Geothermal drilling and well research – experience and perspectives from Norwegian oil&gasErlend Randeberg, IRIS, Norway

13 June 2016

Outline of presentation

› About IRIS – background

› Geothermal as a new area

› The NEXT-Drill project

› IRIS contribution in GeoWell

› Project development within geothermal drilling and well

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More than 40 years of Research and Development

› IRIS is a client-oriented research institute and presents an all-round and productive research environment within ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT (Marine/Biology) and SOCIAL SCIENCE

› Our objective is to carry out research and development, and

distribution of knowledge for trade, industry and public sector

activities, nationally and internationally

› Ca. 200 employees, from 23 different countries, 92 PhDs

› Main office in Stavanger, Norway

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Photo: Elisabeth Tønnessen / IRIS

IRIS Energy – main areas

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Drilling & well technology Reservoir technology

Research facilities Green technologies

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Reservoir technology – overview

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Systems for mobility control for

water injection

Rock-fluid interactions

Simulator development

Field studies

History matching & production

optimization

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Drilling and well technology – overview

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Quantitative risk assessment

New drilling concepts & equipment

Well modelling

Automated drilling

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Drilling & well technology – success stories

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Badger Explorer ASASigmund StokkaIRIS

Se http://www.osloaxess.no/

BlowFlowDrillTronicsautomated drilling system

Research facilities – drilling and well technology

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Full-size offshore type drilling rig HPHT lab

Sand screen lab

Virtual Rig

Ullrigg Drilling and Well Centre

› Built in 1984, continuously modified

› Supporting research programs, technology

development and testing requirements

› Full-scale offshore type drilling rig

› Seven wells accessible

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Ullrigg Drilling and Well Centre

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Facilities: Virtual Rig

› Real Time Well Modelling

› Simulation for training and certification

› Research and development of new equipment and drilling concepts

› Experiments with automation of the drilling process

› Development and verification of procedures for new work processes and software

› Research and design of man-machine interface

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Experience: Risk-based approach for drilling and well

› Statistical approach, experience-based

› Decision-support in drilling planning and operational phase

› Cost estimation tool for well construction planning phase

› Software tools for risk of kicks, blowout modelling, etc.

› Reliability analysis of downhole safety valves etc.

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Experience: Modelling of the drilling process

› Physical representation of the drilling process

› Flow, drillstring dynamics, cuttings transport, wellbore stability…

› Optimal choice of operational parameters: WOB, RPM, flow…

› Available measurements and need for improved instrumentation

› Major topic at IRIS – some key projects:

• Drilltronics: Automated drilling program

• Drillscene: Drilling monitoring and visualisation program

• Virtual Rig: Drilling simulator

• Autofluid: Drillig fluid and cuttings transport modelling

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Experience: Drilling and Well Instrumentation

› Topside and downhole instrumentation

› Flow loop instrumentation and testing

› Full-scale tests at Ullrigg

› Development of drilling models based on wired pipe solutions

› Distributed Sensing (DTS/DAS) for downhole production optimization

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Source: SPE 149602

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Experience: Extended reach, new drilling concepts

“Hole in One Producer”

› Casing/liner drilling concept requiring step change in bit durability

› Energy at the bit – understanding what is needed to break rock

› Novel circulation and traction system

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Geothermal energy as a new niche

› Norwegian R&D and industry: Experience within drilling, well and reservoir

› (Deep) geothermal is geographically limited – new technology is needed for large-scale heat extraction

› Oil & gas vs. geothermal – similarities and differences

› Great opportunity for technology transfer

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Geothermal vs. oil & gas

› Geothermal projects are similar to oil & gas:

1. Drilling

2. Completion

3. Maintenance/ intervention (production)

4. Plugging and abandonment

› Technology transfer (oil & gas vs. geothermal)?

• Different incentives for cost reduction

• Shared markets yield high costs (compete for rigs, crew etc.)

• Geothermal as first mover?

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IRIS’ approach to geothermal so far

› Geothermal identified as a “new energy” area

› Involved in research networks and initiatives

• European Energy Research Arena – Joint Program on Geothermal Energy (EERA-JPGE)

• Norwegian Centre for Geothermal Energy (CGER)

› NEXT-Drill project – Deep Hard Rock Drilling

› H2020 project GeoWell – Risk assessment

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NEXT-Drill project background

› NEXT-Drill: Numerical-EXperimental Technology platforms for cost effective deep hard rock Drilling

› Objectives:

1. Identify technology gaps and knowledge needs for reducing drilling costs in hard rock

2. Improved understanding of hard rock fracturing and interaction between drillbits and rock

3. Develop a numerical and experimental framework that will enable industrial design of the next-generation drill tools

› Main motivation: Drilling cost

• Well construction 30-75 % of total geothermal cost

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NEXT-Drill partners

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R&D Team

Public funding (75% Research Council of Norway)

Industry partners

International collaborationMines ParisTech; France

TUT; Finland

TU Clausthal; Germany

University of Minnesota, University of Purdue; USA

Rate of penetration for percussive drilling

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Rock Meso-models

(FEM, SPH)

