ABSTRACT
Recent developments within the energy sector have proven the utmost importance of energy politics, supply chain reliability, and energy security, which consequently renders energy independence a future necessity, especially in Europe. To tackle these newly arisen challenges revolving around energy supply, geothermal energy presents a sustainable energy resource capable of providing heating, power, and energy storage. Independent of both seasonal and local implications, geothermal is thus considered a truly renewable and sustainable baseload energy source (candidate). Nevertheless, research on improvements regarding reliability and feasibility of especially advanced geothermal systems is both contemporary and necessary. One crucial aspect that requires further improvements is targeting the enhancement of existing geothermal systems with regard to reservoir productivity and the wellbore and reservoir interface. Subsequently, novel technologies have been under development to enhance the connectivity between the well bore and reservoir pay zone to achieve a superior and enduring connectivity between both. This chapter elaborates upon technologies that facilitate economically and environmentally sound alternatives to conventional stimulation and flow-enhancing measures. Innovative, directed hydraulic rock erosion processes are being developed in connection with ultra-short radius and high deviation technologies to create small-diameter, micro-size drain holes along the pay zones of any main wellbore. Operable in both cased and open hole completion designs, these types of mechanical, micro-size recovery methods have proven to result in insignificant and practical improvements in hydraulic connectivity between reservoir and wellbore in laboratory and field demonstrations conducted at Fraunhofer IEG and partners in 2020 and 2021. The demonstrations have elaborated on the development and technological readiness of the technology for application in hard rock formations such as geothermal reservoirs.
