Geothermal Energy
Geothermal is a clean, renewable, sustainable energy source used for power generation and district heating/cooling. Removing thermal energy from the ground is a challenging process, and geothermal wells must withstand extreme conditions. Vallourec’s tubular solutions allow geothermal assets to resist corrosion, intense pressure and high temperatures.
Engineering tubular solutions for geothermal wells
Geothermal has proven potential as a clean energy source that can be accessed 24/7. Geothermal energy can be used distributed through turbines for power generation, or feed directly into district cooling or heating systems. However, the investment required to drill geothermal wells is high, and operators have traditionally offset these costs by using basic tubulars. This approach can be insufficient, and a potentially risky choice for operators in the long-term. Since geothermal wells are meant to operate for decades at a time, their tubulars must be able to consistently withstand a harsh environment. Choosing the right tubular solutions is critical to ensuring resistance to corrosion, erosion, changing temperature cycles and more, and can help owners optimize the costs of their geothermal assets.
An experienced pipe supplier with cutting-edge R&D
Vallourec offers a wide range of products, including:
- Standard basic API
- semi-premiums with liquid-tight properties
- Premium, gas-tight connections
We offer high-performance steel tubulars that can withstand extreme corrosion, high pressure and a range of temperatures. With over 30 years of experience, worldwide manufacturing capabilities and dedicated R&D and testing facilities, Vallourec is ideally positioned to assess reservoirs and advise on the right materials and connections for geothermal projects.
VAM®
VAM® 21 is the latest generation of advanced premium T&C connections qualified up to 350°C as per TWCEEP. As strong as the pipe and fully validated against API RP 5C5:2017 / ISO 13679:2019 CAL-IV across the entire product line, its innovative design has proven to be the extremely reliable on the field, whatever the application, even the most critical.Performance
Product Range
THERMOCASE® VIT: Maximizing heat extraction
Nico Riyando - IIGCE 2022
Webcast – Leveraging Oil & Gas expertise to enhance geothermal projects worldwide
October 2022 | Maximilien de Maisonneuve and François Penven
Geothermal operators are facing several technical challenges that need to be tackled to ensure that geothermal wells are reliable on the long-run and optimized in terms of heat supply efficiency. The premium solutions (material, grades and services) that have been used for decades in Oil & Gas activities show promising results in enhancing geothermal wells’ reliability and performance. However, specific evaluations need to be performed to guarantee their compatibility.
In this webcast, Maximilien De Maisonneuve and François Penven, in charge of the Geothermal division at Vallourec, introduce how available technologies at Vallourec can help geothermal operators meet challenging scenarios as well as to ensure their projects’ cost effectiveness. These solutions will be illustrated by some real business cases. Finally, the speakers also shed some light on what the future of tubular solutions could look like for the next generation of geothermal wells.
News – Vallourec is proud to join the International Geothermal Association!
May 2021
Geothermal power is a clean, renewable, dispatchable and versatile source of energy and is poised to be a key contributor is the decarbonization of our economies.
We believe our expertise in geothermal wells will contribute to the standardization efforts initiated by the IGA, and ultimately help unleash the full potential of geothermal power!
News – Helping the geothermal industry gather steam
Jan. 2021 | by Alvaro Rodriguez and Pierre-Etienne Bougon
The Earth is constantly radiating heat from radioactive decay.
By harvesting this underground heat, geothermal plants can produce continuous power all year round, making geothermal energy the only baseload and dispatchable renewable energy source.
Vallourec provided VAM® Premium Connections for a thermal well in Djibouti with downhole reservoir temperatures of 360º C. These tubular solutions are designed to resist corrosion and some of the highest temperatures in the geothermal world.
One of our geothermal well projects in Mexico involved a deviated well with reservoir temperatures of 320º C. We installed over 1,000 meters of premium OCTG products to ensure the piping could withstand the mechanical loading of the project.
In Germany, Vallourec assisted with development of a geothermal well over 5,000 meters deep, one of the greatest depths possible. We worked closely with clients to ensure the technical aspects of the project, providing the necessary premium connections very quickly.
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