Possible environmental impacts of drilling exploratory wells for geothermal development in the Brennisteinsfjöll area, SW-Iceland

Abstract

The Brennisteinsfjöll area is located in the eastern part of the Reykjanes peninsula, SW-Iceland. It is about 20 km south from Reykjavík. Geothermal activity at the surface is sparse. A low-resistivity anomaly of 10 km2 underlain by a high-resistivity core is associated with the geothermal field. It is one of the least known high-temperature geothermal fields in Iceland. There is interest in further exploration of the area, such as deep exploration drilling, production drilling and utilization. In this report, some possible environmental impacts are analysed and potential mitigating measures are proposed. A checklist was used for identification of the key possible impacts, while for impact prediction a matrix was applied. The author suggests that a detailed plan be carried out and submitted to the Planning Agency to decide whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is necessary, where to construct roads and what impacts, issues, mitigation measures and public participation should be considered, before further exploration starts.