GeoVolve Hammer, powered by HydroVolve’s Infinity engine, uses percussive impulse energy to fracture the rock ahead of the drill bit, enabling deep drilling into hot, hard rock easier and faster. Operated by the flow of pressurised drilling fluid, GeoVolve Hammer is an all-metal construction allowing it to operate in hazardous environments at extreme temperatures for extended periods.
Currently, the cost of geothermal drilling can account for up to 50 percent of total well project costs, with the majority of spend due to time spent drilling through difficult rock formations. Drilling through hard rock using conventional rotary methods causes drill bits to wear, dull or break down rapidly after short drilled depths. This results in the need to regularly recover the failed drill bit to surface for replacement, adding significant project time and costs.
GeoVolve Hammer is a plug-and-play system featuring an integrated system design approach aimed at achieving compatability with any bottom hole assembly (BHA). It uses a percussive drilling technique to speed up the drilling rate of penetration (ROP) in hard rock and it has been designed to be fully configurable, avoiding interference with measurement while drilling (MWD) or steerable systems. The aim is to enable deployment without compromising the performance of the other downhole systems. This percussive drilling method has also been designed to be less damaging to the drill bit, enabling the bit to drill deeper for longer, further reducing equipment-related costs and boosting time efficiencies. With geothermal drilling rig spread rates often exceeding £100,000 per day, GeoVolve Hammer has been designed to create significant cost savings for the geothermal sector by decreasing project time by weeks or in some cases, months.
The system is full-bore, does not induce pressure loss in the BHA and provides real time feedback on drilling performance.
“With GeoVolve Hammer, we’re transforming geothermal economics using oil and gas technology innovation and expertise” said Dr Peter B Moyes, HydroVolve Founder. “Where previous percussive drilling tools have lacked consistency and reliability, GeoVolve Hammer has the capability to overcome all previously met challenges by providing resilience, longevity, and thermal capability. Delivering technology which accelerates global access to affordable and sustainable geothermal energy has long since been a dream for us, and we’re excited to seize this opportunity to help the energy sector dramatically shift the cost of geothermal. Working closely with ZerdaLab to perfect the GeoVolve Hammer, we’re proud to provide a solution to unlock the full potential of geothermal energy and assist the global energy transition.”
Vasiliy Zbaraskiy, Zerda Lab Chief Technology Officer, added that delivering adequate energy to the bit is critical to enabling stable and efficient drilling performance, and to prolonging the bit’s life and that this is especially important in drilling hard rock applications, such as geothermal.
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