Loading ...But they still do! The wells are installed by petroleum engineers with experience in sealing high pressure oil wells. Everyone is afraid that a well blowout will release the Sulfur dioxide and kill everyone for miles around. Truthfully it would be no worse than the eruption we had in 2018 that was releasing 18 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide daily downwind. The wells are minor pockets of gas by comparison. When the eruption threatened the geothermal plant, it was successfully shut down and twelve wells were pressure capped. Liquid Pentane (like low grade gasoline) that is used as an intermediate heat transfer liquid was successfully removed from the plant to prevent explosions if lava covered the plant. As it was, only two well pipes were covered in lava during the eruption. The plant survived lava flows all around it. The two well pipes were dug out after the lava cooled, and a year later the plant was successfully restarted. All with no leaks or problems. So it is a very well engineered technology, but still the Hawaiians hate it with passion for poking Pele for her heat.
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