| Abstract |
Vietnam's territory is situated along the geothermal west Pacific Rim and has more than 300 natural hot springs. In the past, Vietnamese people considered these hot mineral waters a valuable natural resource serving human life. Thus, in the past decades many Vietnamese and French geologists have done valuable research on these hot springs and geothermal fields. Most studies were conducted after the August Revolution in 1945 by the Vietnamese. Geothermal research has become a specialized field of study since the 1980's with the assistance and cooperation of international organizations such as UNDP and USESCO. From 1990 to the present, geothermal studies in Vietnam have resulted in significant achievements, and some of the most valuable geothermal research has been done by the Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources (RIGMR) of Vietnam since 1995. These include assessments of geothermal potential of South central Vietnam, north central Vietnam and other geothermal regions nationwide. Many international organizations and geothermal companies are interested in the development of geothermal resources of Vietnam especially in the prospective areas of South central, North central, and northwest parts of Vietnam. |