Geothermal Drilling and Completion Technology Development Program Annual Progress Report
Abstract
The high cost of drilling and completing geothermal wells is an impediment to the timely development of geothermal resources in the US. The Division of Geothermal Energy (DGE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a development program aimed at reducing well costs through improvements in the technology used to drill and complete geothermal wells. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has been selected to manage this program for DOE/DGE. Based on analyses of existing well costs, cost reduction goals have been set for the program. These are to develop the technology required to reduce well costs by 25% by 1983 and by 50% by 1987. To meet these goals, technology development in a wide range of areas is required. The near-term goal will be approached by improvements in conventional, rotary drilling technology. The long-term goal will require the development of an advanced drilling and completion system. Currently, the program is emphasizing activities directed at the near-term cost reduction goal, but increased emphasis on advanced system development is anticipated as time progresses. The program is structured into six sub-elements: Drilling Hardware, Drilling Fluids, Completion Technology, Lost Circulation Control Methods, Advanced Drilling Systems, and Supporting Technology. Technology development in each of thesemore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brown Univ., Providence, RI (USA). Div. of Engineering
- OSTI Identifier:
- 888912
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET/28320-47-1; CONF-810254-
TRN: US200619%%152
- DOE Contract Number:
- AS02-76ET28320
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 10. Meeting of the Centers for the Analysis of Thermal/mechanical Energy Conversion Concepts, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, 24 Feb 1981
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; DRILLING; DRILLING FLUIDS; ENERGY CONVERSION; GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES; GEOTHERMAL WELLS; LOSSES; ROTARY DRILLING; SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES; Geothermal Legacy
Citation Formats
Varnado, S G. Geothermal Drilling and Completion Technology Development Program Annual Progress Report. United States: N. p., 1981.
Web.
Varnado, S G. Geothermal Drilling and Completion Technology Development Program Annual Progress Report. United States.
Varnado, S G. 1981.
"Geothermal Drilling and Completion Technology Development Program Annual Progress Report". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/888912.
@article{osti_888912,
title = {Geothermal Drilling and Completion Technology Development Program Annual Progress Report},
author = {Varnado, S G},
abstractNote = {The high cost of drilling and completing geothermal wells is an impediment to the timely development of geothermal resources in the US. The Division of Geothermal Energy (DGE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a development program aimed at reducing well costs through improvements in the technology used to drill and complete geothermal wells. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has been selected to manage this program for DOE/DGE. Based on analyses of existing well costs, cost reduction goals have been set for the program. These are to develop the technology required to reduce well costs by 25% by 1983 and by 50% by 1987. To meet these goals, technology development in a wide range of areas is required. The near-term goal will be approached by improvements in conventional, rotary drilling technology. The long-term goal will require the development of an advanced drilling and completion system. Currently, the program is emphasizing activities directed at the near-term cost reduction goal, but increased emphasis on advanced system development is anticipated as time progresses. The program is structured into six sub-elements: Drilling Hardware, Drilling Fluids, Completion Technology, Lost Circulation Control Methods, Advanced Drilling Systems, and Supporting Technology. Technology development in each of these areas is conducted primarily through contracts with private industries and universities. Some projects are conducted internally by Sandia. This report describes the program, status, and results of ongoing R and D within the program for the 1980 fiscal year.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/888912},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1981},
month = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1981}
}