Utah FORGE Completes Geothermal Stimulation and Circulation Tests

Utah FORGE Makes Geothermal History: Successfully Completes Stimulation and Circulation Tests

Unlocking the Earth's Geothermal Energy Potential

In a groundbreaking achievement for the geothermal energy industry, the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) at the University of Utah has achieved a major milestone. Through meticulous planning, cutting-edge technology, and a collaborative effort, Utah FORGE has successfully stimulated and circulated two wells, marking a pivotal moment in the quest for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS).

A Triumph of Collaboration and Innovation

The culmination of over two years of planning and analysis, the stimulation and circulation tests represent a triumph of scientific collaboration and innovation. Led by Professor John McLennan and a team of dedicated experts from industry and academia, Utah FORGE achieved outstanding results, setting a new standard for EGS research.

Establishing Connectivity: A Breakthrough for Geothermal Energy

The successful stimulation of wells 16A(78)-32 and 16B(78)-32, located in hot dry granite, is a significant breakthrough for the industry. Through hydraulic fracturing and state-of-the-art seismic monitoring, Utah FORGE established enhanced connectivity between the two wells, laying the groundwork for effective energy transfer from the EGS reservoir.

Minimal Seismicity, Maximum Impact

One of the most remarkable aspects of this achievement is the minimal induced seismicity, with no events surpassing magnitude 1.9. This not only highlights the precision and effectiveness of the stimulation process but also underscores the commitment to safety and sustainability in geothermal energy development.

Towards a Clean Energy Future

The implications of Utah FORGE's success extend far beyond the boundaries of the project site. Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, emphasizes the importance of tapping into the Earth's natural heat to expand access to clean, secure, and resilient energy sources for all.

Looking Ahead: Unleashing the Potential of EGS

As Utah FORGE continues to analyze the rich dataset from these tests, plans for additional fieldwork, including a 30-day circulation test, are already underway. Each milestone brings us closer to realizing the full potential of Enhanced Geothermal Systems and their pivotal role in the global energy portfolio.

Join the Geothermal Revolution

Utah FORGE invites you to be a part of the geothermal revolution. Explore the project's website for access to valuable data, publications, and opportunities for collaboration. Together, you can unlock Earth's limitless geothermal energy and pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

About Utah FORGE

Utah FORGE is a dedicated underground field laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office. Located near Milford, Utah, the project aims to advance technologies and de-risk tools for establishing EGS reservoirs. For more information, visit the Utah FORGE website.

Companies always find ways of how to innovate around Geothermal. Just like Eavor

Utah might have reached a threshold helm , stay in the loop as we unravel this Geothermal mystery half the stipulated amount of time.

Connect With Us:Alphaxioms

Source:Utah

Comments

Amsterdam Strikes Geothermal Gold: Hot, Thick, Permeable Reservoir Confirmed

Breakthrough Beneath the Beach: Amsterdam Region Hits Geothermal Paydirt at Strandeiland By: Robert Buluma The Netherlands just took a giant leap toward fossil-free heating. On the artificial island of Strandeiland (part of Amsterdam’s fast-growing IJburg district), the SCAN exploration well has officially confirmed what the geothermal community has been hoping for: a thick, hot, and , most importantly permeable reservoir in the Slochteren Formation. Key numbers that matter: Reservoir thickness: 152 meters Bottom-hole temperature: 66 °C Permeability: confirmed via successful production and injection tests That’s not screaming-hot by Icelandic standards, but for direct-use district heating in one of Europe’s densest urban areas, 66 °C is more than enough to supply thousands of homes with clean, baseload heat – forever. Why This Well Changes Everything for the Netherlands The Dutch government launched the SCAN program (Seismic Campaign Nethe...

