Geothermal wells are a new market for Churchill Drilling Tools
Churchill Drilling Tools, an oilfield service company specializing in downhole tools, is expanding into a new market. The company's flagship The flagship DAV MX™ CircSub was selected for the world's deepest and hottest geothermal borehole in the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) on the Reykjanes Peninsula, west of Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital. Churchill has offices in Houston, Aberdeen, and Dubai and is known for drilling innovation.
The IDDP well is earmarked to become an integral part of Iceland's geothermal energy production - providing clean, renewable energy by using supercritical steam heated by the earth's magma.
Drilling took 176 days and involved the deepening of an existing geothermal borehole to a depth of 5 kilometers (about 16,400 feet). The IDDP team encountered temperatures of 427°C at a depth of 4,659 meters (15,280 feet) - simultaneously creating the deepest and hottest ever geothermal borehole and encountering supercritical conditions at a shallower depth than anticipated.
Samples were taken to the surface to ascertain fluid chemistry and the drill presented an unprecedented look into the depths of the earth's crust.
The DAV MX™ CircSub was selected on the recommendation of a major operator and partner in the IDDP product due to its robust temperature resistance and experience in HPHT conventional wells. The tool, which has been run successfully in more than 900 wells, offered a contingency for the IDDP team against pack-off related circulation loss in which the bottom hole assembly (BHA) components would be literally cooked if circulation was lost, said a company spokesperson.
Geothermal wells are a new area for Churchill and a market in which the company is looking to expand.
Mike Churchill, CEO and commercial director said: "Churchill was delighted to secure two world firsts on this well. The IDDP well is both the deepest and hottest geothermal well on record and it is a reflection on the DAV MX™ that it was selected to be run in this string. The tool has a significant case history in HPHT wells and can withstand a good deal of punishment - both of which suited the client in this unconventional case."
Churchill Drilling Tools is a specialist engineering company that provides innovative drilling solutions for the oil and gas industry. From founder Andy Churchill's original designs in 1998, the company has become known for the supply of a wide range of simple, reliable, and effective rental products.