Rock material

Characterization of behaviour: effect

of pressure, temperature, rate,

fracture…

Macro-models

Analytical/numerical

predictions:

parametrical study

ROP = f(frequency, WOB,

RPM, pressure,…)

Tool/rock interaction

Characterization of bit/rock interaction laws:

effect of repetition, indexation, cleaning,

impact energy, rate, pressure…

EXPERIMENTS SIMULATIONS

Dynamic systems

Middle- and full-scale: assess the performance of

percussive system in terms of ROP and BRI

Tool/Rock Meso-

models

Validation and extension out

of laboratory ranges

Drillbit life – Methodology and approach

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Atomistic modelling

DFT: Energy of interface

separation

Microstructure

characterization

SEM and EBSD observations, nano-

indentation, micro in-situ tests

Continuum material & Structural

Modelling

Damage models

Mechanical and

wear properties

EXPERIMENTS SIMULATIONS

Full-scale (in field)

Drill-bit life assessment

Modelling of microstructureMesh generation

2D 3D

(from picture) (idealized)

Local field information

(degradation

mechanisms)

Virtual tests of macroscopic response

NEXT-Drill: Hard Rock Drilling Workshops

Hard Rock Drilling workshop, Dec. 2012

Focus: Drilling Technologies/ConceptsHard Rock Drilling workshop, Nov. 2013

Focus: Bit Materials/Tools Hard Rock Drilling workshop, Dec. 2014

Focus: Geothermal Drilling Practice Hard Rock Drilling workshop, Dec. 2015

Focus: Perspectives and Outlook

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Technology roadmap – Focus

› Mature technologies

• Deep drilling in soft formations

• Shallow drilling in hard rock

› Drilling case

• Hard rock (~200 MPa)

• Deep drilling (> 1000 m)

• Harsh environments: High pressure and temperature

› Rock breaking is the single most important factor

• Low penetration rates

• Equipment wear and failure

› Fundamental concerns of rock breaking process:

• How energy is transferred to the rock (breaking the rock)

• Controlling secondary effects (bit wear, drillstring dynamics)

• Cuttings removal

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Routes to improvement, short term

1. Percussive drilling for deeper wells

2. Rotary drilling for increasingly harder rocks

› PDC bits: a step change in drilling performance and cost per distance drilled, compared to roller cone bits

› Improving performance can be expected to give gradual cost reductions

› Changing technology, e.g. to percussive drilling, may potentially be step changing

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Routes to improvement, long term

› Development of “unproven” methods

• E.g. thermal based methods (laser, microwaves, chemical reactions, electric sparks etc.)

• Technology readiness level is low

• Depth is a challenge, e.g. power supply, high pressure

› Development of electrical power from surface to downhole

• Efficiency and robustness

• Powering and direct control of drilling tool

• Traction

• High bandwidth communication (wired pipe)

› EGC 2016 paper for more on this

• “Technology Roadmap for Geothermal Hard Rock Drilling”

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The GeoWell project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654497

GeoWell: IRIS contributionInnovative materials and designs for long-life high-temperature geothermal wells

GeoWell: WP6 Risk assessment for geothermal wells

• Development of risk and reliability analysis tools for geothermal wells

• Raise the standard of risk analysis tools for geothermal wells (based on that of oil and gas wells)

• Propose a risk management framework• Protocols, standards (ref. NORSOK)

• Evaluate and manage the risk introduced by new materials and tools developed in WP3 and WP4

• Failure modes, “qualification”

Drilling Completion Production Maintenance P&A

Oil & gas wells

Geothermal wells

Risk assessment methods for well integrity

Risk assessment methods for well integrity

New methods for very high temperatures?

Approach

Objectives for risk assessment WP

• Status of risk assessment for geothermal wells

• Transfer risk assessment methods from the oil & gas domain

• Risk assessment methods for high temperature phenomena in geothermal wells

• Propose improvements for European regulations & standards

• Risk and reliability analysis of the new materials and methods developed in the project

IRIS is aiming for additional H2020 projects

Relevant background

› Practical drilling and well challenges, e.g. cementation, circulation system, new drilling concepts

› Drilling modelling – circulation, pressure, temperature, drillstring… Based on physical models and data gathering

› Hard rock drilling

› New drilling concepts in a real environment

› Challenges associated with “extreme” oil & gas wells –HPHT, extended reach, multilaterals…

› Risk analysis relevant for drilling and well

IRIS strategy related to geothermal

› Natural extension of present drilling and well experience

› Technology transfer from oil & gas to geothermal

› Investigation and testing of new drilling concepts

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Summary and conclusions

› Accessing the geothermal energy is a major challenge (cost issue)

› The Norwegian oil & gas drilling expertise gives us a benefit

› Close collaboration with drilling industry

› From petroleum to geothermal well construction – similarities and differences

› IRIS wants to contribute in the geothermal community

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Thank you for your attention!

erlend.randeberg@iris.no