We are pleased to welcome Noah Buck to our February 2026 meeting to present on the crossover potential of coiled tubing drilling (CTD) technology between the oil & gas and geothermal sectors. This lecture will explore how an autonomous CTD system designed for ultra-deep, large-diameter, hard rock offshore wells can address shared drilling challenges in both industries.

Biography

Noah Buck spent the first half of his career in well intervention services with Halliburton, Superior Energy Services, and Emerald Surf Sciences across the US in various operations, engineering, and sales roles. Noah now leads business development across multiple product lines in the Intervention and Stimulation Equipment Business-Unit for NOV. As the Global Business Development Director, he tackles technically complex equipment solutions, leading efforts into cryogenic aerospace opportunities, geothermal energy development, and pipeline/processing solutions.

Abstract

The oil & gas (O&G) and geothermal sectors face similar technical challenges, particularly in drilling through hard formations, managing complex well trajectories, and handling the costs and risks of deep, hot-rock drilling. These shared issues open the door for collaboration and technology transfer, especially in advanced drilling systems.

One promising avenue is coiled tubing drilling (CTD). While typically used in small-diameter O&G wells for its efficiency, reduced risk, and cost savings, CTD has potential for scalable geothermal deployment, where safety and economics are paramount.

A development team, in collaboration with a national oil company, has designed an autonomous CTD system for ultra-deep, large-diameter, hard rock offshore wells. This system can achieve tripping speeds 3–4× faster than conventional drill pipe, reduces manual handling, and allows continuous circulation for pressure control and thermal management—plus real-time wireline telemetry.