Drilling deep in a 6⅛-in hole to achieve production targets for district heating and geothermal power generation

A customer was able to drill the deepest well in Germany (at the time), drop one casing size, and finish drilling at 6⅛-in diameter. This saved EUR 30 million for a district heating and geothermal power project in the Molasse Basin while still achieving its production targets by laterally extending the well over a longer distance in the reservoir.

A municipality in Germany needed to drill a new doublet for both district heating and power generation in the Molasse Basin. The targeted reservoir was the Malm, which was successfully producing heat farther north. However, in the Molasse Basin, the Malm layer is much deeper at the drill site at about 6,000 m with a high-pressure zone above it. This obstacle led the municipality to question whether it could tap this reservoir while staying on budget despite the challenges.

Understanding the unique challenges of both the depth of the well and the high-pressure zone, the operator opted to employ additional technologies to ensure drilling efficiency. As such, near-bit gamma measurements were taken to enable early detection and optimized casing settings, and an RSS powered by a downhole motor was used to increase the downhole rate of penetration (ROP) and minimize fatigue on existing casing strings. In addition, a multicycle downhole circulating sub was used to avoid trips and improve well control without damaging the downhole equipment.

Using these technologies enabled the operator to laterally extend the well over a longer distance in the reservoir—saving EUR 30 million while achieving production objectives. 

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