of them in the Cerro Prieto field, where he was involved in the reservoir
engineering and production areas before being appointed as the general manager of that field in 1994. He is aformer President of the Mexican Geothermal Association (AGM) (2004-2006) and is currently a member of theBoard of Directors of the Geothermal Resources Council (2003-2007).
Raúl Maya-González, 50, has been appointed as the GPG’s interim general manager. He is a geologist who wasformerly in charge of the Studies Area of the same GPG, where he has worked the last 25 years. He is presently
the Vice-President of the Mexican Geothermal Association (2007-2008).
Geothermal resources involved in CFE celebration
Last August 14, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) celebrated the 70th anniversary of its foundation.
The Mexican President, Felipe Calderón, conducted the official ceremony at Mexico City together with CFE
authorities and representatives of the workers union, and there were simultaneous ceremonies in some selected
installations of the CFE in the interior of the country, linked to the main ceremony in Mexico City via the CFE
satellite communications net. One of those selected places was the Los Azufres geothermal field, located in the
Mexican state of Michoacán, in the central part of the country.
Los Azufres is the second geothermal field in Mexico and the biggest of volcanic type in Latin America (IGA
News No. 65, p. 8-9), and has an installed capacity of 188 MW composed of one condensing unit of 50 MW, four
condensing units of 25 MW each, seven backpressure units of 5 MW each, and two binary cycle units of 1.5
MW each. There are 39 production and 6 injection wells in operation, producing more than 13 million metrictons of steam per year. All of the wells, the field installations and the power plants are owned and operated by
the CFE, and during 2006 Los Azufres produced almost 1500 GWh.
During the ceremony those characteristics were highlighted, as well as the fact that geothermal electricity in
Mexico constitutes an important portion of the CFE renewable portfolio, thus contributing to diversification of
the energy sources in the country.

IGA News, July - September 2007

12

ASIA/PACIFIC RIM
Australia

Geothermal research hub for Adelaide
The University of Adelaide has been awarded $250,000 from the State Government to help develop an international
research facility into geothermal energy. SA Mineral Resources Minister Paul Holloway said the seed funding would allow
the University to host Australia’s first research cluster examining all aspects of hot rock enhanced geothermal systems. The
geothermal research facility will be based within the University’s Australian School of Petroleum (ASP).
“The Government sees geothermal as an energy source for the future and, by helping the University establish theresearch facility here, it will ensure that South Australia is in the vanguard of all facets of developing and demonstrating
hot rock systems,” Mr Holloway said.
Professor Richard Hillis, Chair of Petroleum Geology at the ASP, said the University would collaborate with theAustralian Geothermal Energy Group and the Department of Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia .
Mr Holloway said South Australia represented a hot rock haven for renewable, emissions‑free power. “The State could
provide a very significant part of Australia’s base load power needs by 2030…….This investment will complement future
developments that the other States, the Northern Territory or the Commonwealth may implement.”
Australia-wide, 27 companies have applied for 166 geothermal licences. Between 2002 and 2012 these companies are
expected to invest more than $650 million in exploration. South Australia has attracted 17 companies to apply for 142
geothermal licences with work programs worth more than $550 million for the term 2002-12. That is more than 80% of
the national tallies for geothermal licence applications and forecast investment in Australia.

Ideal stress regime for Olympic Dam geothermal projectGreen Rock Energy Ltd., press release
Green Rock Energy, a leading geothermal energy company, announced on 2 July 2007 that the studies by the
CSIRO of data from the company’s Blanche No. 1 well support the company’s view that its geothermal leases at
Olympic Dam are influenced by an ideal stress regime for a geothermal heat exchange reservoir.
The study by the CSIRO of the in-situ stresses using drill core and drill log data from the hot granites drilled
in Blanche No. 1 well (which was drilled by the company to 1.93 km alongside the Olympic Dam mine) indicatesthat the two principal horizontal stress directions from the hot granites are greater in magnitude than theprincipal vertical stress direction.
According to the CSIRO study: “The vertical stress being the minimum implies that hydraulic fractureorientation and fluid flow in a stimulated zone are most likely to be in a sub-horizontal direction. This is an
ideal situation for generating an optimal heat exchange reservoir that would allow a maximum distance between
injection and production wells.”
Water pumped through fractures that open in a sub-horizontal direction will optimize the recovery of heatfrom the granites. Water circulated between injection and production wells essentially would be traveling horizontally through the granites as it gathers the heat trapped in the granites. A sub-horizontal pathway throughthe granites means that the heat exchange process would be maximized. If the pathways had not been sub-horizontal, the water traveling through the fractures connecting the wells would pass from hot rocks to cooler rocks
at shallower depths, reducing the effectiveness of the underground heat exchange process.
Green Rocks Energy’s next step will be to measure the actual size and orientation of these principal stressdirections in its forthcoming mini-hydrofrac to be carried out this year in its Blanche No. 1 well under contract
with the CSIRO. This should substantially reduce both the risks and costs of the deep fracture stimulation program connecting those wells. The company is in the process of securing a suitable drilling rig for this purpose.

