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Story: Geothermal energy

Hazards of drilling

Hazards of drilling

It is hazardous to drill in a geothermal area, where steam is under high pressure. This early bore at Wairākei has discharged out of control – workers run to dodge the shot of steam and flying fragments of rock. There are now stringent safety practices to ensure that such blowouts do not occur.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Reference: New Zealand Energy Journal 53, no. 3 (March 1980)

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How to cite this page

Carol Stewart, Geothermal energy – Wairākei geothermal power station, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5424/hazards-of-drilling (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carol Stewart, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Paul Bixley
09 April 2024
This is NOT and "out of control" well blowout. You will see a flexible hose and air compressor near the wellhead and in this case the flow of hot water has been initiated by inserting the hose down the wellbore then pumping air to lift the near-boiling water column and initiate flow - Similar to shaking up a bottle of coke to create a gas-water mixture..