| Abstract |
This paper investigates the impact of any learning curve effect on the drilling of geothermal wells. This investigation is primarily statistical in nature and based on disparate blocks of technical data from a major portion of some 4,000 geothermal wells drilled worldwide to date. No obvious learning curve effect on the drilling success rate (that is the number of successful wells as a percentage of the total number of wells drilled) could be detected in most fields. However, in many fields there appears to be a beneficial learning curve effect on the drilling rate (that is, meters drilled per hour), average well capacity, and consequently, the economics of drilling. In general, the learning curve effect on drilling success, if any, is masked by the statistical effect of a small sample size because the number of wells drilled in most geothermal fields is statically insignificant. In the fields where a statistically significant number of wells exist, the drilling rate, and typically the average MW capacity per well also, seem to increase as more wells are drilled, eventually reaching a plateau in drilling rate. The beneficial economic impact of such learning curve effects on the drilling of geothermal wells is analyzed. |