Talk title: Mission Possible:
High Temperature Sensors and Electronics for Geothermal Drilling and Measurement
Presenter: John Clegg from Hephae Energy Technology
Time: Wednesday, Apr 08, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. A light lunch will be served after the talk.
Location: Schlumberger Doll Research, One Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Abstract: It's not impossible to make the sensors and electronics required for accurate directional drilling work above 200°C. It's difficult for sure, but it has been shown to be very possible and this presentation will explain how it can be done. This topic has become important because a new generation of geothermal wells require very accurate well placement and directional drilling. The economics of higher reservoir temperatures are compelling, and operators will want to drill deeper and hotter wells. Oil and gas technologies are directly transferable to geothermal and can result in the same reduction in drilling costs as seen in the unconventional shale boom in the United States over the last 15 years. Unfortunately, oil and gas technology is generally limited to a temperature capability of about 175°C. This is unlikely to be enough to satisfy the demand of geothermal operators for higher temperatures and is also not enough to make any significant impact on the accurate drilling of hydrothermal wells. This presentation will show how the unconventional geothermal industry is likely to grow over the coming decades and will make a compelling case for drilling deeper and hotter wells. It will describe how the industry has explored the potential for high temperature drilling equipment and what lessons have been learned. It will show some realistic options that the industry has for making reliable electronics and sensors in the deeper, hotter wells of the future a reality.
Biography: Over 38 years John Clegg has worked in engineering and operations roles with upstream technologies including drill bits, drilling motors, rotary steerable tools, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling. He holds a Master's in Engineering Science and a Diploma in Global Business, both from Oxford University, England. He has 14 patents, has authored multiple papers, and has served on Programme Committees and Technical Section Boards for SPE. He is a past SPE Distinguished Lecturer (2020-2021). John helped to found the SPE Geothermal Technical Section and is currently CTO of Hephae Energy Technology, a company founded to develop solutions for drilling high temperature wells.
TCC Restriction: This presentation should not contain any material related to US Embargoed Countries or US Sanctions to Russia or any other country. Still, if anyone is inadvertently connected and is working with a project or people related to these groups, we ask you to not participate in this event.
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