GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION IN ERITREA COUNTRY UPDATE

Abstract

Geothermal exploration in Eritrea has a significant impact on the economic development of Eritrea as the country relies its electric power generation from imported refined petroleum products, which is wholly based on oil burning plants. cost fluctuation mainly increases in fuel cost coupled with the unfriendly environment. Currently the economy needs more MW electric in particular the mining sector, such as mining of precious and base metals in Bisha and Zara with the pipeline of Asmara Mining SC and the potash of Colluli Mining SC. Therefore geothermal energy will have an important input in alleviating expenditure on foreign currency while safeguarding the environment.Therefore geothermal energy will have an important input in alleviating expenditure on foreign currency while safeguarding the environment. The tectonic setting and geological makeup of the south-eastern coastal zone of Eritrea is a favourable site for having geothermal resources that are potential for the development of geothermal resources mainly for electrical generation and geothermal utilization. Alid and Nabro-Dubbi fields are the notable places with ample geothermal manifestations. There are considerable low temperature-thermal springs potential for recreation spas, health and mineral water bottling, and etc, occur at around the Asmara-Massawa highway, close to Gulf of Zula and within the Danakil Depression, which mostly do not show any immediate association with recent magmatism. The completion of some of the surface studies on Alid prompts here to concentrate on the recent work performed. A more than 2500C reservoir temperature was estimated using gas geothermometers from Alid geothermal prospect. As recommended from earlier studies, a geophysical assessment was to define the recently an assessment of fracture analysis was conducted since geothermal reservoir is stored in some favourable geological structures. The low resistivity anomaly of the preliminary resistivity survey conducted on the Ghinda-Darere is in line with the contour plot. The hydrogeological assessment performed regionally indicates that the recharge area is mainly from three catchments mainly the input is from highland area. The resistivity survey that was conducted recently has availed an interesting anomaly at the rift floor and opened a wider perspective in exploration.