| Title | Prospects of Geothermal Well Drilling by Melting Rocks |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vladimir S. Litvinenko |
| Year | 1995 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | rock melting, high temperature penetration, wellbore sealing |
| Abstract | Drilling of exploratory or production wells at geothermal fields is frequently accompanied by uncontrolled lost circulation as well as steam or steam and water mixture blowouts. These complications are caused by direct contact of the wellbore formed while drilling with open drainage channels in the formations drilled through from, witch fluids can easily enter into the well or flow out of it. A new method of drilling by rock melting using high temperature penetrations has the advantage that provides sealing of fractures or other loss zones in the wellbore wall simultaneous with drilling by compacting, baking and melting of the rocks drilled. |