IADC Geothermal Drilling 2025 Conference & Exhibition

07.30 Conference Registration, Coffee Service, Poster Session & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by KCA Deutag

08.30 Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing: Lars Nydahl Jørgensen, Regional Director, IADC

08.40 Keynote Presentation: Angelika Zartl-Klik, Senior Vice President Low Carbon Business and Renewable Energy & Bernhard Novotny, Project Director Geothermal, OMV

09.00 Opening Presentation: Marit Brommer, Chief Executive Officer, International Geothermal Association

09.20 Geothermal Market Outlook: Shruti Raghuram, Senior Analyst, Rystad Energy

09.40 IADC’s Geothermal Well Drilling Guideline: Scott Farmer, Chairman of IADC Geothermal Committee, Well Engineering Manager, Helmerich & Payne

10.00 IEA Report: “The Future of Geothermal”: Courtney Turich, Energy Analyst, International Energy Agency

10.20 Networking Break, Poster Session & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by KCA Deutag

10:50 Panel: A Rapid Growth in Geothermal Energy: What Will It Take to Happen?
Moderator: Lars Nydahl Jørgensen, Regional Director Europe, IADC
The number of wells drilled for oil and gas is two orders of magnitude higher than the number of geothermal wells. IGA has a defined ambition of reaching 20,000 geothermal wells annually. To reach this, the investment in geothermal drilling has to increase tenfold.

How do we bridge the gap? There are various suggestions for the solution. One is technological advancements, which will be discussed in several sessions in the rest of the conference. Others range from improved public acceptance over regulatory improvements and government support to sustainable business models.

We have a number of insightful panelists to help us getting closer to an understanding of the solution space.

Panelists:

• Marit Brommer, Chief Executive Officer, International Geothermal Association
• Tim Lines, Chief Executive Officer, Geothermal Wells LLC.
• Zsófia Beck, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group
• European Geothermal Energy Council (invited)

12:00 EU Commission Perspective on Geothermal Drilling (invited)

12.15 Luncheon, Poster Session & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by Herrenknecht Vertical

13:45 Urban Drilling
Session Chair: Kevin Gray, Director, Black Reiver Consulting

Planning Drilling Operations in an Urban Area: Markus Rothschedl, Senior Project Manager Well Delivery, OMV
OMV and Wien Energie have founded a JV called deeep in order to drill its first deep geothermal wells in Vienna. Challenges are related with transportation, the rig (running from electric grid) and the wellsite design (legal requirements). Limitations are load dimensions and weights, traffic limitations, air and noise pollution and wellsite access. Legal situation in Austria for geothermal wells is different from other countries. Also drilling in an urban area is new for OMV. The JV partner will later be able to distribute the heat via its existing network.

Compact, Mobile, Modular, Automated Drilling Solutions for Urban Environment – Technical Solutions and Ways for Market Implementation: Andreas Reinicke, Lead Scientist Well Technology, TNO & Arthur de Mul, Product Manager Modular Rigs, Huisman
Geothermal drilling in urban areas faces significant challenges, including limited space, noise restrictions, and minimizing disruptions to daily life. These populated environments necessitating the development of compact, silent, electrified, and mobile rigs to enable geothermal energy solutions in cities, close to their users. We will highlight the potential and trends for geothermal heat provision in urban areas, discuss the market uptake challenges, and give an overview of novel light and super-light rig solutions with focus on developments in The Netherlands.

Geothermal Drilling Projects – Optimizing Drilling Rig Technology and Drilling Processes: Ulrich Hahne, Managing Director, Herrenknecht Vertical
Geothermal energy plays a crucial role in the global energy supply of the future, while focus in Europe is put on heat applications in particular. To realize such projects, drilling rigs must be adapted; a very flexible set-up and compact footprint, minimum rig emissions, highest safety standards and an optimized drilling process and logistics are key to deliver wells in urban areas. Herrenknecht Vertical has developed a dedicated series of new, automated hydraulic drilling rigs considering such requirements but also specifics to geothermal wells.

Questions & Answers

14.45 Well Design
Session Chair: Alexander Heger, Head of Department Well Delivery, OMV

Standardizing Geothermal Well Design, Is It Possible?: Steve Nas, Senior Drilling Engineer, WellSpec
Standardizing well designs provides opportunities to reduce project development times, high upfront capital expenditure, and risks during well construction. It can optimize production and compliance with well integrity. Implementing lessons learned from past projects is essential in this. Since 2006 some 89 wells have been drilled with 34% of the wells were sidetracked due to drilling problems. The average well construction time is 65 days, by standardizing and optimizing well design construction times could be reduced to 20 to 25 days.

