Overview: Hard Rock Penetration

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7051635

Dunn, J C

The Hard Rock Penetration program is developing technology to reduce the costs of drilling and completing geothermal wells. Current projects include: lost circulation control, rock penetration mechanics, instrumentation, and industry/DOE cost shared projects of the Geothermal Drilling organization. Last year, a number of accomplishments were achieved in each of these areas. A new flow meter being developed to accurately measure drilling fluid outflow was tested extensively during Long Valley drilling. Results show that this meter is rugged, reliable, and can provide useful measurements of small differences in fluid inflow and outflow rates. By providing early indications of fluid gain or loss, improved control of blow-out and lost circulation problems during geothermal drilling can be expected. In the area of downhole tools for lost circulation control, the concept of a downhole injector for injecting a two-component, fast-setting cementitious mud was developed. DOE filed a patent application for this concept during FY 91. The design criteria for a high-temperature potassium, uranium, thorium logging tool featuring a downhole data storage computer were established, and a request for proposals was submitted to tool development companies. The fundamental theory of acoustic telemetry in drill strings was significantly advanced through field experimentation and analysis. A new understanding of energy loss mechanisms was developed.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 7051635
• Report Number(s): SAND-92-0673C; CONF-920378-9; ON: DE92017425
• Resource Relation: Conference: Geothermal energy program review: geothermal energy and the utility market--the opportunities and challenges for expanding geothermal energy in a competitive supply market, San Francisco, CA (United States), 24-26 Mar 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
WELL DRILLING
BUDGETS
CALIFORNIA
FLOWMETERS
LOST CIRCULATION
PHILIPPINES
TELEMETRY
TESTING
UTAH
WELL LOGGING EQUIPMENT
ASIA
COMMUNICATIONS
DATA TRANSMISSION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DRILLING
EQUIPMENT
FEDERAL REGION VIII
ISLANDS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METERS
NORTH AMERICA
USA
WELLS
Geothermal Legacy
150901* - Geothermal Engineering- Drilling Technology & Well Hardware