Abstract:

Geothermal field production improves, as with petroleum fields, when well placement maximizes the surface area that is exposed to the optimal target resource. Whether the reservoir is hydrocarbon-bearing rock or heat-bearing rock, there are common objectives. The goal is usually to get the largest possible production pipe into the perfect location near this resource, over the longest section, and delivering the highest flow rate.

Oilfield drilling technologies like Measurement While Drilling (MWD) and Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS) can enable long lateral sections and complex multiple-well deployments, which require precision wellbore positioning. Enhanced (EGS) and Advanced (AGS) Geothermal Systems require accurate placement of long, smooth wellbores, often in close, parallel proximity. EGS fracture networks must intersect both injector and producer wells, so the interwell spacing must be precisely controlled. AGS is often based on intersecting two or more wellbores at depth - a difficult positioning task even in shallow, low-temp formations. Drilling with MWD and RSS can optimize these geothermal multi-well developments, if the tools can be ruggedized for high temperature (HT), hard rock environments.

But common availability of reliable HT MWD and RSS oilfield drilling tools took decades to reach 200°C. Maximum tool operating temperature rose in incremental steps of 25°C, taking nearly 10 years to mature a fleet of tools for each increase in capability. There are several weak links, when it comes to geothermal conditions, in these drilling tools. So consider: "How can we leapfrog quickly to 300°C for geothermal development?"

Speaker Biography:

Robert has 45 years in MWD and drilling technology, working for all three major service companies. His expertise is in HP/HT design and packaging for downhole directional instruments, and he holds 30 patents. He led two 300°C drilling tool projects at Baker Hughes.

For SPE, he has delivered numerous talks and papers; also for IEEE, IMAPS (HiTEC), ION, NASA-JPL, API, and IADC-DEC. Robert serves on the UtahFORGE STAT geothermal advisory team. An SPE Senior Member, he has volunteered in the MWD Section; the 2006 ATW on HT/HP Drilling; SPE-WPTS (ISCWSA); SPE-DSATS; as Director, SPE-GCS; and the SPE-GCS Northside Study Group