Geothermal drilling in Szaflary, Poland terminates at 6103.2 meters depth
Drilling rig operations at the site of the Banska PGP-4 geothermal well in Szaflary, Poland (source: video screenshot, Polish Geological Institute)
Carlo Cariaga
7 Apr 2025
Drilling of the Banska PGP-4 well in Szaflary, Poland has ended at 6103 meters depth, short of the 7000-meter target, due to several drilling challenges.
The drilling of a geothermal borehole in the town of Szalfary in the Malopolska Province in Poland, has been officially ended at a depth of exactly 6103.2 meters. Though short of the target 7-kilometer depth, it was nevertheless an impressive effort to set a new record for the deepest geothermal borehole for heating. For now, that record is still held by the 6.4-kilometer well in Otaniemi, Finland.
Drilling work for the Banska PGP-4 well started in April 2023. By the end of that year, it was reported that the well had already reached the 5000-meter mark. By then, it had also intersected a large reservoir with temperature of 120 °C.
Work had to be stopped at a depth of around 5900 meters because the drill had reached a very hard rock formation, resulting in a very slow rate of penetration. The walls of the well had also started collapsing, which had to be repaired. More so, the top drive failed and the main cable broke at a depth of 6096 meters. Drilling was resumed in July 2024.
With these challenges in consideration, it was decided that drilling will be terminated before the target depth had been reached. According to the initial assessment, the 120 °C resource had the greatest potential to be used for geothermal heating for the Szaflary commune and nearby areas, including the city of Nowy Targ. The well had also fulfilled its purpose as a research tool, providing subsurface information at previously unknown depths.
Tests will still have to be done to determine the temperature, productivity, and the physicochemical properties of the waters from the well. This information will be the basis for creating a model for the use of thermal waters in the entire Podhale region.
Preparatory work for the construction of a 5.5-kilometer heating main is already ongoing. The plan is for the geothermal heat to be distributed from the heating plant in Banska Nizna. The commune is also applying for funding for the implementation of the second stage of the project, which will involve building the connection of the geothermal network to the individual users.
Geothermal research and drilling in Szaflary will contribute greatly to the building momentum for geothermal heating in Poland. The country will soon have 11 geothermal heating plants operational, the latest ones being in Turek and Konin.
