Hephae Energy Technology (Hephae) has announced the successful operations of its Pandora210® Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) system at a circulating temperature of 210 ºC as part of the drilling of a next-generation geothermal well.
The field deployment milestone represents significant progress for the development of Pandora210 tool, which ThinkGeoEnergy has followed for a few years. MWD systems are critical in the precise placement of geothermal wells at great depths in the subsurface. As the geothermal industry pushes deeper into superhot rocks, MWD technology that can withstand higher temperatures offer higher reliability in extreme conditions.
The company had also recently announced the closing of a Series A funding round, raising USD 17.8 in new investment.
Designed specifically for the extreme downhole conditions of superhot geothermal, Hephae’s proprietary Pandora210® technology is engineered to protect critical electronics and sensors from both accelerated degradation at high temperatures and the excessive shock and vibration associated with drilling the hard crystalline rock targeted by many superhot rock projects. By providing reliable directional measurements and drilling data in these demanding environments, Pandora210® helps reduce tool failures that can result in trips out of hole, temperature staging, and costly drilling delays.
“Superhot rock changes the economics of geothermal, but only if we have the drilling technology capable of reliably reaching it,” said Steve Krase, CEO of Hephae Energy Technology. “This milestone demonstrates what is possible when drilling innovation, operational execution, and high temperature technology come together to drive down costs.”
“Chillers, low heat coefficient coatings, insulated pipe and diverter subs are all expensive rental items,” said Tony Pink of Pink Granite Consulting. “Geothermal operators want to build the most cost-effective high temperature drilling system, and running high temperature tools can reduce costs in operational time and across the overall drilling system.”
John Clegg, CTO of Hephae Energy Technology added that “drilling at higher temperatures can unlock greater energy production per well, reducing drilling costs per megawatt and ultimately lowering the levelized cost of electricity. Reaching superhot rock resources will depend on drilling technologies capable of performing reliably in these extreme shock, vibration, and high temperature environments.”
