GEO-THERMAL STEAM

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 43, 5 November 1952, Page 7

GEO-THERMAL STEAM

NOTES FROM DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS From the Annual Report of the Ministry of Works to Parliament for the year ended March 31st., 1952 we take the following notes ref erring to •Geo-Thermal Steam development: — The Commissioner of Works, Mr E. Kj' MeKillop, reports. "While on the Gontinent I again visited Lardarello, in Italy. Since my first visit in 1948 the Italians have 1 bfought in another 125,000' kW. from geo-thermal sources and now obtain. over 300,000 kW. from this area. This is used on the electric railways •of Northern Italy and on industries and in the power siippi^ generally of Milan. "I had diseussions also with a •firm of turbine makers of international repute who had designed and built a large portion of the machinery for Lardarello. The teehnieal Tepresentatives of this firm stated that they would not anticipate any difficulty in designing turbines to uiilize commercially the -steam which we had already obtained at Wairakei — provided, of course, that the flow of this was continuous and steam was available in sufficient quantities for commercial development. "This information was subsequently eonfirmed in more detail to Mr Fisher, Inspecting Engineer, who followed me to Lardarello. The turbine makers, however, endorsed the policy of endeavouring to get a drier product from our wells if, on further investigations, this was found to be nracticable.

The En gineer-in- Chi ef , Mr 0. W. 0, Turner, reports: "The search for Batural steam continues unabated. Buring the year investigations have a/imed at obtaining a broader knowledge of the Wairakei thermal area by drilling deeper, by collecting and ianalysing data on temperatures, pressures, and yellds, by testing the quality of the steam, and by measuring the continuity and volume of j steam flow. Dry steam has not been found in quantity, but there is every indication that the wet steam diseharged by the majority of the prospecting and development wells can : be used for power -production, "Experimental plant develoned by the Departmeht's Eng'neevs for separating the water from the wet discharge has been operating very sucoessfully for keveral months. Sonle fepectacular results . have been obtained from the more active wells, jets of steam roaring several hundred feet into the air and discharging 50 tons of steam and 'water per hour. At present drilling is limited to 1,500ft. depth, but two powerful drills which have been specially designed for the ihtcnse heat and p'resBure.s that are likely to be ihet several thpusand feet below the surface are due for delivery in a few months 1 ime." (Note — one of these is now at Wairakei.— Editor) .