PARTNERS
Vulcan Energy Engineering GmbH
The Augsburg-based engineering company Vulcan Energy Engineering GmbH, founded in 2007 as gec-co Global Engineering & Consulting Company GmbH and member of the Vulcan Group, develops economically optimal concepts for electricity and heating systems in the field of deep geothermal energy from extensive geological and hydrological figures and data. More than 44 experienced employees from numerous disciplines from mechanical engineering to energy, environmental and process engineering conduct the entire approval, construction and operating phase from the first soil exploration to taking over the operational management.
The team members work worldwide as project managers for drilling, research and power plant projects, and as consultants and design engineer.
DRILLTEC GUT GMBH
Based on experience of the execution of deep geothermal wells and the implementation of innovative technologies DrillTec has become a well-known partner of the E&P, Geothermal and other drilling related industry. DrillTec’s range of services includes:
Drilling of wells for hydrocarbons, geothermal and gas storage wells
Coordination and additional drilling services: e.g. pipe installation, casing drilling and supply of BHA components
Complex workover and abandonment services
Engineering services: planning, studies, local authorities procedures, personnel recruiting, drilling documentation including entire project management (EPC)
The operated drilling rigs are compact and modularly assembled and designed for high mobility and optimal transport. They are equipped with modern drilling software, enable a minimal visual interference because of low height, can be driven by generators as well as by power supply from grid and are suitable for cluster projects and geothermal wells because of their innovative skidding systems. Their high level of automation and safety standard (SIL) and their field proven pipe-handling systems are essential parts of the rigs. Our rigs are manufactured in-house and enable a flexible reaction on market requirements including innovative solutions for new technical developments.
Technology
Our drilling rigs are compact and modularly assembled and designed for high mobility and optimal transport. They are equipped with modern drilling software, enable a minimal visual interference because of low height, can be driven by generators as well as by power supply and are suitable for cluster projects and geothermal wells because of their innovative skidding systems.
Reference Projects
Geothermal drilling, Denmark
Geothermal well with TB 2100S Explorer in Thisted,
Denmark
Coordination of additional services and use of GFK piping.
Depth: about 1,300 m
Our rigs are also suitable for special applications like e.g. casing drilling, coiled tubing works or dual completion.
Geothermal drilling, The Netherlands
Geothermal wells (triblet)
Hoogeweg Aardwarmte B.V.
in Luttelgeest, The Netherlands
Depth: up to 2,300 m
DYNAFLOW RESEARCH GROUP
Dynaflow Research Group (DRG) offers high quality engineering services ranging from the typical to the most complex and critical technical issues in the field of mechanics and flow. Since the earliest developments in pressurized fiberglass reinforced piping (FRP) took place in the middle east around the 1980’s, DRG has had a strong presence in the design, analysis and third- party review of FRP systems. DRG is consulted by a multitude of parties among which are pipe manufacturers, EPC contractors as well as operators. DRG is a leading technical member of the ISO 14692 committee since its installment and participates in other committees such as the DNV committee for certification of fiberglass craftsmanship and the ISO TC6 WG5 committee
that is working to produce a standard that regards above ground non-tensile resistant FRP piping.
DRG also provides engineering services in the area of engineering design (cooling water- and firewater piping systems, pressure vessel design, boilers, tanks), failure analysis, due diligence studies, component design and manufacturing support.
Sand Screen applications for water wells
For a large potable water project in North Africa, Fiber Reinforced Plastic composites have been applied for the well casings and sand screens. Water wells drilled in the mountains transport fresh water over a long distance to urban areas. The FRP was used as an alternative for conventional carbon steel materials that are inherently prone to corrosion. DRG carried out design reviews of potential sand screen options for this project
Experts in (downhole) flow analysis
DRG has a thorough understanding of the physics behind the fluid flow phenomena and much experience with pipeline engineering. By combining its expertise in fluid flow behavior, dynamic oscillations, FEA and CFD analysis, DRG solves the most technically challenging problems for its clients.
Studies using fluid flow modelling including Computer Fluid Dynamics has been used in a number of well technology optimization projects. Examples are: A study to predict displacement efficiency of a fluid displacement method used to seal wells; and a force prediction - and optimization study of a novel directional drilling tool.
Piping for CO2 storage
For an underground CO2 storage in the Netherlands DRG carried out the engineering/design of the FRP piping system. CO2 is highly corrosive and FRP is an excellent alternative for steel options.
Geothermal well project in the Netherlands
Also for above ground piping, FRP is often used as a corrosion resistant alternative for conventional steel piping. For a geothermal well project in the Netherlands, DRG carried out the design of the above ground FRP piping to transport the (corrosive) water of the production well to the heat exchangers.
Training and Education
DRG offers an extensive (online) training program that comprise static and dynamic stress analysis of (fiberglass) piping, pressure vessel design, fluid flow and programming languages.
CLAUSTHAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (TUC)
The Institute of Subsurface Energy Systems (ITE) at Clausthal University of Technology, Germany, was founded in 1943. Its Drilling and Production department has its focus on drilling technology, well integrity and production optimization. The institute has intensified its research and development efforts in the area of geothermal energy in the past decade. A number of projects are conducted addressing essential challenges in drilling geothermal wells as well as during the production phase aiming to reduce investment and operating cost for geothermal energy.
ITE disposes of several laboratories covering all major research fields in subsurface energy systems. One of the department’s most distinguished and unique facilities is the certified OCTG (oil country tubular goods) testing center, in which full scale pipes are exposed to all relevant types of loads according to API and ISO standards, resembling real operating conditions. Simultaneously, the outstanding expertise and technical equipment allows for fundamental research and development of new pipe materials, connections and full scale equipment. In regard to the current project, new testing techniques and procedures will be developed oriented towards glass fiber reinforced epoxy casing strings.
FUTURE PIPE INDUSTRIES
Established in 1984 in Dubai, U.A.E., Future Pipe Industries has built a trusted reputation for delivering engineering excellence, and a commitment to creating value for our customers. Today our operations are worldwide with manufacturing facilities and sales offices throughout the Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America and Asia. Advanced manufacturing, testing and process control systems drive 53 production lines spread over 681,000 m2. We serve more than 400 customers and have installed over 190,000 kilometres of pipe worldwide.
NRG
The production of medical isotopes is the primary activity of the reactor in Petten, exploited by NRG. NRG is the global market leader in the supply of medical isotopes and also focuses on the development of new uses of medical isotopes for the purpose of treating life-threatening diseases. To this end, NRG collaborates with UMCs and pharmaceutical companies. NRG is an internationally active nuclear service provider; the organization performs nuclear technological research, provides consultation in the field of safety and reliability of nuclear installations and provides services in the field of radiation protection. It does research for governments in order to further develop nuclear technology knowhow. NRG exploits the High Flux Reactor, that is the property of the European Union. Its nearly 700 employees dispose of high-quality knowhow and innovative qualities. The organization works by order of and together with health care partners, the energy sector, the industry, governments and science.
EARTHA
Eartha is a one-person firm providing technical consultancy services for the development of geothermal energy projects worldwide focusing on:
• Reservoir engineering
• Well test engineering
• Project Coordinator
• Technical Due Diligence / Feasibility Studies
Eartha develops DRGmic reservoir simulations for green fields to evaluate the well operating parameters, the response of the reservoir to various exploitation strategies, and resource design criteria for sizing the power plant capacity and its design point for inlet pressure, mass and temperature. And as well for mature (more than 10 year production history), large (wellfield of more than 100 wells) and complex geothermal projects (interference of geothermal neighbours) with the objective to evaluate and to forecast the response of the reservoir to production and injection of the geothermal fluids, to plan make-up wells, and mitigate reservoir performance decline caused by lack of pressure support and/or cooling.
Eartha also excels in coordination of geoscience and design engineering teams for the integration of resource assessment and development, and design criteria for gathering and injection system and power plant. Scope of services include assessment of the technical constraints provided by the geochemical characteristics of the geothermal reservoir fluid and gasses and its impact on well operating conditions, material compatibility, technical and chemical mitigation strategies to prevent or inhibit scale and corrosion reactions respectively. In addition, Eartha is competent in providing in-depth technical advisory to geothermal investors about the presented project and the available resource data room, and the technical implications of projected financial models of a future geothermal project.
Services Industriels de Genève (SIG)
Services Industriels de Genève (SIG) is a public service company dedicated to serving the community of Geneva. SIG offers services in the fields of electricity, gas, water, heating and telecommunications. It occupies around 1700 employees, working in more than 100 different roles with a broad range of responsibilities including technical, commercial, industrial, administrative and managerial positions. It is an autonomous publicly-owned company with a share capital of 100 million CHF. This capital is divided between the State of Geneva (55%), The City of Geneva (30%) and the Geneva communes (15%). The company’s financial health is solely sustained by its sales and does not rely on public subsidies. The goal is long-term profitability that enables us to be future-thinking and to react to changes and trends in the energy market. SIG is the main partner of the Geothermie 2020 program which aims at developing the use of geothermal energy in the Geneva Canton. Until now, SIG has funded several studies aiming at understanding the geothermal conditions in the subsurface in order to better identify and locate potential geothermal targets to cover the increasing energy demand in the Canton in terms of heat and electricity.
Amongst the potential geothermal reservoirs, the Malm and Dogger aquifers are very promising. A step by step exploration program has been set up to drill through these horizons and analyse their geological and hydrogeological features as well as the chemical composition of their waters. While the Malm waters are known to have a low mineralisation, the Dogger reservoir is assumed to bear hydrothermal fluids with high mineralisations leading to the risk of corrosion and scaling effects during the future exploitation phase. Therefore, SIG is highly interested in new well design technologies intended to improve the life cycle of a well by protecting its architecture against corrosion and scaling.
As a cooperation partner, SIG will provide a newly drilled well in the Geneva Canton to serve as a testing site for the future glass fiber reinforced epoxy casing system developed by the other partners.