Directional drilling equipment and techniques for deep hot granite wells

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5319903

Brittenham, T L; Sursen, G; Neudecker, J W; Rowley, J C; Williams, R E

Conventional directional drilling technology has been extended and modified to drill the first well of a subsurface geothermal energy extraction system at the Fenton Hill, New Mexico, Hot dry Rock (HDR) experimental site. Completing the first of a two-wellbore HDR system has resulted in the definition of operational limitations of many conventional directional drilling tools, instrumentation and techniques. The successful completion of the first wellbore, Energy Extraction Well No. 2 (EE-2), to a measured depth of 15,300 ft (4.7 km) in granite reservoir rock with a bottomhole temperature of 530/sup 0/F (275/sup 0/C) required the development of a new high temperature downhole motor and modification of existing wireline-conveyed steering tool systems. Conventional rotary-driven directional assemblies were successfully modified to accommodate the very hard and abrasive rock encountered while drilling nearly 8500 ft (2.6 km) of directional hole to a final inclination of 35/sup 0/ from the vertical at a controlled azimuthal orientation.

• Research Organization: Grace, Sursen, Moore and Associates, Amarillo, TX (USA); Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5319903
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-80-2086; CONF-800931-3
• Resource Relation: Conference: 55. Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME annual technical conference and exhibition, Dallas, TX, USA, 21 Sep 1980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS
BOREHOLES
DRILLING EQUIPMENT
DRILLING RIGS
GEOTHERMAL GRADIENTS
GRANITES
HEAT EXTRACTION
NEW MEXICO
POROSITY
CAVITIES
DRILLING
EQUIPMENT
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
NORTH AMERICA
PLUTONIC ROCKS
ROCKS
SOUTHWEST REGION
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
USA
WELLS
Geothermal Legacy
150901* - Geothermal Engineering- Drilling Technology & Well Hardware