Geothermal drilling company GA Drilling has announced that it has entered a technical cooperation program with Brazilian national oil company Petrobras. In cooperation with Cenpes, Petrobras’ research, development, and innovation center, the partnership aims to use a next-generation downhole drilling system to reduce well construction costs and risk in challenging drilling applications.
The partnership pairs Petrobras with GA Drilling’s technology, 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-submersible or drill ship.
“Taken together, the benefits of our drilling technologies equal better efficiency, leading to lower costs, smaller operational footprint, and, ultimately, lower risk overall,” said Igor Kocis, CEO and co-founder of GA Drilling. “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’s system enables the replacement of conventional drillpipe 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 communication to the surface that optimizes and drives the drilling process downhole at the rock face rather than at the surface.