Zanskar’s Big Blind: First Blind Geothermal Discovery in 30 Years

Big Blind: The Geothermal Discovery That Changes Everything By: Robert Buluma Utah startup Zanskar Geothermal quietly dropped one of the most important announcements in American energy in decades. They discovered and confirmed “Big Blind” ,the first completely blind, commercial-grade geothermal system found in the United States in over thirty years. Let that sink in. No hot springs. No fumaroles. No steaming ground. No prior wells. Zero surface expression whatsoever. Just desert, sagebrush, and – 7,000 feet below, a reservoir hot enough and permeable enough to support gigawatt-scale power production. This isn’t incremental progress. This is a paradigm breaker. Why “Blind” Discoveries Matter So Much For the last 40 years, geothermal development in the U.S. has been geographically handcuffed. You could only build plants where nature advertised the resource on the surface – think Yellowstone, The Geysers, or Imperial Valley. Ever...

Potsdam Goes Deep: How an All-Electric Drilling Rig Is Turning the City’s Heating Completely Fossil-Free

Revolutionizing Urban Heating: UGS GmbH's Pioneering Geothermal Project in Potsdam By: Robert Buluma In the heart of Germany’s energy transition, a quiet but powerful revolution is taking place in Potsdam. UGS GmbH, a German subsidiary of the French energy storage specialist Geostock, has begun a landmark geothermal project that could redefine how entire cities stay warm in winter ,without burning a single drop of oil or cubic meter of gas. The project, awarded by the local utility Energie und Wasser Potsdam GmbH (EWP), focuses on the former site of the HKW Süd combined heat and power plant in southern Potsdam. The goal is ambitious: replace the aging gas-fired plant with deep geothermal energy and other renewables, eventually supplying tens of thousands of households with completely CO₂-free district heating. At the center of this transformation stands a piece of machinery that looks like something from the future: UGS’s fully modernized, all-electric drilling rig “Rig 110”. After...

Chevron’s Big Pivot: Betting Billions on Geothermal and Biofuels

Chevron CEO Sees Growing Potential in Biofuels and Geothermal Energy Posted by Robert Buluma | December 11, 2025 The energy world is changing fast, and Chevron, one of the oldest and largest oil companies on the planet, is not sitting on the sidelines. In a recent wide-ranging interview with The Wall Street Journal, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth made it clear: the company sees major, long-term growth in two areas that have nothing to do with crude oil,biofuels and geothermal energy. For a company built on drilling for hydrocarbons, this pivot toward heat from the Earth’s core and fuels grown from plants is nothing short of remarkable. From Black Gold to Green Heat: Why Chevron Is Betting Big on Geothermal Geothermal energy has long been the quiet, reliable cousin in the renewable family,always there, rarely flashy, but suddenly very attractive. Unlike solar panels that go dark at night or wind turbines that stop when the air is still, geothermal plants deliver steady, 24/7 baseload p...

Eavor’s Geretsried Closed-Loop Geothermal Plant Now Powers the Grid

Eavor Technologies Achieves Historic Milestone: World’s First Commercial-Scale Closed-Loop Geothermal System Now Delivering Power in Geretsried, Germany Published: December 2025 By: Robert Buluma The Day Geothermal Changed Forever On a crisp Bavarian morning in late 2025, a quiet revolution in clean energy officially went live. Eavor Technologies Inc ., the Calgary-based pioneer of closed-loop geothermal technology, announced that its flagship commercial project in Geretsried, Germany has begun delivering power to the grid becoming the world’s first utility-scale multilateral closed-loop geothermal system to achieve commercial operation. For anyone who has followed the geothermal sector for the last decade, this is nothing short of seismic (pun intended). What Makes Eavor’s Closed-Loop System Truly Disruptive? Traditional geothermal plants rely on naturally occurring hot water reservoirs or enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) that require hydraulic fracturing and massiv...

Europe’s Underground Energy Revolution: EGEC Demands 250 GW Geothermal by 2040

Europe’s Geothermal Revolution Is Coming: EGEC Demands a 250 GW Target by 2040 – Here’s Why 2026 Will Be Make-or-Break By: Robert Buluma Published: December 9, 2025 On 5 December 2025, the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) dropped a bombshell policy paper with a crystal-clear message to Brussels: Europe is sleeping on the biggest indigenous, baseload, 24/7 renewable energy source under its feet , and it’s time to wake up. Titled ,The European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan , Making Europe competitive, secure and affordable, the document is the strongest industry call yet for the European Commission to publish a dedicated European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan in Q1 2026. And the ambition is massive: 250 GW of installed geothermal capacity by 2040 a six-fold increase from today’s ~44 GW (mostly district heating and a handful of power plants). Why Now? Because Europe Can No Longer Afford to Wait Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Europe has been laser-focu...

