Drilling of a hydrogeological borehole at Litoměřice
Vit Peresty takes us through the drilling of a hydrogeological borehole at the RINGEN research center at Litoměřice.
A key aspect a geothermal storage project involves understanding the geological properties of the local subsurface. To support this, two boreholes are being drilled: a 550-meter exploratory borehole and a 200-meter hydrogeological monitoring borehole. Currently, the team is working at the hydrogeological borehole site, which was just completed at a final depth of 202.4 meters.
This borehole is designed to monitor groundwater levels and characteristics. Well logging is in progress, using a winch to assess the physical properties of the rocks throughout the depth. The next steps involve completing the well by installing permanent casing and isolating certain sections with cement. The most permeable layer—anticipated between 140 and 180 meters—will be filled with sand to allow unobstructed groundwater flow, while less permeable sections will be sealed.
At the target depth, researchers will analyze the groundwater’s chemical composition and flow dynamics. The borehole will also serve as a long-term monitoring point once the main system boreholes are drilled, helping ensure the integrity of the subsurface environment.
Despite anticipating potential complications such as mud loss in the permeable rock layers, the drilling process went smoothly. Thanks to the diligent work of the drilling team and a carefully selected method, the borehole was successfully completed, and the project is ready to move forward.
PUSH-IT is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101096566.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
