Mechanical Earth modelling helps unlock geothermal energy potential

Our subsurface engineers work in partnership with geothermal energy developers in Ghana to help extract maximum of their geothermal energy sources.

Mechanical Earth Modelling

AGR’s Reservoir Management and Subsurface team delivered a project offshore Ghana where expertise within techlog and Mechanical Earth Modelling (MEM) was required.

We delivered a full geomechanical model of subsurface characteristics enabling well design with focus on well bore stability, extended reach drilling plan, and cost control.

A geothermal well will aim for fractures or deep porous reservoirs, and the planning of these wells need to take into consideration fracture and matrix porosity as well as anomalies, fracture directions and local thermal gradient.

You can count on us to provide expertise within geomechanical modelling fracturing and faulting from logs and seismic which is essential input to planning of geothermal wells.

The key cost driver in geothermal energy projects are cost of drilling deep wells. How deep to find sufficient temperature and formation with fractures and/or porosity, are the prerequisites requiring G&G insights. By pulling resources from our multi-disciplinary engineering pool, we help clients navigate their way through the complex set of geological, technological, and commercial challenges they face in geothermal energy exploration and production.

Here are some of the challenges we have solved:

• Mapping geothermal anomalie
• Seismic interpretation/structural geology vs local stress regime
• Drilling the deep and high temperature environment
• Drilling hard and abrasive formations, based on optimized bit selection
• Directional drilling in small holesizeshole sizes
• Different production profiles/timeframes compared to oil and gas
• Risk of mechanical casing damage
• Taylor made completion methods
• Issues with scaling and corrosion from high temperature production fluids

You can trust us to bring clarity and security for decision making in the uncertain geothermal environment.