Drilling Fluids and Lost Circulation in Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Wells at Fenton Hill
- Key words
- Drilling; Hot Dry Rock; USA; New Mexico; Fenton Hill; Potential; ERDA; DOE; Precambrian; Casing; Mud; Lost Circulation Zones; LCC; Drill Pipe; Directional Drilling; Stratigraphy; Abrasion; Corrosion; LANL
- Location
- Fenton Hill, New Mexico; Valles Caldera, New Mexico
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 1981
- Session
- Drilling fluids; Lost circulation; HDR/EGS; Statigraphy; Dri
- Language
- English
Abstract
Geothermal hot dry rock drilling at Fenton Hill in Northern New Mexico encountered problems of catastrophic lost circulation in cavernous areas of the Sandia Limestones, severe corrosion due to temperatures of up to 320°C, and torque problems caused by 35° hole angel and the abrasiveness of Precambrian rock. The use of polymeric flocculated bentonite fluid, clear water, fibrous material, dry drilling, oxygen scavengers, a biodegradable lubricant mixture of modified triglycerides and alcohol, and maintenance of a high pH, were some of the approaches taken towards solving these problems.
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