Impact of common problems in geothermal drilling and completion

Problems that arise in geothermal drilling and completion account for a significant portion of geothermal well costs. In order to evaluate new technologies for combatting these problems, the relative frequencies and severities of different problems have been estimated. The estimates were based on both subjective judgements and analysis of available drilling records. The most common problems include lost circulation, stuck pipe and cementing, and their impact is to increase well cost by an average of at least 15%.