Worldwide Status of Geothermal Exploration and Development
Authors: Koenig James B. 
Published: December 2007

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The Countries that have successfully developed geothermal electricity are among the wealthiest and most industrially developed in the world. These include the United States, Japan, Italy, and the Soviet Union. Even New Zealand, Iceland and Mexico, where a plant is to begin operation in 1972, are among the relatively more developed nations. However, those countries in which exploration is underway, and where opportunities for future development are greatest, are generally among the least developed of nations. This contradiction is more apparent than real. Even in the more highly developed countries there are regions which are lacking in resources, low in population, and relatively unindustrialized. Included in these would be Hokkaido Island of Japan, Kamchatka Peninsula of the Soviet Union, and parts of the Peninsula of the Soviet Union, and parts of the Great Basin of the United States. Further, many of the highly developed countries are poor in reserves of fossil fuels, and some chronically are short of foreign exchange or have unfavorable balances of trade. The United States recently has typified the latter. Presently in Japan, 75 percent of all energy used Presently in Japan, 75 percent of all energy used in the country is imported and, of course, paid for by foreign exchange. This figure is expected to increase over the next 10 years to approximately 85 percent imports. Even a wealthy nation like Japan cannot continuously afford for long to import all of its energy.

Underdeveloped nations also chronically are short of foreign exchange. Many lack the large economic base to allow successful development of nuclear power. Many lack reserves of fossil fuels. Therefore, when viewed regionally or in economic terms, there is as much need for geothermal power in the developed nations as in the underdeveloped nations.

Conversely, in New Zealand, where geothermal exploration has been underway since the end of World War II, recent discoveries of sizable reserves of natural gas have clouded the once-clear picture of continuing geothermal development. picture of continuing geothermal development. This then is an example of the great dependence of geothermal energy development upon economic conditions and upon political climate. If it is economically and politically more feasible to develop natural gas or other energy sources, geothermal power development will be retarded.

The heat of the Earth is a form of energy; and like any recoverable energy, it can be made to do useful work. This heat is carried to the surface as a fluid, most usually water. The uses of geothermal fluid depend upon its enthalpy, physical state, and chemistry. High enthalpy fluids (above about 200 cal/gm) are useful in generating electricity. Lower enthalphy fluids have many uses as process heat in industry.