How Coiled Tubing Drilling Supports Geothermal, Hydrogen, Carbon Capture and Storage, and Critical Minerals Projects

Updated

Coiled Tubing Drilling (CTD) is positioned as a service that enables and accelerates the energy transition, and AnTech's site states that its CTD technology is "ideally suited for geothermal applications, mining for critical minerals, drilling for hydrogen and carbon capture and storage solutions." The company backs this with dedicated site sections for Net Zero Path, Carbon Capture and Storage, Hydrogen Storage, and Geothermal. If your project involves any of these four areas and you want a drilling method that can work underbalanced and in directional or horizontal wells, CTD is worth evaluating. The exact fit depends on your well design, reservoir or storage conditions, and whether you need a full service package or just tools and crew.

Why CTD Fits Energy Transition Projects

AnTech describes its Directional Coiled Tubing Drilling (DCTD) service as using proprietary COLT and POLARIS Bottom Hole Assemblies (BHAs). The stated benefits are directional and horizontal wells drilled while underbalanced, plus the ability to tap existing reserves and increase reservoir production productivity.

For energy transition work, those same capabilities matter for different reasons:

  • Geothermal — directional and horizontal wells can improve access to hot zones, and underbalanced drilling can help manage formation damage in sensitive reservoirs.
  • Hydrogen storage — storage projects need wells that can be drilled and completed reliably; CTD's directional capability supports the well geometry these projects often require.
  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS) — injection and monitoring wells benefit from the same directional and underbalanced advantages.
  • Critical minerals — mining-related drilling can use CTD where conventional rig access is limited or where underbalanced conditions are preferred.

The site groups these under a Net Zero Path section, which signals that AnTech treats them as a coherent service line rather than one-off applications.

What the Service Actually Includes

AnTech states it provides a complete DCTD service. According to the site, the company can:

  • Plan your project
  • Liaise with rig and fluid handling providers
  • Provide the tools and crew to complete the job

This matters for energy transition projects because they often involve partners who are not traditional oil and gas operators — for example, geothermal developers or storage project teams. Having a single service provider coordinate rig and fluid handling reduces the number of interfaces you have to manage.

The toolset is built around COLT and POLARIS BHAs, which are AnTech's proprietary bottom hole assemblies for directional coiled tubing drilling.

Where to Find More Detail

The site organizes relevant information into several sections you can use to evaluate fit:

Section What it covers
Net Zero Path The umbrella for energy transition applications
Carbon Capture and Storage CCS-specific information
Hydrogen Storage Hydrogen storage-specific information
Geothermal Geothermal-specific information
Industry CTD Case Studies Real project examples
Learn About CTD History, benefits, and applications
Information for Operators Benefits and where CTD can be applied

If you are an operator, the "Information for Operators" section is the stated starting point for understanding benefits and applicability. If you are a CT rig company, there is a separate section explaining why your customers should consider CTD and how to partner with AnTech.

How to Decide If CTD Is Right for Your Project

Use these questions to narrow it down:

  1. Is your project in one of the four areas? Geothermal, hydrogen storage, CCS, or critical minerals. If yes, CTD is explicitly positioned for you.
  2. Do you need directional or horizontal wells? CTD's stated strength is directional and horizontal drilling.
  3. Is underbalanced drilling an advantage or requirement? The service is built around drilling underbalanced.
  4. Do you need a full service package? AnTech offers project planning, rig and fluid handling liaison, plus tools and crew. If you only need tools, that is a different conversation.
  5. Do you want to see prior work? The Industry CTD Case Studies section is where to look for comparable projects.

If you answer yes to the first three and you want a single provider to coordinate the drilling service, the next step is to review the relevant Net Zero Path subsection and then use the Enquire option on the site to discuss your specific project.

A Practical Note on Scope

The site does not publish pricing or detailed technical specifications for individual projects. Those are handled through the enquiry process. What the site does make clear is the application areas and the service model: plan the project, coordinate rig and fluid handling, and supply tools and crew. For energy transition projects where internal drilling expertise may be limited, that model can reduce the burden on your team — but you still need to confirm that your well conditions match what CTD can handle. The case studies and the operator information section are the best places to start that confirmation.