| Title | Automated Geothermal Drilling with NOVOS |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kjartan BIRGISSON, Khim CHHANTYAL, Akash PADIR, Stephen PINK |
| Year | 2020 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | geothermal drilling, automatic drilling, autonomous drilling, stuck pipe, making connections, weight-to-weight, friction tests |
| Abstract | Geothermal environments are some of the harshest conditions known in the drilling industry. High temperature, naturally fractured formations, low-pressure zones, and corrosive environments are some of the challenges the geothermal drilling industry faces. Stuck pipe is one of the most frequently stated problem within geothermal literature. Research within Oil and Gas (O&G) industry has underlined the human factor involved in getting stuck. National Oilwell Varco (NOV) has developed an Automatic Drilling System, NOVOS that with its 4 series release, is now capable of Autonomous Drilling. NOVOS operates the drilling machinery and maintains well limitations, thus transferring the driller from an operator to a supervisor of the process. This enables the driller with the ability to monitor important drilling parameters in detail and minimizes the potential for human errors. NOVOS increases the consistency and efficiency of making connections across drilling crews and drilling rigs, thus reducing the risk of getting differentially stuck or running into pack-off situations due to improper hole cleaning. NOVOS is also capable of performing standard drilling processes such as friction tests in the most consistent manner, providing the driller with accurate readings required to determine the hole cleaning efficiency. NOVOS has been successfully implemented on nearly 100 O&G installations globally and with the experience gained so far, is now ready for the harsh conditions of geothermal drilling. |