Adapting Oil & Gas Expertise for High-Enthalpy Geothermal Wells: Strategies and Operational Challenges: Olimpia Dedita, Drilling Engineer, ENI SpA
This presentation will provide an overview of the conceptual model for knowledge transfer and workflow adaptation from the oil and gas sector to the geothermal industry, specifically for the construction of high-enthalpy wells (150-350°C) with focus on Drilling and Completion operations. It will highlight key findings from market research and scouting activities and will also point out on Eni’s past geothermal project experiences used as a foundation for understanding well engineering challenges.

Challenges While Cementing Highly Fractured Formations: Sam Abraham, Global Technical Advisor – Low Carbon Solutions, Halliburton

Questions & Answers

15.45 Networking Break, Poster Session & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by KCA Deutag

16.15 How Do We Address Supply Chain Capacity & Scale Issues?
Session Chair: Scott Farmer, Well Engineering Manager, Helmerich & Payne

Does the Geothermal Industry Face a Capacity Issue?: Alexander Nagelhout, Chief Executive Officer, Well Engineering Partners
Does the geothermal industry face a capacity issue? The geothermal industry faces various challenges: increasing cost and a relatively small number of projects which can hardly sustain a workforce and supply chain in the EU. Insights will be presented for some specific well construction elements to show what is required for sustainable growth and how that may affect a potential acceleration in a few years’ time. Multi-operator mini campaigns will also be presented as a potential solution.

Geothermal Drilling Standardization and 1,000 HP Rig Utilization: A Strategic and Tactical Approach to Accelerating Geothermal Drilling in Indonesia: Abilati Monikha Wulandari, Research and Development Coordinator, Jakarta Drilling Society
The Indonesian National Standard (SNI) for geothermal well drilling, officially launched in 2024, has become a crucial foundation for establishing guidelines that ensure the safety, quality, and sustainability of geothermal drilling activities. The use of 1,000 HP rigs for geothermal drilling has also been promoted as an effort to enhance cost efficiency and accelerate geothermal development in the country.

Optimizing Geothermal Well Development: Lessons from the Bleiswijk Drilling Campaign: Ivo Nijhuis, Senior Wells Advisor, GAIA Energy

Questions & Answers

17.15-18.15 Welcoming Reception, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

07.30 Conference Registration, Coffee Service, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

08.30 Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing: Lars Nydahl Jørgensen, Regional Director, IADC

08:40 Keynote Presentation: Bruce Gatherer, Business Development and Drilling Advisor, Iceland Drilling

09.00 Wellbore Placement & Ranging
Session Chair: Shane Marchand, Vice President – Marketing, Helmerich & Payne

The Industry Steering Committee for Wellbore Surveying Accuracy: Andy McGregor, General Manager, Helmerich & Payne

High Temperature Well Placement: John Clegg, President and Chief Technology Officer, Hephae Energy Technology
Unconventional geothermal systems require accurate directional well placement at increasingly higher temperatures. Directional drilling equipment developed for the oil and gas industry cannot operate above 185°C, so higher temperature capability is urgently required. Measurement while drilling and rotary steerable tools are being developed for 210°C, with plans to increase to 300°C. Bigger rig pumps, mud chillers, insulated pipe and continuous flow systems could help to cool the BHA. Taken together, these technologies provide a ready-made solution to drilling above 200°C.

Multi Station Analysis (MSA) with Active Magnetic Ranging: Enhancing Accuracy in Complex Wellbore Positioning: Prathik Prasad, Data Scientist, Eavor Technologies
As the energy industry advances in drilling technology, precise wellbore positioning becomes crucial, especially for multi-lateral well pads. Active magnetic ranging (AMR) has emerged as a vital service for accurate well placement and collision avoidance. While AMR can calculate distances between wellbores using accelerometers and magnetometer sensors in one wellbore and a magnetic field source in another, traditional single-point measurements often lack required accuracy. Multistation analysis techniques applied to AMR data aim to improve positioning accuracy and reliability.

Questions & Answers

10.00 Networking Break, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

10:30 Panel: Traditional Drilling & New Technologies
Moderator: Tony Pink, Trainer, Black Reiver Consulting, Director
This exciting panel will investigate and discuss both the conventional drilling technologies that are delivering significant jumps in performance on Geothermal projects around the world and innovative, groundbreaking technologies that could deliver high rates of penetration, at great depth and high temperatures. These innovative technologies use novel hybrid drilling methods and direct energy but are at lower levels of technology readiness.

