| Abstract |
Since the last Costa Rica's country update report presented in 2010, geothermal development and exploration in the country for electrical generation purposes have seen a big impulse. The Miravalles Geothermal Field (163,5 MWe) continued its reliable productive rate and the first unit of Las Pailas Geothermal Field (42,5 MWe) came online in 2011. Feasibility studies for a second unit in Las Pailas are underway (55 MWe unit), as well as prefeasibility studies in the Borinquen (two 55 MWe units) and Pocosol Geothermal Areas in different stages. Management of the different geothermal fields is always an important issue, so the development of tools and actions in these area has continued and improved. The exploration of new productive zones for sustaining the capacities of both fields has been carried out, investigation in new and already in use chemical treatments of produced fluids is underway, new updated numerical models for both Pailas and Miravalles have been developed, upgrading gas extraction system of the Miravalles I and II units and improvements in the injection strategy in Las Pailas Field are examples of this development. Since the country's energetic policies are mainly based on renewable type energy sources, geothermal energy continues to be a base load for the electrical system in Costa producing a 15% of the total electrical generation of the country. The direct use of geothermal energy is very low and limited to swimming pools, and other envisioned uses reported in the past have not come to light. |