Taiwan Drills 4,000m in Yilan, Unlocks Deep Geothermal Power

Breakthrough in Taiwan’s Deep Geothermal Energy: Academia Sinica and CPC Corporation Drill Nearly 4,000 Meters in Yilan and Find High-Potential Reservoir Published: December 10, 2025 By: Robert Buluma In a historic milestone for Taiwan’s renewable energy journey, Academia Sinica (Central Research Academy) and Taiwan’s state-owned CPC Corporation have successfully completed the island’s first-ever “deep geothermal exploratory well” in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County. The well reached a depth of nearly 4,000 meters, recorded a bottom-hole temperature close to 150 °C, and confirmed the existence of an upwelling heat source beneath the northern Yilan Plain. Researchers are now calling it a “high-potential geothermal reservoir” that could become a cornerstone of Taiwan’s green energy transition. From Anxiety to Excitement: The Temperature Surprise Dr. Ji-Chen Lee (李建成), principal investigator of the “Taiwan Geothermal Research and Technology Development Project” and researcher a...

Fervo Energy Secures $462 Million to Supercharge Geothermal Innovation

Fervo Energy's $462 Million Geothermal Gold Rush: Google Joins the Heat By: Robert Buluma December 10, 2025 In the fast-evolving world of clean energy, where solar panels dominate skylines and wind farms stretch across horizons, a deeper and quieter revolution is rising from beneath our feet. Fervo Energy, the Houston-based innovator in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), has just announced an astonishing $462 million Series E funding round. This isn’t just another climate-tech investment,it's a tectonic moment for geothermal energy. The round was led by B Capital , joined by major players including Google , Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, and nuclear industry leader Kris Singh. With continued backing from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Devon Energy, Fervo’s total funding now exceeds $1.5 billion. Why the sudden rush? As AI-driven data centers consume unprecedented amounts of electricity and political winds shift around renewable priorities, geothermal’s promise of 2...

CeraPhi Energy to Quietly Heat 460-Year-Old Kentwell Hall with Invisible Deep Geothermal

A 400-Year-Old Tudor Mansion Just Chose Next-Gen Geothermal And It Changes Everything Posted by Robert Buluma | December 11, 2025 Deep in the rolling countryside of Suffolk, England, stands Kentwell Hall ,a moated, red-brick Tudor masterpiece built in 1563, complete with octagonal guard towers, a 16th-century long gallery, and gardens that have hosted queens. For centuries it has been heated (if you can call it that) by a wheezing, century-old oil boiler that gulps thousands of litres of heating oil every winter yet still leaves the 400-year-old rooms chilly and the fuel bills astronomical. That is about to change , dramatically, invisibly, and permanently. This week it was announced that Kentwell Hall has selected CeraPhi Energy , a British deep-geothermal pioneer, to carry out a world-first feasibility study and, if successful, install a closed-loop deep geothermal heating system that will make the entire estate net-zero with almost zero visible impact on the Grade I list...

🔥 Krafla Magma Testbed: Drilling Into the Earth’s Fiery Heart

Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) : Humanity’s Bold Leap Into the Heart of the Earth Interview from Bjorn Gudmundsson the C.E.O-Krafla Magma Testbed and Team By: Robert Buluma In 2009, deep beneath Iceland’s iconic Krafla volcano, a drilling team made history. During the IDDP-1 project, their drill bit pierced into magma molten rock at just two kilometers below the surface. What began as an accident became a scientific revelation. For the first time, humans had safely accessed magma. This “Eureka” moment gave birth to an idea so daring it almost sounds like science fiction: the creation of a permanent observatory where magma could be directly studied. That idea became the Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) a visionary international project that promises to rewrite the future of geothermal science, volcanic monitoring, and sustainable energy. Why Krafla? The Perfect Laboratory Beneath Our Feet Krafla’s geology is unique. It offers a known shallow magma body, decades of research...

Search This Blog