Rethinking Shallow Geothermal Drilling with Soren Soe from CoilRig | Geothermal Unleashed Ep. 47

Item: Rethinking Shallow Geothermal Drilling with Soren Soe from CoilRig | Geothermal Unleashed Ep. 47
Rating: 4
Author: PostSingularity Institute

by Geothermal Unleashed

Applied Sciences & Engineering Energy THVAlternative and renewable energy sources and technology THVGGeothermal energy and power

🎙 Geothermal Unleashed 👥 248 📅 January 26, 2026 ⏱ 32 min 👁 197 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-16

Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

coiled tubingdrilling rigshallow geothermalground source heat pumpproductivity

Summary

In this episode of Geothermal Unleashed, host Elizabeth interviews Soren Soe, co-founder of CoilRig, about their compact coiled-tubing drilling rigs for shallow geothermal applications. Soren shares his background in mechanical engineering and drilling rig manufacturing across Europe, China, and Australia. He explains the design of CoilRig’s rigs, which are track-mounted, weigh about 60,000 lbs, and can be transported on a low loader. The key advantage is the use of coiled tubing, a continuous drill string, which eliminates the need for manual handling of drill rods, leading to significant productivity gains (25-40% faster) and improved safety. The rig is designed for open-hole drilling, primarily for ground source heat pump installations, typically up to 500 ft deep but capable of over 1,000 ft. Soren discusses the market, noting about 2,000 coiled tubing rigs worldwide, with a growing segment for shallow geothermal. He also addresses technical challenges, such as adapting to different formations and using percussive drilling methods like fluid hammers for hard rock. The business model involves selling rigs to drilling contractors, with initial deployments in North America. Soren highlights lessons from the mining industry, including small footprint and productivity focus. He concludes by sharing his positive experience at the Geothermal Rising Conference 2025, where he participated in a panel on new drilling technologies.

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Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The value of the information lies in the firsthand account of a company developing and deploying coiled-tubing drilling for shallow geothermal. Soren provides specific details on rig design, operational benefits, and market dynamics, which are useful for understanding the technology’s potential. The argumentation is coherent, with clear explanations of how coiled tubing improves productivity and safety compared to conventional drilling. However, the discussion is largely qualitative, with limited quantitative data or independent validation. The host’s questions guide the conversation but do not challenge or critically examine the claims, so the argumentation is one-sided.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The scientific rigor is moderate. The content is based on the expertise of a practitioner, but no external sources or data are cited to support the claims. The title accurately reflects the content, which is an interview about CoilRig’s technology. The description includes a disclaimer that the views are solely the host’s and not those of Vallourec, but the host’s affiliation with Vallourec is not further discussed. No comments were provided for analysis.

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Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content: an interview with Soren Soe about CoilRig's coiled-tubing drilling technology for shallow geothermal.

Quality & Reliability

7/10

The discussion is based on the direct experience of a co-founder of CoilRig, providing practical insights into coiled-tubing drilling for shallow geothermal. However, it is an interview without independent verification or detailed technical data, and the host's affiliation with Vallourec is disclosed but not further elaborated.

Key Moments

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

Cited Sources

Geothermal Rising Conference 2025 — Mentioned as the event where Soren and Elizabeth met and where Soren participated in a panel on new drilling technologies.
New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO) — Mentioned as an organization CoilRig supports.
Geothermal Drillers Association — Mentioned as an organization CoilRig is part of in the US.

Concurring Sources

Geothermal Rising — The conference mentioned in the video is a major industry event, supporting the context of geothermal development.
NY-GEO — An organization promoting ground source heat pumps, aligning with the video's focus on shallow geothermal.

Contribution & Novelties

The video provides an insider’s perspective on the application of coiled-tubing drilling technology to shallow geothermal, highlighting specific design innovations like the reel positioned above the borehole to extend tubing life and the integration of automation for potential multi-rig operation. It also discusses the adaptation of mining drilling practices to geothermal, emphasizing productivity and safety. The discussion offers practical insights into market dynamics and the challenges of introducing new drilling methods to a conservative industry.

Pour aller plus loin :

Coiled tubing — Provides background on the technology and its uses in oil and gas.
Ground source heat pump — Explains the application context for shallow geothermal drilling.
Down-the-hole hammer — Relevant to the percussive drilling methods mentioned for hard rock.

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Radar Profile

The radar profile shows balanced scores across all dimensions, with slightly lower technical level due to the conversational format. The high scores in information quantity and quality reflect the detailed discussion, while the moderate technical level indicates accessibility to a broad audience.

Reliability 7/10