Huisman wins contract for geothermal doublet
Huisman, the worldwide specialist in lifting, drilling and subsea solutions, and construction company Züblin, were awarded a contract from Wayland Energy for the delivery of two geothermal wells in Bergschenhoek, the Netherlands. The two wells will be drilled directionally to planned depths of approximately 2,500 meters and 2,800 meters. The wells will be drilled utilising the Huisman LOC 400 drilling rig - a fully containerised modular rig outfitted with a fully automated pipe-handler and rig floor. It will be the 6th project for the LOC 400 in Europe, including three geothermal energy projects.
Huisman’s in house designed and constructed LOC 400 is an efficient, safe and environmental friendly alternative to conventional drilling rigs. The drilling process does not require personnel on the rig floor for both casing while drilling and conventional drilling, which enhances safety for the rig personnel. The pipe handling and making of connections can be controlled from the driller’s cabin. The pipe handler can manage pipes without risk of damage to thread, enabling the protectors to be removed and the pipe to be doped while on the horizontal pipe rack, just 1.5m (4,9ft) above the ground. The top drive, stabbing arm and power tong make connections easy, safe, fast and reliable. In addition, the LOC 400 has a very small footprint and is easy-to-transport as 27 ISO containers, guaranteeing fast, safe and therefore cost effective rig moves.
This is not Huisman’s first step into the geothermal market. A prestigious project previously executed by the LOC 400 was in the city of The Hague, The Netherlands. During this project, the LOC 400 executed the drilling of two wells in front of a hospital to depths of approximately 2,400 meters and 2,700 meters. The selection of the LOC 400 for these projects in the Netherlands shows that Huisman’s drilling rig is living up to its expectation of being an efficient, safe and environmental friendly alternative to conventional drilling rigs.