18 JUNE 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Lifewater Drilling Technology jOne-Man Operation jLightweight, Towable j21hp Honda Motor for Power jHydraulic Controls jDrills Through Rock jNo Air Compressor or Mud Pit jDrill Depth 450 Feet 540-869-1150 lifewaterdrillingtechnology.com Utah FORGE Initiative Forges Ahead Compiled by Carol C. Schimpf, Editorial Assistant WorldWide Drilling Resource® The U.S. Department of Energy is building a field laboratory to develop the technologies needed to make commercial EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) a reality. The project, known as FORGE (Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy), is located near Milford, Beaver County, Utah. UUSS (University of Utah Seismograph Stations) is responsible for monitoring background seismicity and potential seismicity related to operations. Currently, a five-station seismic network has been installed in close proximity to the site capable of reliably detecting and locating earthquakes down to magnitude zero. Borehole seismometers will be added as the facility develops. WWDR has previously covered the project in the January 2021 art icle Drilling Begins on First Highly Deviated Deep Well for EGS. Joseph Moore, Ph.D. and principal investigator of Utah FORGE said, “We are incredibly pleased with the success of the well. It was drilled under complicated conditions and will serve as a prototype for similar wells around the world.” During the next several months, the team will analyze the results of the geophysical and image logs, and simulate growth of the fractured reservoir using the data from the recent drilling program. They will also begin planning for a stimulation test at the toe of the deviated well in the latter half of 2021. Prior to the stimulation test, two additional vertical wells were drilled. The first extended to 9000 feet for seismic monitoring, containing a 7500- foot-long Distributed Acoustic Seismic (DAS) cable. The second vertical well is used for technology testing and seismic monitoring. These wells will allow improved detection and resolution of the seismic activity resulting from the stimulation. The fourth and deepest of a cluster of vertical seismic monitoring wells located near the toe of 16A(78)-32 was completed in February. It was drilled vertically to a total depth of approximately 9000 feet, about 1300 feet north of the first deviated well. The well was fully cased (5½ inch) and will be used for deployment of seismic sensors during stimulation experiments in late 2021. A Silixa DAS fiber-optic cable 7500 feet long was cemented along the outside of the casing. During the drilling of this fourth well, MSE (Mechanical Specific Energy) calculations and PDC bits were used to optimize penetration rates. Below 7500 feet in depth, mud hammer bits were trialed and evaluated for drilling performance. Scientific and environmental monitoring are an integral part leading up to near-term goals for the Utah FORGE project: perfecting drilling, stimulation, injectionproduction, and subsurface imaging technologies required to establish and sustain continuous fluid flow and energy transfer from an EGS reservoir. Photo courtesy of Utah FORGE. ENV
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