Geothermal Firm Partners with Petrobras for Drilling Tech

Geothermal technology firm GA Drilling has entered into a technical cooperation program with Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras).

In cooperation with Petrobras’ research, development, and innovation center Cenpes, the partnership aims to “revolutionize the industry by bringing a next-generation downhole drilling system to fruition, significantly reducing well construction costs and risk in challenging drilling applications,” GA Drilling said in a news release.

GA Drilling’s technology is a downhole anchoring and drive system that will form the cornerstone of an advanced autonomous reeled drilling system. The collaboration aims to enable deep and complex offshore wells to be drilled from a light well intervention vessel rather than a more costly semi-sub or drill ship, saving 30 percent of well construction costs, according to the release.

“Taken together, the benefits of our drilling technologies equal better efficiency, leading to lower costs, [a] smaller operational footprint, and ultimately, lower risk overall,” Igor Kocis, CEO and co-founder of GA Drilling, said. “Working with Petrobras and Cenpes enables us to continue development at lightning speed, utilizing their state-of-the-art testing infrastructure and environments to advance our mission of global geothermal energy adoption.”

GA Drilling claims its novel system significantly improves drilling efficiency and enables the replacement of conventional drill pipe with reeled continuous tubing, thus minimizing pipe handling hazards, tripping times, and well control risk. The new technology includes sophisticated drilling automation and control systems and real-time wireline communications to the surface that optimize and drive the drilling process downhole at the rock face.

GA Drilling describes itself as a leader in deep geothermal drilling technology. The company’s scalable, modular solutions are able to access the clean, baseload energy source faster, at deeper depths, and more cost-effectively than ever before, even through hard rock and steel, it said.

The Leopoldo Américo Miguez de Mello Research, Development and Innovation Center (Cenpes) is a hub for imagining, creating, and building the future. Located in Rio de Janeiro, it encompasses a vast space of over 308,000 square meters and houses more than 116 laboratories and pilot plants equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as supercomputers and machine learning.

With a skilled workforce of over 1,100 employees, Cenpes conducts research to support Petrobras’ business strategies and generate value. Its focus areas span exploration and production of oil and gas, refining, gas and energy, logistics, and product development for commercialization and sustainability.

Further, Cenpes actively develops sustainable technologies for the energy market, including decarbonization efforts and renewable energy development. Through collaboration with universities, research institutions, suppliers, startups, and other operators, Cenpes fosters an innovative ecosystem and drives the creation of pioneering technologies for the global oil, gas, and energy industry.

In April, Today GA Drilling announced the first close of $15 million in financing after a series of successful tests. Investors include leading global drilling rig, services, and technology provider, Nabors, Christian Oldendorff’s new Family Office, alfa8, the previous CEO of private equity firm EQT, Thomas von Koch, newly established geothermal fund Underground Ventures, and Slovakia-based, Neulogy Ventures.

“Geothermal is the only game in town,” said Thomas von Koch, previous CEO of EQT Group, in a statement. “Its potential to shift the energy industry is clear to those in the know, but now it’s about how we can access this natural battery beneath us. GA Drilling offers the best path to true baseload power delivery because of its technology to reach depths and temperatures within an ecosystem that makes it economically viable.”

Source: www.rigzone.com