The Future of GeoThermal Energy November 5, 2009

Opportunities for geothermal power as a larger contributor to future global energy production require substantial increases in drilling and drilling rig technical innovation, reduced start-up costs for drilling companies, public education about geothermal energy and the roles drilling rigs play within this energy sector, and a level economic and regulatory playing field with other competing energy sources.

North American output alone could increase through use of current drilling technology alone with the help of joint government-industry programs. This is partially due to most easily-accessible geothermal systems (hot springs, surface geysers, etc.) are already known and have already been substantially developed. Substantial increases in geothermal energy production, however, require new exploration processes and improved drilling/exploration technology in order to reach those geothermal systems that are either difficult to reach, currently undiscovered, or both.

Advancements in such exploratory issues are hampered by the significant economic risks required to invest in geothermal drilling and drill rig technology. It is hoped that new growth in the capacity to generate geothermal energy will happen by virtue of drilling for new water-dominated geothermal fields in the very near future. Investors and experts in drill rig technology are counting on new core hole evaluation technologies providing the technological boost needed to reduce these high risks. Unfortunately, core hole evaluation technologies will not suffice without the assistance of new equipment and methodologies needed to conduct reservoir evaluation and testing during core drilling.

Another source often overlooked by the public and lawmakers is the Earth’s magma. While steam and hot water reservoirs are cheap, easily accessible, and familiar, they only comprise a small portion of the Earth’s total geothermal energy supply. The Earth’s magma can provide cheap, clean, and a virtually infinite amount of energy once drill rigs and other related drilling technology is capable of accessing it. There are new drilling methods currently under development that promise to tap into these deeper resources in order to provide low-cost, renewable electricity worldwide. This technology will become feasible once it is capable of drilling enough boreholes from 4 to 10 miles deep at a reasonable cost. One hope of increasing economic feasibility is through the use of by-products created during the geothermal drilling process. Products such as zinc and silica can be recovered from geothermal brine, while distilled water is also created as a result of geothermal energy production. There is also some possibility of combining geothermal drilling activities with pollution control exercises.

 

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