01-29-2015, 03:12 AM
quote:
Originally posted by gypsy69
Thank you leilanidude for the great answers to my questions. Maybe we need to know a little more about the reinjection wells, how deep are they were they man made or natural, and how big are these water holding reservoirs? From my understanding steam and gasses naturally find their way through this rock from deeper depths. So that's what makes me think that the holding wells and or old used wells could leak poisonous steam through our rock like a cesspool. On the mainland the steam or gas would work its way through the mud boils, but here we have cracks and tubes that go down hundreds and thousands of feet.
Re-injection wells are drilled just like the other wells, and lined. They are also monitored to detect any pressure losses just like the main wells. When a well is taken out of service, it is filled with concrete and capped. No gas or steam will ever come back out of it.
There are actually two types of geothermal extraction being used at PGV. The newer one is the one that I posted the link to.
Those gases are natural and already deep in the earth. They already naturally come UP to the surface, all over the East Rift Zone - where you live - and hence the issues with odd smells from time to time. Any gas or steam from the plant that leaked would go UP, not down into the ground.