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Title: Redrilling of well EE-3 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory HDR (Hot Dry Rock) project

Abstract

The successful sidetracking of well EE-3 and the drilling of well EE-3A proved that with detailed planning and by adjusting techniques based on previous experience at Fenton Hill, drilling can be accomplished with reduced risk. The primary drilling problems associated with drilling of hot, crystalline basement rock, are (a) abrasiveness between the downhole tools and the formations and (b) a crooked wellbore path. These were essentially eliminated by a specially designed drilling fluid and careful pre-planning of the directional drilling operations. These improvements have taken much of the risk out of drilling at the Fenton Hill Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Geothermal Test Site. The sidetracking of EE-3 and drilling of EE-3A were undertaken to complete the hydraulic connection between boreholes. Drilling through fractured regions indicated by the dense zones of microseismic activity increased the probability of success. EE-3 was sidetracked at 9373' and redrilled to a depth of 13,182'.

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA); Well Production Testing, Boulder City, NV (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
6239509
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-87-2114; CONF-871024-2
ON: DE87011753
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council, Sparks, NV, USA, 12 Oct 1987; Other Information: Paper copy only, copy does not permit microfiche production
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS; WELL DRILLING; GEOTHERMAL WELLS; NEW MEXICO; DRILLING; ENERGY SYSTEMS; FEDERAL REGION VI; GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS; NORTH AMERICA; USA; WELLS; Geothermal Legacy

Citation Formats

Schillo, J C, Nicholson, R W, Hendron, R H, and Thomson, J C. Redrilling of well EE-3 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory HDR (Hot Dry Rock) project. United States: N. p., 1987. Web.
Schillo, J C, Nicholson, R W, Hendron, R H, & Thomson, J C. Redrilling of well EE-3 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory HDR (Hot Dry Rock) project. United States.
Schillo, J C, Nicholson, R W, Hendron, R H, and Thomson, J C. 1987. "Redrilling of well EE-3 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory HDR (Hot Dry Rock) project". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6239509.
@article{osti_6239509,
title = {Redrilling of well EE-3 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory HDR (Hot Dry Rock) project},
author = {Schillo, J C and Nicholson, R W and Hendron, R H and Thomson, J C},
abstractNote = {The successful sidetracking of well EE-3 and the drilling of well EE-3A proved that with detailed planning and by adjusting techniques based on previous experience at Fenton Hill, drilling can be accomplished with reduced risk. The primary drilling problems associated with drilling of hot, crystalline basement rock, are (a) abrasiveness between the downhole tools and the formations and (b) a crooked wellbore path. These were essentially eliminated by a specially designed drilling fluid and careful pre-planning of the directional drilling operations. These improvements have taken much of the risk out of drilling at the Fenton Hill Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Geothermal Test Site. The sidetracking of EE-3 and drilling of EE-3A were undertaken to complete the hydraulic connection between boreholes. Drilling through fractured regions indicated by the dense zones of microseismic activity increased the probability of success. EE-3 was sidetracked at 9373' and redrilled to a depth of 13,182'.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6239509}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987}
}

Conference:
Other availability
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