Drilling a well remains the highest cost for geothermal energy investment. Researchers Dr. Sam Noynaert and Fred Dupriest tackled this problem as part of a $1.86 million Department of Energy (DOE) project to make the low-margin business of geothermal energy more economically attractive.
The researchers taught a physics-based drilling course to a team preparing a geothermal well for a DOE test site. The team learned the processes involved in drilling, from bit specifics to force application, so they could recognize and reduce performance limiters. Daily online discussions between team members and researchers resolved any issues; drilling improvements solely relied on the team’s efforts.
Despite frequent data collection stops, the well was completed in about half the time budgeted, a huge cost reduction for the project.