Metamaterials for Geothermal Well Integrity Monitoring

This project is focused on improving geothermal well integrity monitoring methods with the intention of improving remote sensing capabilities and reducing geothermal power plant failure rates and increasing energy production and environmental and human safety. Reducing the overall economic costs and reliability of this renewable resource will encourage its use in the many regions that can support it. Ensuring well isolation and casing structure are critical aspects of geothermal energy and power production. Current well evaluation technologies are interventional, expensive, and do not provide long term monitoring capabilities throughout the life of the well. The proposed technology provides near real-time assessment of well condition including production and injection wells along with the connective fracture network. This research will build upon extensive research in the field of smart sensing materials for oil and gas well construction along with machine learning for subsurface interrogation. Use of this technology will enhance well design and operation principles as well as knowledge of geophysical effects during thermal cycling. Improved integrity diagnostics and performance of geothermal wells based on metamaterial technology will increase US energy independence, improve reliability, and reduce environmental impacts of power generation. Oceanit will leverage over 20 years of in-house metamaterials development and AI experience to execute this project. The company will adopt these techniques for geothermal well integrity diagnostics to improve production efficiency, economics, and environmental health and safety. The main objective of the proposed Phase I effort is to develop a practical system for detecting geothermal well integrity, including cemented casing and propped fractures, using novel materials and available tools. Besides challenges faced in drilling, constructions and operation, geothermal power combined with advanced technologies has great potential with numerous public benefits. Not only is it a renewable type of clean energy but is also present in many areas and outperforms conventional fossil fuel sources in several important aspects. Along with being environmentally friendly, geothermal energy promotes domestic job opportunities, economic stability, and an increase in safety to property and human lives.