Fervo Energy announced it has drilled its hottest well at a greenfield geothermal drillsite in Utah. The drilling results confirm resource temperatures above 555°F approximately 11,200 ft deep, exceeding the requirements for commercial viability. Drilled in under 11 days, the vertical appraisal well marks the hottest well drilled in company history.
An independent assessment completed using the appraisal data confirms a multigigawatt resource potential at the Project Blanford site in Millard County, Utah. A diagnostic fracture injection test validated the ability to stimulate the target formation and provided reservoir data for development planning.
The appraisal results, announced by Fervo’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Jack Norbeck, at the 51st Stanford Geothermal Workshop, reflect the growing role of artificial-intelligence (AI) -enabled drilling and exploration technology in Fervo’s development strategy. Using AI-driven subsurface analytics, Fervo identified and assessed a novel play concept targeting a hot sedimentary basin and optimized the drilling plan. Temperature logs measured in the appraisal well place the site above the 95th percentile for deep geothermal gradient across the Western United States.
“Fervo’s exploration strategy has always been underpinned by the seamless integration of cutting-edge data acquisition and advanced analytics,” Norbeck said. “This latest ultrahigh-temperature discovery highlights our team’s ability to detect and develop EGS [enhanced geothermal systems] sweet spots using AI-enhanced geophysical techniques.”
The greenfield site also expands Fervo’s geologic footprint as previous projects validated EGS development in metamorphic and igneous formations. The target geothermal reservoir at the Blanford site consists of sedimentary formations including sandstones, claystones, and carbonates, which can be drilled more easily and cost-effectively than the more commonly targeted granite formations.