IADC publishes guidelines on well control for geothermal drilling and well servicing operations
Drilling rig at Seltjarnarnes, Iceland (source: ThinkGeoEnergy, creative commons)
Carlo Cariaga
1 Jun 2026
The IADC has published guidelines for well control in geothermal wells, providing important industry-wide standards that impact productivity and safety.
The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Geothermal Committee has published a new document on well control guidelines for geothermal wells, particularly as applied to drilling and workover / well servicing operations. This is a critical step in defining and implementing consistent, industry-wide standards in a field that has important implications in drilling performance, well productivity, and project safety.
Click here to access the full document, “IADC Geothermal Well Control Guidelines.”
The document builds upon the measures specified in the 2025 IADC Geothermal Well Classification document, published in early 2025. The IADC Geothermal Well Control Guidelines establish a comprehensive framework for managing well control risks across the entire lifecycle of geothermal wells, from drilling and completion to intervention and permanent abandonment.
The document emphasizes identifying hazards based on well classification, pressure regime, fluid phase, and environmental setting, ensuring that well control measures are tailored to project-specific risks. It also addresses geothermal-specific hazards such as steam blowouts, hydrogen sulfide exposure, thermal effects on equipment, and geopressured formations.
Standardization in practices remains one of the gaps in the geothermal industry, hindering knowledge and skills exchange across different projects and sites. The IADC Geothermal Committee is working to establish such standards, at least in the fields of geothermal well classification, design, and drilling.
Source: IADC
