A. Bakgrund
In Sweden, boreholes are fundamental for geothermal energy systems. While engineers design boreholes to be straight, deviations frequently occur due to the discontinuous and anisotropic nature of rock materials. These deviations introduce risks, including:
- Uncertainty on performance due to unexpected spacing or interactions between boreholes.
- Legal disputes from crossing property boundaries.
- Increased costs and delays due to intersecting boreholes or unanticipated geological conditions.
Furthermore, the lack of accessible, high-quality drilling data hinders the development of advanced borehole field designs and physical models. Minimal operational data is already collected in the drilling reports, but richer datasets—such as depth vs. time during drilling, torque, and penetration rates—could vastly improve understanding of borehole behavior and enable better predictive models.
Despite its potential, systematic approaches to integrating this data into modeling and decision-making remain underdeveloped. This project aims to leverage such data to improve borehole trajectory prediction and provide practical tools for the Swedish geothermal energy industry.
B. Syfte
The project’s purpose is to deliver sustainable, digital, and practical solutions for managing borehole deviations in Swedish geothermal energy systems by encouraging and utilizing richer operational data from drillers. Specifically, it aims to:
1. Assess the feasibility of collecting richer operational data (e.g., depth vs. time) during drilling.
2. Develop a physics-based predictive model that incorporates geological and operational data.
3. Create a web-based decision-support tool to visualize borehole paths, assess collision risks, and quantify uncertainty.
4. Provide actionable recommendations for both drillers and designers, including guidelines for data collection and modeling.
By fostering collaboration between drillers and system designers, this project seeks to: - Improve planning and productivity by integrating richer datasets into predictive tools. - Enable more advanced borehole field designs with greater confidence in performance predictions.
C. Genomförande
Activities, Tid, och Resurser
- Task 1: Feasibility Study for Richer Data Collection (Months 1–2)
- Collaborate with drilling companies to assess current data collection practices and the feasibility of gathering additional operational data (e.g., depth vs. time, torque, penetration rates).
- Identify challenges (e.g., equipment compatibility, costs) and propose practical solutions.
Deliverables: Report summarizing feasibility, challenges, and proposed solutions for richer data collection.
- Collaborate with drilling companies to assess current data collection practices and the feasibility of gathering additional operational data (e.g., depth vs. time, torque, penetration rates).
- Task 2: Data Collection and Field Surveys (Months 1–3)
- Collect borehole deviation surveys at KTH Live-in Lab (LiL).
- Collaborate with a HP Borringar to collect operational data from ongoing/past projects, including richer datasets where feasible. The goal is to get digitalized data.
- Integrate geological insights and operational data into a unified dataset.
Deliverables: Comprehensive dataset including borehole deviations, geological parameters, and operational data.
- Collect borehole deviation surveys at KTH Live-in Lab (LiL).
- Task 3: Physics-based Predictive Model Development (Months 2–4)
- Build a physics-based model integrating geological data, operational parameters, and richer drilling datasets.
- Use deviation surveys to train/fit the model.
- Use depth vs. time data to improve understanding of drilling dynamics and deviations.
- Validate the site specific-model with more data from the same geology.
Deliverables: Validated predictive model incorporating operational and geological insights.
- Task 4: Web Tool Prototype Development (Months 4–6)
- Design a web-based tool for practitioners to:
- Visualize borehole paths and assess deviations.
- Evaluate collision risks and uncertainties.
- Upload and integrate drilling data for on-site modeling and decision support. Deliverables: Functional prototype of the tool, tested with real-world data.
- Design a web-based tool for practitioners to:
- Task 5: Dissemination and Recommendations (Months 5–6)
- Host a workshop to present findings, the web tool, and practical recommendations for data collection and modeling.
- Write a final report, including a guideline for drillers on how to collect richer operational data and its benefits for modeling.
Deliverables: Workshop, final report, and guidelines/checklists for data collection and trajectory management.
- Host a workshop to present findings, the web tool, and practical recommendations for data collection and modeling.
D. Tidplan
| Task | Duration | Key Milestones |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1: Feasibility Study | Months 1–2 | Report on richer data collection. |
| Task 2: Data Collection and Surveys | Months 1–3 | Dataset of deviations and drilling data. |
| Task 3: Model Development | Months 2–4 | Validated predictive model. |
| Task 4: Web Tool Development | Months 4–6 | Prototype tool delivered. |
| Task 5: Dissemination | Months 5–6 | Workshop and final report completed. |
E. Organisation
The project will involve collaboration between:
- KTH Live-in Lab: Responsible for data collection. - Bengt Dahlgren Geo AB: Model development, designing and implementing the prototype tool.
- HP Borringar: Providing operational data, validating feasibility, and giving field based feedback on all steps.
- Steering Group: Industry representatives guiding relevance and usability.
F. Slutrapportering
The final report will include:
1. Key findings on the feasibility of richer data collection and its impact on predictive modeling.
2. A validated model and tool for borehole trajectory management.
3. Practical recommendations for drillers and designers, including:
- A checklist for collecting richer operational data.
- A guide for integrating this data into design and modeling workflows.
G. Kostnader
| Cost Item | Example amount (SEK) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel (Researchers) | 320,000 | Data collection, modeling, and analysis. |
| Equipment | 50,000 | Survey tools and software licenses. |
| Web Development | 100,000 | Prototype tool development. |
| Workshops and Dissemination | 50,000 | Industry presentations and final report. |
| Travel | 30,000 | Site visits and collaboration meetings. |
| Total | 550,000 |