What Is Geothermal Drilling?
Geothermal derives from the Greek words "geo" and "therme," meaning "earth's heat." Slowly decaying radioactive materials within the earth's interior produces the geothermal heat. Depending on the application for geothermal energy, drilling into the earth's surface may be required to effectively use this source of energy. Does this Spark an idea?
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Beginnings
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Geothermal drilling began to develop in the United States in the 1970s in California. Geothermal drilling normally takes place at geysers, which include hot water and shallow oil/gas wells.
Drilling Technology
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Drilling technology that is used for oil, gas and other resources has been adapted for use with geothermal drilling. State-of-the-art drilling involves oil and gas drilling methods, managing geothermal environments and determining effects of high temperatures on drilling machines.
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Cost
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Geothermal drilling is one part of the geothermal energy process. Drilling is expensive because of high temperatures and hard fractured formations, which make it challenging to the drilling environment. Reducing these costs can be accomplished by faster drilling rates, increased bit life and a higher well production.
Challenges
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Geothermal environments pose problems that hinder the drilling process, and technologies have been designed to overcome them. High temperature instrumentation and seals, logging equipment for diagnostic purposes, and thermal expansion of casing are some of the methods used to overcome problems with geothermal drilling.
New Technologies
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New technologies in geothermal drilling could allow for much lower depth rates and long-lasting bits. Projectile drilling, spallation drilling, laser drilling, and chemical drilling are some new technologies that are still being developed for commercial geothermal applications.
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