Michrohole Arrays Drilled with Advanced Abrasive Slurry Jet Technology to Efficiently Exploit Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Technical Report · Wed Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1253190· OSTI ID:1253190

Oglesby, Kenneth ^[1]; Finsterle, Stefan ^[2]; Zhang, Yingqi ^[2]; Pan, Lehua ^[2]; Dobson, Parick ^[2]; Mohan, Ram ^[3]; Shoham, Ovadia ^[3]; Felber, Betty ^[1]; Rychel, Dwight ^[1]

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1. Impact Technologies, Tulsa, OK (United States)
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
3. Univ. of Tulsa, OK (United States)

This project had two major areas of research for Engineered/ Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) development - 1) study the potential benefits from using microholes (i.e., bores with diameters less than 10.16 centimeters/ 4 inches) and 2) study FLASH ASJ to drill/ install those microbores between a well and a fracture system. This included the methods and benefits of drilling vertical microholes for exploring the EGS reservoir and for installing multiple (forming an array of) laterals/ directional microholes for creating the in-reservoir heat exchange flow paths. Significant benefit was found in utilizing small microbore sized connecting bores for EGS efficiency and project life. FLASH ASJ was deemed too complicated to optimally work in such deep reservoirs at this time.

• Research Organization: Impact Technologies, Tulsa, OK (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: EE0002783
• OSTI ID: 1253190
• Report Number(s): FLASH ASJ Drilling Project for Geothermal
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
geothermal
geothermal energy
EGS
engineered geothermal system
enhanced geothermal system
small bore wells
micro-bore wells