SUNYA Energy

Fervo Energy Drills 15,000-FT, 500°F Geothermal Well, Pushing the Envelope for EGS Deployment

June 10, 2025
SUNYA Summary
- Fervo Energy announced the successful drilling of its Sugarloaf appraisal well, marking a significant advancement in enhanced geothermal systems. - The well reached a true vertical depth of 15,765 feet and is projected to achieve a bottomhole temperature of 520 °F. - The drilling was completed in just 16 days, which is a 79% reduction in time compared to the US Department of Energy's baseline for ultradeep geothermal wells. - Fervo set multiple drilling performance records during this operation, including a maximum bit run length of 3,290 feet and a maximum average rate of penetration of 95 feet per hour. - The instantaneous rate of penetration exceeded 300 feet per hour at depths beyond 15,000 feet. - These achievements expand the commercial viability of EGS into deeper and hotter regions and may enable technology deployment beyond the western US. - The company received an independent geothermal reserves report from DeGolyer & MacNaughton, verifying its development plan and contract capabilities. - Fervo's technology is projected to unlock thermal recovery factors between 50 to 60%, which would triple useful thermal energy reserves compared to conventional geothermal methods. - The Cape Station project area has the potential to support over 5 GW of development at depths of up to 13,000 feet. - The new drilling results are expected to enhance Cape's resource potential further. - Several resource evaluation studies indicate there are hundreds of gigawatts of geothermal opportunity at depths of 10,000 to 20,000 feet and temperatures of 400 to 600 °F. - Fervo's advances from 2020, when they first performed EGS trials at 300 °F, show significant strides in technology capable of operating at over 500 °F. - The company positions itself as essential for meeting increased US power demand driven by advancements in AI and electrification.
PRESS RELEASE
Fervo Energy Drills 15,000-FT, 500°F Geothermal Well, Pushing the Envelope for EGS Deployment:

Jun 10, 2025 7:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

This successful appraisal well paves the way for new productivity records for the geothermal energy industry

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fervo Energy today announced the successful drilling and logging of its Sugarloaf appraisal well, an operational achievement that demonstrates the rapid advancement and scalability of enhanced geothermal systems (“EGS”). The well was drilled to a true vertical depth of 15,765 feet and is projected to reach a bottomhole temperature of 520 °F after full thermal equilibration. Fervo completed the Sugarloaf well in just 16 drilling days, representing a 79% reduction in drilling time compared to the US Department of Energy baseline for ultradeep geothermal wells.


Fervo completed the Sugarloaf well in just 16 drilling days, representing a 79% reduction in drilling time compared to the US Department of Energy baseline for ultradeep geothermal wells.Share

While drilling what is Fervo’s hottest and deepest well to-date, the company was able to achieve multiple drilling performance records, including a maximum bit run length of 3,290 feet, a maximum average rate of penetration (“ROP”) of 95 feet/hour, and an instantaneous ROP of over 300 feet/hour at depths greater than 15,000 feet. These results expand the window for commercial viability of EGS into a significantly deeper and hotter regime, paving the way to deploy the technology outside of the western US.

In parallel, Fervo has obtained an independent geothermal reserves report from worldwide consulting firm DeGolyer & MacNaughton for Cape Phase I. This comprehensive technical and economic evaluation of Fervo’s development plan provides external verification on Fervo’s ability to deliver contracted clean energy volumes to customers including Shell Energy and Southern California Edison.

DeGolyer & MacNaughton’s independent estimates of heat-in-place and reserves involved a comprehensive review of Fervo’s drilling data, geologic models, and production test results. The report highlights that Fervo’s proprietary EGS design successfully unlocks thermal recovery factors in the range of 50 to 60%, tripling the amount of useful thermal energy reserves compared to conventional geothermal technology. The report confirms that the Cape Station project area can support over 5 GW of development at depths of up to 13,000 feet. The new Sugarloaf drilling results are expected to increase Cape’s resource potential even further.

Various geothermal resource evaluation and grid modeling studies – including recent reports by the US Geological Survey, Princeton University, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory – have now aligned that there are hundreds of gigawatts of opportunity for geothermal deployment in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 feet and 400 to 600 °F.

“Back in July 2020, we performed our first EGS field trials at reservoir temperatures of around 300 °F,” said Jack Norbeck, CTO and co-founder of Fervo Energy. “In just a few years, we’ve developed innovations that enable our technology to operate reliably at temperatures exceeding 500 °F. These drilling results demonstrate that Fervo is operating in the optimal geothermal conditions for large-scale commercial deployment.”

As US power demand accelerates - driven by AI, electrification, and grid reliability needs - Fervo’s ability to unlock firm, carbon-free energy from heat reservoirs miles underground positions it as a core contributor to the American energy mix.

About Fervo Energy

Fervo Energy provides 24/7 carbon-free energy through the development of next-generation geothermal power. Fervo’s mission is to leverage innovation in geoscience to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. With breakthroughs in horizontal drilling, fiber-optic sensing, and advanced reservoir engineering, Fervo is making geothermal scalable, competitive, and ready to meet growing global demand. For more information, visit www.fervoenergy.com.



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Media Contact
Chelsea Anderson
comms@fervoenergy.com