Combining conventional and millimeter wave (MMW) capabilities
Last week, we showcased millimeter wave drilling on a full-scale oil and gas rig with our partners at Nabors Industries, putting us one step closer to superhot geothermal power production.
This is the first-ever hybrid drilling rig, combining conventional and millimeter wave capabilities. The oil and gas industry drills about 70,000 wells globally every year, using close to 2,000 rigs like the one we’re on now. This is an industry that’s added terawatts of power for decades.
By using these resources to drill superhot geothermal wells, we can generate abundant baseload power in record time. There’s no other energy solution capable of the same scale and speed.
Video Transcript
The main issue with geothermal energy is scale, in terms of both power and accessibility.
Oil and gas companies are masters of scale. There is significant overlap in skills and infrastructure between the two industries. And by leveraging the oil and gas industry to scale geothermal power production, it will change everything.
And that is what we're showing here in Houston with our partners at Nabors Industries. We've taken a full-scale drilling rig and integrated our millimeter wave drilling system. We call it a hybrid rig, one that can perform both conventional and millimeter wave drilling to unlock geothermal energy at great depths all around the world.
Superhot geothermal is in a league of its own. It can reach economic and power parity with oil and gas by producing up to ten times more energy per well, than a typical geothermal well. And that is the key to scaling geothermal power production to terawatts.
And millimeter wave drilling makes the resource accessible worldwide. It's how geothermal can go
from a decimal point in the global energy mix to a dominant source.
The oil and gas industry drills about 70,000 wells globally every year using close to 2000 drilling rigs
like the one that we're at here today. And this is an industry that's added terawatts of power for decades.
By using these resources to drill superhot wells, we can generate abundant carbon-free energy in record time. There's no other energy solution capable of the same scale and speed.
Right now, we’re conducting extensive tests with Nabors that will help us fine-tune the integration process with any oil and gas rig in the world.
After the conclusion of these tests, we'll start then to mobilize everything and prepare for our first
commercial geothermal project in the years ahead.
It's time for a hotter geothermal frontier, it's time to dig deep!