Directional Drilling

Directional drilling, rather than vertical drilling, into geotermal reservoirs is

commonly practised today. Its purpose is to reduce scenery spoliation.
Moreover, directional drilling reduces the demand for building of roads and
drillpads, which is particularly advantageous in reas of rugged topography. In
such settings, roads unavoidably incise steep slopes, which may lead to severe
soil erosion by torrential rain. Several Wells may be drilled from the same pad.
In comparison with vertical drillings, directional drillings allow more flexibility in
siting of Wells.
Directional Wells are initially drilled vertically and deviated subsequent to
cementation of the production casing. The Depth of this casing may be 1000
m , even more, depending on targeted well depth, lithology, and the depth
level of permeable horizons. Drilling of many Wells form the same pad may not
be successful if most of the producing aquifers occur not far below the bottom
of the production casing, in which case the Wells interfere with each other.
Directional drilling is some 20% more expensive than vertical drilling of a well
of the same length. However, the extra cost of drilling directionally may be
saved on a shorter steam gathrering system, shorter roads, and fewer
drillpads. The steam gathering system becomess shorter if many wells are
drilled directionally from the same drillpad, as compared to more scattered
wellheads in a production field with vertical wells only. Directional drilling is
also advantageous for side-tracking dry (unproductive) wells, or poor producers
to improve their performance. The drilling of the first -1000 m and the
cementing of Surface, anchor-, and production-casing accounts for as much as
70% of the total cost of a typical geotermal well drilled to 2000-2500m total
depth (length).