Pilot testing of handling the fluids from the IDDP-1 exploratory geothermal well, Krafla, N.E. Iceland

• Material tests and scrubbing experiments of superheated geothermal steam.
• The superheated steam contained HCl and HF acid, gaseous sulfur and silica dust.
• The acid gas and silica dust could effectively be scrubbed from the steam with water.
• The sulfur in gaseous form could only be scrubbed from the steam with alkaline water.
• Corrosion and erosion experiments were problematic because of silica dust.

Material tests and scrubbing experiments were carried out at the IDDP-1 well in the Krafla geothermal field in Iceland. The 450 °C superheated steam contained acid gas (approx. 90 mg/kg HCl and 7 mg/kg HF) and was highly corrosive when it condensed making it unsuitable for utilization without scrubbing. The acid gas could effectively be scrubbed from the steam with water. The steam contained gasous sulfur compond (80–100 mg/kg S), which could only be scrubbed from the steam with alkaline water. The steam contained both silica dust and dissolved silica which was effectively washed from the steam with wet scrubbing. Experiments on corrosion and erosion resistance of metals and alloys were problematic to run because of equipment clogging by silica dust.