Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2010 Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April 2010 1 Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Management in Geothermal Aerated Fluids Drilling Operations in Asia Pacific Sarasto Utomo and Julmar Shaun S. Toralde PT Wira Insani, 3rd Floor Talavera Office Park, Kav. 22-26, Jalan T. B. Simatupang, Cilandak, 12430 Jakarta, Indonesia sarasto.utomo@ap.weatherford.com; julmarshaun.toralde@ap.weatherford.com Keywords: QHSE, quality, health, safety, environment, Asia Pacific, aerated fluids, air drilling ABSTRACT The management of quality, health, safety and environmental (QHSE) issues in geothermal aerated fluids drilling operations are distinct from those of other controlled pressure drilling operations that are geared towards the oil and gas industry. Differences in the operational set-up and complexity of geothermal aerated fluids drilling operations, as well as the involvement of equipment that are distinct and specific to this type of application, require QHSE initiatives that are specifically designed for these kinds of projects. This paper presents the programs that have been implemented to help ensure that all issues related to QHSE are managed properly in geothermal aerated fluids drilling operations in the Asia Pacific region, more particularly in Indonesia and the Philippines. The results of these initiatives are also provided for the purpose of evaluating their effectiveness. 1. INTRODUCTION Controlled pressure drilling (CPD) methods utilize a closed and pressurized wellbore by utilizing a rotating control device (RCD) to close the well at surface, thereby allowing for greater and more precise control over the pressure profile of the well, which can be used to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of drilling operations. One of the main types of CPD methods is air drilling (AD), which is mainly geared towards increasing the rate of penetration. Air drilling, which is the application of air, mist, aerated liquid or foam fluid systems to lower the density of the drilling fluid, is a widely accepted technique for drilling oil and gas wells, but has also been largely used to assist in geothermal well construction operations. The use of air drilling in the geothermal setting removes flammability issues specific to hydrocarbons in oil and gas drilling, but also introduces risks pertinent to geothermal operations, which are higher fluid temperatures as well as the presence of hydrogen sulfide. Special equipment, materials and procedures for geothermal aerated fluid drilling operations are also involved, including the use of geothermal rotating heads, flow tees, flow line and accompanying flowline choke and manual valves, as well as separators, mist pumps, chemical injections pumps and high-temperature corrosion inhibitors and foam systems. For reference, a sample process flow diagram of a typical geothermal aerated fluids drilling operation is provided in Figure 1. Figure 1: Sample Process Flow Diagram of a Geothermal Aerated Fluids Drilling Operation.