Location: Golden, Colorado, USA
The Geothermal Research Group at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is seeking a drilling expert to build and strengthen drilling research capabilities at the lab. Global research in geothermal is targeting hotter and deeper resources. Advances in geothermal drilling engineering are needed to reduce global drilling costs and the levelized cost of electricity produced from geothermal resources. New technologies should leverage existing innovations from U.S. oil and gas industries, as well as other high-temperature material and power electronics research in industries such as solar, grid, and vehicles technologies.
Work will consist primarily of advancing research in drilling optimization (e.g., physics-based drilling practices, approaching the perfect well) for geothermal, design and development of high-temperature materials and tools both for geothermal drilling and for geothermal wellbore design and construction. The successful applicant will work collaboratively with academia to advance geothermal drilling rates, including detailed drilling data collection and analysis and material and component development. The position will be expected to develop strategic global geothermal drilling initiatives, successfully manage multi-party research projects, publish relevant research outcomes in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and to write proposals with partners from industry and academia to win funding opportunities and grow NREL’s Geothermal Research Group.