A system and method for geothermal heat production. A balanced geothermal energy transfer loop includes a first wellbore and a second wellbore extending from surface to a subterranean geothermal formation and a plurality of balanced open hole circuits extending between the first wellbore and the second wellbore through the geothermal formation, forming a substantially sealed closed loop. Each of the plurality of circuits is designed or modified to have a substantially equal circuit parameter. The circuit parameter may include one or more of circuit fluid velocity, circuit pressure drop, circuit volume and/or circuit length. The circuit parameter may include circuit length and volume, and the circuits connect the supply/return wells in a first out/last in configuration.

A process for preparing a geothermal system involves preparing a borehole that extends into an underground magma reservoir, providing a flow of a first fluid into the borehole, thereby maintaining a rock layer around a portion of the borehole located within the magma reservoir, lowering a casing into the borehole, and providing a second fluid into the casing, thereby causing the casing to sink into a volume of the first fluid that is inside the borehole.

A pitless adapter includes a casing having first, second and third ports, and a spool having a top plate, a bottom plate having first, second and third ports, a first middle plate between the top and bottom plates and a second middle plate between the first middle plate and the bottom plate. The casing, the top plate and the first middle plate define a first chamber that is open to the first port of the casing and the first port of the spool. The casing, the first middle plate and the second middle plate define a second chamber that is open to the second port of the casing and the second port of the spool. The casing, the second middle plate and the bottom plate define a third chamber that is open to the third port of the casing and the third port of the spool.

A method of operating a thermal system implementing a ground-source heat pump includes receiving design parameters associated with a design of the thermal system and receiving one or more measurement inputs associated with a flow of a thermal fluid through a borefield of a ground heat exchanger. The method further includes, based on the measurement inputs and the design parameters, predicting one or more predicted thermal values of the thermal fluid using a forward model. The method further includes predicting one or more predicted borefield parameters of the borefield based on inverting the forward model. The method further includes monitoring the thermal system based on the predicted borefield parameters.

Geothermal energy systems and processes eliminate or reduce the distance between a geothermal energy source and an electricity generating power plant The systems and processes include heating a primary fluid by absorbing thermal energy from the geothermal energy source in a well to produce a heated primary fluid; conveying the heated primary fluid to the power plant including, a turbine and an electricity generator; driving the turbine by one of: the heated primary fluid; and a secondary fluid that absorbs thermal energy from the heated primary fluid via, a heat exchanger; and driving the electricity generator via, the turbine to generate electricity. The power plant is positioned at one of: inside the well; partially inside the well; at a wellhead above the well; adjacent to the well; on a pad including one or more wells; and between multiple pads including one or more wells in the same field of pads.

A method of producing a geothermal well includes obtaining site information including at least a site volume; obtaining drilling parameters; determining lengths and orientations of planned wellbores based at least partially on the site information and the drilling parameters.

A method of producing a geothermal well includes obtaining site information including at least a site volume; obtaining drilling parameters; determining lengths and orientations of planned wellbores based at least partially on the site information and the drilling parameters.

A method includes circulating a heat transfer working fluid in a closed loop between a geothermal well residing in a subterranean zone and at least one of a heat exchanger or a turbine. The well is substantially sealed to limit fluid loss of the working fluid into the subterranean zone. While circulating the working fluid, at least one of a viscosity of the working fluid or a pressure differential between the working fluid and the subterranean zone is controlled in relation to a flow of fluid between the subterranean zone and the well.

Methods and system for geothermal energy harvesting using both conductive and convective heat transfer are provided. A geothermal well is provided with inlet and outlet wellbores and an interconnecting wellbore therebetween, the interconnecting wellbore fluidly connected to a plurality of fluid conduits, such as fractures. The interface of the wellbore and fractures with the surrounding earth may be impermeably sealed with a sealant. A heat transfer fluid is circulated throughout the system to extract thermal energy from the earth by conduction, as well as by convection. By providing the plurality of fluid conduits and by utilizing convective as well as conductive heat transfer, the rate of energy extraction may be increased.

A geothermal system includes a wellbore with a borehole extending from a surface into an underground reservoir of magma. A chamber is located within the borehole and extends at least partially into the underground reservoir of magma. An inlet conduit allows flow of heat transfer fluid from the surface and into the chamber. An outlet conduit allows flow of heated heat transfer fluid from the chamber toward the surface.