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Elizabeth Keller

Volcanoes Are Dangerous Sources Of Energy

8.18.09 - Volcanoes are one of the most dangerous natural forces on earth. They can destroy complete regions and even influence our climate. Nevertheless researchers dare to study them in-depth by drilling holes around them. Of course these kinds of experiments come with certain risks.

One of these experiments is taking place in Iceland. The project is called Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP). The main purpose of the project is to find out if it is economically feasible to extract energy and chemicals out of hydrothermal systems at supercritical conditions.

The potential benefits of the project would be to create a well that serves as a new energy source and produces high-pressure and high-temperature steam that can be converted into electrical power.

The first well which is called RN-17 was drilled at Reykjanes in 2004-2005 down to 3082 m depth.

In March 2009 it was decided to resume drilling the IDDP-1 exploratory/research well. Drilling and casing to 800 m occurred in December 2008. Drilling to 4500m depth should have taken another 115 days. Unfortunately on June 25, 2009 the drill rig encountered molten rock at 2104 m depth. The drillstring got stuck but circulation of cold water through the drillstring had been maintained. The drillstring was being pulled out and the situation was under full control. Similar incidents of drilling into magma have been met in another well at Krafla, and also in Hawaii.

The next step will be to install the surface valves, and release the rig. Cold water will be injected for some time before the well will be allowed to heat up. Then, later this year a flow test is being planned. The well should produce superheated dry steam for unknown length of time from the vicinity of living magma.

IDDP is preparing to performed additional experiments and tests. Amongst them is a tracer injection test in order to investigate the connectivity with nearby wells. Then after flow testing, the well might either become a producer of high pressure superheated steam, or be turned into a cold-water injection well. Depending on the result of the IDDP tests, future possibilities might include projects of creating the world's highest temperature Engineered Geothermal System (EGS). Although IDDP must abandon its ambition to drill into active supercritical zone at this time, the compensation is that the researchers have the opportunity to study active magma and its interaction with injected water.

To learn more about volcanoes and earthquakes get our science kit: Earthquakes & Volcanoes.

Earthquakes & Volcanoes Kit

Discover plate tectonics, and see how volcanoes and earthquakes are just the consequences of the constant movement of the planet's parts.
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Erupt two types of volcanoes to imitate how lava hardens into rock and volcanic mountains grow.
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Build a working seismograph to see for yourself how scientists measure earthquake forces.
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Learn about the most famous volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis in history.
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The 32-page book guides your experiments.
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Ages 10 and up.