IGA News No. 69

13

China

China-Australia cooperation study of hot dry rock
Keyan Zheng, GCES, China
Australian Petratherm Ltd and Geothermal China Energy Society (GCES) recently negotiated a China-Australia
cooperation study project on hot dry rock. The project name is “Study on Geothermal Resources Potential of Hot Dry
Rock in China”. Since its foundation 5 years ago, Australian Petratherm Ltd has been implementing a hot dry rock testing
project. Exploration drilling has achieved a temperature of 109°C at 1,807 m depth in Paralana, South Australia. The
average geothermal gradient is 50°C/km. It is the best record in Australia. A pair of wells will be drilled to 3.6 km depth
to reach 200°C. They will be used as production and reinjection wells for testing power generation.
Last April a GCES delegation visited Australia and negotiated primarily with Petratherm for the hot dry rock study in
China. In the middle of May Petratherm Ltd visited China and negotiated with GCES then decided on the cooperation
study project. The first combined investigation has been carried out consequently around Tengchong-Longling area in
Western Yunnan Province. There are various high-temperature geothermal manifestations distributed in this area. Afterthat the project group will carry out further data collection, analysis and research under the supervision of Australianexperts in the main selected working areas: Tibet – W Yunnan – NW Sichuan and Fujian – Guangdong - Hainan, in orderto choose the prospective target area. A CSAMT geophysical survey and thermal parameters sampling and detection willthen be undertaken in order to assess the option’s potential. A concluding workshop will be held finally. It is planned tocomplete the whole study by the end of 2008.

New Zealand

Post Graduate Certificate in Geothermal Energy Technology, the Geothermal Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

The students, and assorted staff and families, on the first field trip we took them on - a walk to the top of Rangitoto Island, the 500 yr oldbasalt volcano in the middle of the Waitemata harbour.

IGA News, July - September 2007

14
The Geothermal Institute, at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, is once again offering a postgraduate
qualification in geothermal science and engineering. The course is a one semester (20 week) course named the Post
Graduate Certificate in Geothermal Energy Technology (PGCertGeothermTech). The course consists of three papers, afour-week project, and attendance at the New Zealand Geothermal Workshop. Field trips to the central volcanic zone of
New Zealand are included in the course.
The Geothermal Institute also offers graduate papers in geothermal and geoscience topics, and currently has several
PhD students. The staff is drawn from across the Engineering and Science faculties, with key staff members being the
Director, Associate Professor Stuart Simmons; Deputy Director, Professor Mike O’Sullivan; Senior Lecturer in Engineering
Dr Sadiq Zarrouk; Senior Tutor, Juliet Newson; and Administrator, Olwen Morgan.
The 2007 PGCertGeothermTech course began in July and will end in mid-November, and the 2008 course is also
expected to run from July to November. Applications for admission to the 2008 course will soon be open.
(http://www.science.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/science/about/research/gei/gei.cfm).

Increase in New Zealand geothermal energy research
Geothermal energy looks set to contribute more electricity to New Zealand’s national grid, thanks to an industry
commitment to increase production from New Zealand’s geothermal areas. The New Zealand government has shown its
support for renewable energy growth by nearly doubling the investment in geothermal research.
A joint research programme worth NZ$11.5m over six years will see GNS Science and the University of Auckland
pooling their talents to enable producers to triple electricity generation from geothermal resources to 1500 MWe.
Geothermal could supply 20% of New Zealand’s growing electricity demand in the next decade. The research will build
on established research and experience to focus on three main areas:
Deep Geothermal: Comprehensive definition of New Zealand’s geothermal systems and resources to guide exploration,
development or protection, by “big picture” and field-specific investigations.
Environmental Effects: Reduced impact of development, through improved understanding of fluid reinjection,
subsidence and effects on surface features and ecosystems.
Sustainable Development: Sustainable, long-term utilisation, incorporating new techniques to better control corrosion
and scaling problems.
New Zealand will benefit by having improved security of energy supply, increased energy from a resource that has low
emission of greenhouse gases, and reduced environmental impacts of geothermal development.
The research team represents a world-class capability with well established relationships with the geothermal industry,
Maori tribes, territorial authorities, government agencies, and other research organisations. The programme will besupported by significant co-funding from New Zealand’s geothermal energy industry.
“There’s no doubt that geothermal has the potential to deliver up to 20 percent of New Zealand’s annual electricity
supply,” said GNS Science Geothermal Programme Leader Ed Mroczek. “The way to achieve this is through production
from greater depths, production from under-developed and undeveloped fields, better managing environmental effects,
and improving the efficiency of geothermal technology,” Dr Mroczek said. “We’re excited that we now have the opportunity
to research some of these challenges.”
GNS Science welcomes collaborative research and consultancy opportunities that will enhance the future of geothermalenergy world wide. Contact: geothermal@gns.cri.nz; P. +64 7 374 8211

