Novel Productivity Enhancement Concept for a Sustainable Utilization of a Geothermal Resource – the SURE Project

Abstract

Within the EC funded Horizon 2020 project SURE (Novel Productivity Enhancement Concept for a Sustainable Utilization of a Geothermal Resource) the radial water jet drilling (RJD) technology will be investigated and tested as a method to increase performance of insufficiently performing geothermal wells. Radial water jet drilling uses the power of a focused jet of fluids, applied to a rock through a coil inserted in an existing well. This technology is likely to provide much better control of the enhanced flow paths around a geothermal well and do not involve the amount of fluid as conventional hydraulic fracturing, reducing the risk of induced seismicity considerably. RJD shall be applied to access and connect high permeable zones within geothermal reservoirs to the main well with a higher degree of control compared to conventional stimulation technologies. We investigated the technology over various spatial and temporal scales ranging from short term laboratory experiments to field scale applications. Here we summarize the results of the project. Acknowledgement: The SURE project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654662. The content of this presentation reflects only the authors’ view. The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.