Panelists:

• Alexis Garcia, Director, Business Development – Alternative Energies, NOV
• Vasiliy Zbaraskiy, Chief Technology Officer, ZerdaLab
• Tamas Csrefko, Business Development Manager, Energy Transition, Nabors
• Matt Houde, Co-Founder and Project Manager, Quaise Energy

12.00 Luncheon, Poster Session & Open Exhibition 

13.30 Well Control
Session Chair: Haas Malik, Drilling Engineering Consultant, Saudi Aramco

Well Control Considerations for a Global Geothermal Industry: Mohamed Amer, General Manager of Well Control Engineering, Wild Well Control
Well control failure is one of the most significant and expensive risks facing exploration and production operations.  These risks are incurred throughout the life cycle of any well, from spud to final abandonment.  It is important to recognize that the technologies and methodologies that are available to mitigate these risks, and to apply relevant options under an integrated effort of well control expertise.  This session addresses some of these options to help maximize well control safety in Geothermal Operations, including methods and technologies that have been brought into the well control industry in recent years, as well as those under development that are likely to be available in the foreseeable future.

Enhancing Geothermal Drilling through Adaptive Control of Pressure and Temperature with Managed Pressure Drilling Technologies: Julmar Shaun Toralde, Global Geothermal Segment Lead, Weatherford
The main challenge with drilling geothermal wells has always been the management of pressure and temperature. Downhole pressure and temperature management has proven historically difficult with hydrothermal resources with elevated geothermal gradients and reservoir pressures that oftentimes cannot support a full column of water. Enhanced / advanced geothermal systems have modified the challenges but there is still a need for actively managing both pressure and temperature to safely and efficiently drill geothermal wells and make geothermal projects more economic.

Geothermal Well Control Competences: Daniel Marcano, General Manager – Indonesia, Parker Wellbore
The conventional approach to managing well control events in O&G drilling may only be partially suitable for addressing the well control situations associated with Geothermal well drilling operations.  However, due to the differences in the underlying mechanism behind well-control events, current approaches may actually increase the overall operational risks. To address this issue properly, there is a critical need for a structured, industry-wide approach to Geothermal well control training and certifications.  

IADC Well Control Work Group: Toney Deer, Director of Training, Well Control School

Questions & Answers

14.45 Networking Break, Open Exhibition & Poster Session

15.15 Panel: People Versus Robots
Moderator: Alex Vetsak, Drilling Technology Manager, Eavor
The debate between humans and robots in drilling revolves around balancing efficiency, safety, and ethical considerations. Robots excel in hazardous environments, offering precision, continuous operation, and long-term cost savings. However, their high initial costs and potential for job displacement pose challenges. Conversely, humans bring adaptability, nuanced decision-making, and employment opportunities, but face safety risks, higher operational costs, and fatigue-related errors. Is there a balanced approach combining robotic precision with human oversight? With shrinking human resource in drilling, can we create a collaborative future where humans and robots complement each other.

16.15 Adjournment

09.00-12.00 OMV Hydros Project Visits
DON’T MISS: Visit to the Hydros drilling site and onsite visitor center in Vienna to see and learn more about the first Geothermal Project of OMV, aiming to decarbonize the city of Vienna through deep geothermal heat. We will stay in the visitor center with a great view on the drilling site. All the project information will be shown there. Transportation will be arranged from the hotel to the drilling site.
If you wish to participate, registration will become available shortly.

13.00-16.00 Geothermal Program Committee meeting (IADC Members only)

Poster Session & Unassigned Papers of Note:
The following paper proposals are presented as posters and will be included in the conference during the breaks. If a scheduled paper becomes unavailable, then the posters will be included in the conference as a paper. In addition, these presentations will be made available in the IADC conference proceedings, should the author so desire.

Utilize Horizontal Shale Well Technology for Deep Geothermal Wells: Kim Gunn Maver, Chief Geologist, Green Therma
A new solution for a horizontal closed loop geothermal well construction can enable a more efficient and sustainable harvesting of energy. The circulating fluid in the co-axial system will be returned to the surface in a patent pending continuous vacuum pipe nearly eliminating any heat loss and with the horizontal section efficiently harvesting the heat from the subsurface. The heat has direct applications in district heating, district cooling, heat storage and various industrial processes and is at the same time nearly CO2 emission free.

Geothermal Challenge: Chuck Wright, Corporate R&D Manager, NOV

Tailored Loss Circulation Cement Spacer to Mitigate Losses in Malih and Abu Tabul Fields of Oman: Alamjad Al Ghafri, Cement Engineer, Halliburton

Using TLP Technology to Cut Geothermal Well Construction Costs: Kevin Gray, Director, Black Reiver Consulting