Injection Performance in the Bulalo Geothermal Field Makiling-Banahao, Philippines

Abstract

The Bulalo Field is located within the Makiling-Banahao geothermal prospect approximately sixty kilometers southeast of Manila on the main island of Luzon in the Philippines. This hot brine resource is being explored by Philippine Geothermal Incorporated (PGI), a subsidiary of the Union Oil Company of California. During the past five years, forty-two wells have been drilled and completed into the Bulalo heat anomaly. Commercial production was initiated in late April, 1979 to supply steam for the operation of the first generating plant composed of two 55MW units. Field expansion continues for the installation of an additional plant of similar capacity. Commercial production to date has been primarily limited to ten wells and brine for disposal has been injected into four wells, as depicted in Figure 1. These four injectors are currently deemed as temporary disposal wells which will handle the brine injection requirements until the permanent system is in operation.