Geothermal sources and utilization practice in six countries along the southern part of the Pannonian basin

Abstract

AbstractData on thermal water sources with outflow temperature of 30 °C and above were analyzed from the N-ern parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia, S-ern parts of Hungary, W-ern parts of Romania, and NE-ern parts of Slovenia, altogether from an area of 99,347 km2. The overview identified 771 geothermal sources; only 7 were thermal springs. The average well depth is about 1.2 km. About 13% of wells are younger than 10 years, additional 17% below 30 years; while 26% are older than 50 years. Average thermal water outflow temperature is 54 °C being the highest, 170 °C, in Croatia. Most thermal water is produced from basin fill sediments—Lower and Upper Pannonian (Mio-Pliocene) loose sandstones which are tapped by 86% of wells. The rest appertains to basement rocks—fissured, fractured and karstified Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Middle Miocene metamorphic, carbonate and siliciclastic rocks. In total, 72% sources hold water rights, 6% mining rights, 2% geothermal rights and 1% has no rights. The permits allow much higher water abstraction as currently listed. Usage for bathing and balneology encompasses 24% of all active sources (155), some of these also with heating (23). 104 objects (16%) are used for heating, also district heating (13) and individual space heating (3). An additional 10% (70) are used in agriculture, mainly greenhouse heating. There are 41 reinjection wells (5%). It is primarily in Hungary that drinking water (17%), industrial usage (5%) and monitoring wells (2%) are also common.