Posted on: Tuesday, August 20, 2002

Geothermal drilling starts again in Puna

By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

POHOIKI, Hawai'i — Puna Geothermal Venture began the first of three new drilling operations over the weekend at its plant east of Pahoa.

The initial phase, according to spokesman Barry Mizuno, is to establish Kapoho State 5 well (KS-5), due to begin producing power in December, when consumer demand in Hawai'i County reaches its peak.

Later, drillers are to convert the KS-11 well into a re-injection well to accept the highly corrosive and smelly hydrogen-sulfide fluid that is a byproduct of geothermal power production. Then, a second new well will be drilled.

The $16 million job was contracted to True Geothermal of Wyoming.

Puna Geothermal has a contract with Hawai'i Electric Light Co. to produce up to 30 megawatts of electricity using underground heat sources.

Since KS-11 went out of service, the company has been able to provide only 5 megawatts.

Residents near the well sites, about 23 southeast of Hilo, are not happy that drilling is under way.

Al Dettweiler of the community group Puna Malama Pono said he is concerned about the noise, even though it does not violate state standards for an agricultural district. Sound from drilling operations has been measured at 42 to 45 decibels, well below the 70-decibel limit.

"It's noisy to us," he said. "Human beings do not live by the numbers."

Longtime geothermal critic Jon Olsen of nearby Leilani Estates said county and state officials continue to have too little control over the developer.

Mizuno said his firm is meeting commitments made to state and county regulators, and attempting to be a good neighbor to the Lanipuna Gardens and Leilani Estates residential areas, both within a quarter-mile of the project.