IGA News No. 69

15

UPCOMING EVENTSENGINE Workshop 6. Increasing policy makers’
awareness and the public acceptance, Athens, Greece,
September 13-14, 2007. http://conferences-engine.brgm.fr/
Mexican Geothermal Association Annual Congress,
Los Humeros, Mexico, September 21, 2007. Luis C.A.
Gutiérrez-Negrín: luis.gutierrez@geotermia.org.mx
GRC 2007 Annual Meeting, Sparks, Nevada, USA,
September 30 - October 3, 2007. www.geothermal.org
International Geothermal Development in the near
Future, Reykjavík, Iceland October 9. 2007. http://www.
samorka.is/
First European Geothermal Review, Mainz, Germany,
21-31 October, 2007. Contact: review@bestec-for-nature.
com
ENGINE Workshop 7. Risk analysis for development ofgeothermal energy, Utrecht, The Netherlands, November
8-9, 2007. http://conferences-engine.brgm.fr/
20th World Energy Congress, Rome, Italy, November
11-15, 2007. www.rome2007.it/home/home.asp
29th New Zealand Geothermal Workshop, Auckland,
New Zealand, November 11-15, 2007. www.nzgw07.
auckland.ac.nz

IGA News
IGA News is published quarterly by the International
Geothermal Association. The function of IGA Newsis to disseminate timely information about geothermal activities throughout the world. To this end, agroup of correspondents has agreed to supply news foreach issue. The core of this group consists of the IGA
Information Committee:
Eduardo Iglesias, Mexico (Chairman)
Nilgun Bakir, Turkey
Werner Bussmann, Germany
John Garnish, United Kingdom
Alimin Ginting, Indonesia
Gestur Gíslason, Iceland
Luis Gutiérrez-Negrín, Mexico
Roland Horne, USA
Beata Kepinska, Poland
Jim Lawless, New ZealandMarcelo Lippmann, USA
Zbigniew Malolepszy, Poland
Adele Manzella, Italy
Rosa María Prol-Ledesma, Mexico
Sylvia Ramos, Philippines
Colin Randall, Australia
Tingshan Tian, China
Joaquin Torres-Rodriguez, Mexico
François-David Vuataz, Switzerland
Kasumi Yasukawa, Japan

Mineral extraction from geothermal brines, Rotorua,
New Zealand, November 22-23. Contact: Dr. Kevin Brown
kevin@geokem.co.nz

The members of this group submit geothermal news
from their parts of the world, or relevant to their areasof specialization. If you have some news, a report, or
an article for IGA News, you can send it to any of theabove individuals, or directly to the IGA Secretariat,
whatever is most convenient. Please help us to become
essential reading for anyone seeking the latest information on geothermal worldwide.

33rd Stanford Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir
Engineering, Stanford, CA, USA, January 28-30,
2008. http://pangea.stanford.edu/ERE/research/geoth/conference/workshop.html

While the editorial team make every effort to ensure
accuracy, the opinions expressed in contributed articles remain those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the IGA.

ENGINE Final Conference, Vilius, Lithuania, February
13-14, 2008. http://conferences-engine.brgm.fr/
IAHR International Groundwater Symposium, June
18-20, 2008, Istanbul, Turkey. Website: http://www.iahrgw2008.net
33rd International Geological Congress, Oslo, Norway,
August 6-14, 2008. www.33igc.org

Send IGA News contributions to:
IGA Secretariat, c/o Samorka
Sudurlandsbraut 48, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
fax: +354-588-4431
e-mail: iga@samorka.is
Contributions to the next issue of IGA News must be
received by 7 november 2007.
This issue of IGA News was edited by Eduardo Iglesias.
John Garnish proofread the articles. Produced by Gestur
Gíslason for the IGA Secretariat. Layout and printing byGutenberg, www.gutenberg.is
IGA News, July - September 2007

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