Taking the heat out of Geothermal Production

As the geothermal energy market heats up, techniques pioneered in the Middle Eastern desert could dramatically boost geothermal production rates-helping unlock a potentially vast global resource. Gary MacDonald, Middle East-based Global Business Development Manager with OSSO, a provider of specialist fluid temperature control and separation solutions, assesses how mud cooler techniques could transform the economics of geothermal production.

The geothermal energy market is quickly building up a head of steam and could soon provide a vast sustainable and renewable energy resource. A recent study found that geothermal electricity generation in the US alone could increase by more than 26-fold by 2050 and that the global market could soon hit $50 billion.

Yet drilling geothermal wells is more costly than conventional oil-drilling and it remains a daunting challenge to deliver the required ROI. Companies face the challenge of using downhole tools in geothermal wells that are usually 3-5km deep and reach temperatures of 300 to 400°F. Measurement while drilling tooling, for instance, has a typical maximum operating temperature ranging between 300 to 350°F.

Geothermal drilling was originally based on modified methods from the fossil fuel sector, and insights from the same sector can help take the heat out of this problem. For example, mud cooling techniques adapted from oil and gas wells could dramatically accelerate geothermal production rates, reduce repair costs and round trips, extend productive drilling time and increase pay zone hole sections.