The New National Standard for Geological Exploration of Geothermal Resources in China

Abstract

The first national standard for geothermal geological exploration was stipulated in 1990, and it had played an active role in ensuring the quality of geothermal exploration projects in the country since then. With the rapid growth of the market economy, the fast growth of geothermal utilization and the improvement of geothermal exploration techniques in recent years, it has been necessary to put forward a new standard related to geothermal exploration in the country. A working group composed of six experienced geothermal professionals of different specialty was set up in 2001 to revise the old standard. The work was completed at the end of 2002, and will be put into application soon. The changes in the new standard mainly focused on the classification of geothermal resources, the economical feasibility of geothermal development, the phases definition of geothermal exploration, geophysical and geochemical exploration, reinjection of waste geothermal fluid, modeling of geothermal systems, especially numerical modeling for geothermal systems with a production history that is more than five years and the updating of models on a regular basis.