Borehole Drilling – Comparing Hydrocarbon, Geothermal and CCS Techniques and Examples

GESGB Training Course Information

📅 Dates: 1 | 8 | 15 | October 2025 (2 x 2hr sessions & 1 x 3hr session)

⏰ Time: 14:00-16:00 UK time per session
The session on Day 2 will start at 14:00 and finish at 17:00 UK time.

This event will be delivered online. 

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✒️ Course Title
Borehole Drilling – Comparing Hydrocarbon, Geothermal and CCS Techniques and Examples

🗣️ Facilitator
Bill Rankin, Geologist at HRH Geology

Course overview

HRH Geology in association with GESGB is pleased to present three short modules focused on borehole drilling. From traditional hydrocarbon wells to geothermal wells for the energy transition and through to drilling for carbon sequestration to reduce mankind’s carbon footprint. Participants will be introduced to the different hydrocarbon, geothermal and CCS systems and the differing plays and resources. Participants will learn the basics of drilling issues and hazards, pressure regimes, drilling and reservoir fluids, lithology, casing design and cementing, rig selection and different well types and technologies. The similarities between hydrocarbon, geothermal and CCS operations will be highlighted and the crucial differences explored.

Course Outline

Day 1 | Wednesday 1 October (2 hours) | Borehole Drilling for Hydrocarbons

The first module will introduce the principles of borehole drilling for accessing the Earth’s hydrocarbon resources and will include the following topics:

• Identification of the Target and Spud Location
• Assessment of the Pressure Regime – Overburden, Fracture, Borehole collapse and Pore Pressures
• Drilling Hazards – Toxic and explosive gas, kicks and blowouts, lost circulation, stuck pipe, insufficient and excessive mud weights and reactive clay expansion
• Drilling Fluid “Mud” – Mud weight window, weighting agents, base fluids – water, oil, synthetic oil and non-fluid based
• Development of the Casing Plan – Relationship to pressure regime, casing size and strength, cementing, leak-off test, contingency casings/liners and expandable casing/liner
• Rig Selection Criteria – Water depth, lifting and power capability, fluid and pumping capability and emergency well control capability

Day 2 | Wednesday 8 October (3 hours) | Borehole Drilling for Geothermal Energy

The second module examines the application of borehole drilling technologies to accessing Geothermal Energy and will include the following topics:

• Geothermal Plays – Enthalpy, reservoir pressure and reservoir fluid chemistry
• Hydrothermal – Resource distribution and exploration, drilling and completing geothermal wells for production and injection, drilling and corrosion issues
• Geothermal Systems:
  – Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) – Lithology, in-situ stress orientations/magnitudes, constructing an EGS system and the danger of fault reactivation
  – Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS) – Closed-loop circuit borehole configuration, working fluids, multilateral borehole systems – Eavor Loop and deep closed-loop geothermal systems
• Future Developments in Geothermal Drilling – Thermal spallation drilling and millimetre wave drilling

Day 3 | Wednesday 15 October (2 hours) | Borehole Drilling for Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS)

Our final module looks at the processes involved in designing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) drilling projects and will include the following topics:

• Why CCS? – Exploring the transition technology, the transportation and the sub-surface storage of CO2
• Suitable Storage Lithologies – Storage capacity calculation, Carbonate and Siliciclastic formations, saline aquifers, depleted oil & gas fields, Basalt, Coal and the potential for leakage
• Carbon Sequestration Well Types and Examples – Preliminary Stratigraphic Test Wells (STW), shallow monitoring wells, deep monitoring wells and injector wells
• CCS Analysis – Pre-development 3D seismic, injection phase and long term 4D monitoring, PPFG and geomechanics, borehole thermal modelling, core assessment and offset well integrity assessment
• Casing and Cementing – Acidic corrosion of casing and cement, cement sheath length, storage duration requirement and harsh injection cycles
• Drilling Fluids

💡 Who Should Attend? 

This course provides an overview of borehole drilling across the main industries involved with drilling into the Earth’s crust. The course is suitable for graduates and for geologists and drilling engineers starting their careers working for a drilling operator or service company. Equally the course is ideal for anyone from different disciplines looking to gain a basic understanding of the geology, engineering and processes involved in borehole drilling.

Facilitator Biography

Geologist Bill Rankin is lead geological trainer at HRH Geology who has over 40 years oil and gas industry experience, with over 25 years specialising in training. Bill has worked in the field as a wellsite pressure analyst and data engineer on a variety of exploration, appraisal and development projects.

Whilst working for Halliburton, he recruited and trained over 300 geology graduates in the UK and trained overseas geologists for the offices in Aberdeen, North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

Since joining HRH Geology in 2000, Bill has worked at wellsites, interpreted and produced composite logs for several operating companies and has provided training for over 70 client companies in Aberdeen and 28 countries worldwide.

He is an avid football fan and has become a devotee of equestrian sports through his wife, attending major events both in the UK and Europe.