Electricity production from geothermal resources is currently based on the exploitation of hydrothermal reservoirs. Hydrothermal reservoirs possess three ingredients critical to present day commercial extraction of subsurface heat: high temperature, in-situ fluid and high permeability. Relative to the total subsurface heat resource available, hydrothermal resources are geographically and quantitatively limited.A 2006 DOE sponsored study led by MIT entitled "The Future of Geothermal Energy" estimates the thermal resource underlying the United States at depths between 3 km and 10 km to be on the order of 14 million EJ. For comparison purposes, total U.S. energy consumption in 2005 was 100 EJ. The overwhelming majority of this resource is present in geological formations which lack either in-situ fluid, permeability or both. Economical extraction of the heat in non-hydrothermal situations is termed Enhanced or Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS). The technologies and processes required for EGS are currently in a developmental stage. Accessing the vast thermal resource between 3 km and 10 km in particular requires a significant extension of current hydrothermal practice, where wells rarely reach 3 km in depth.This report provides an assessment of well construction technology for EGS with two primary objectives: 1. Determining the ability of existing technologies to develop EGS wells. 2. Identifying critical well construction research lines and development technologies that are likely to enhance prospects for EGS viability and improve overall economics. 4Towards these ends, a methodology is followed in which a case study is developed to systematically and quantitatively evaluate EGS well construction technology needs. A baseline EGS well specification is first formulated. The steps, tasks and tools involved in the construction of this prospective baseline EGS well are then explicitly defined by a geothermal drilling contractor in terms of sequence, time and cost. A task and cost based analysis of the exercise is subsequently conducted to develop a deeper understanding of the key technical and economic drivers of the well construction process. Finally, future research & development recommendations are provided and ranked based on their economic and technical significance.5

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Drilling costs are significantly influenced by bit performance when drilling in offshore formations. Retrieving and replacing damaged downhole tools is an extraordinarily expensive and time-intensive process, easily costing several hundred thousand dollars of offshore rig time plus the cost of damaged components. Dynamic behavior of the drill string can be particularly problematic when drilling high strength rock, where the risk of bit failure increases dramatically. Many of these dysfunctions arise due to the interaction between the forces developed at the bit-rock interface and the modes of vibration of the drill string. Although existing testing facilities are adequate for characterizing bit performance in various formations and operating conditions, they lack the necessary drill string attributes to characterize the interaction between the bit and the bottom hole assembly (BHA). A facility that includes drill string compliance and yet allows real-rock/bit interaction would provide an advanced practical understanding of the influence of drill string dynamics on bit life and performance. Such a facility can be used to develop new bit designs and cutter materials, qualify downhole component reliability, and thus mitigate the harmful effects of vibration. It can also serve as a platform for investigating process-related parameters, which influence drilling performance and bit-induced vibration to develop improved practices for drilling operators. The development of an advanced laboratory simulation capability is being pursued to allow the dynamic properties of a BHA to be reproduced in the laboratory. This simulated BHA is used to support an actual drill bit while conducting drilling tests in representative rocks in the laboratory. The advanced system can be used to model the response of more complex representations of a drill string with multiple modes of vibration. Application of the system to field drilling data is also addressed.

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