Mazama Energy reports 80% drilling time improvement on second geothermal well
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Mazama Energy has announced an 80% drilling time reduction in its second well against the baseline set by its first Enhanced Geothermal well drilled in 2025.
Mazama Energy Inc. (Mazama) has announced that it has drilled its second geothermal well, Athena, to a depth of 10,350 feet (3155 meters) in 15 drilling days, representing an 80% reduction in drilling time compared to the company’s first well which was drilled to the same depth. Athena will continue to be drilled to a target total depth 15,500 feet (4724 meters), with an expected temperature exceeding 750 ºF (~ 400 ºC)
The Athena well is part of Mazama’s Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) project in Newberry, Oregon. In late 2025, the company announced drilling the world’s hottest Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) well, with a bottomhole temperature of 331 °C.
Project Athena, referring to the second well, was designed to demonstrate faster and more efficient drilling while validating the technologies and processes essential to develop superhot rock geothermal resources. The well will provide pioneering insights into ultra-high temperature rock characteristics and provide evidence for independent certification of a thermally recoverable resource at Newberry of more than 10 GWe.
The results to date demonstrate a significant improvement in drilling performance and provide validation of Mazama’s approach of combining technology innovation with operational excellence to reduce the cost and risk of accessing superhot rock resources. The drilling achieved instantaneous rates of penetration exceeding 350 feet (106 meters) per hour, and sustained rates above 130 feet (40 meters) per hour across extended intervals. The team completed a 3,578-foot (1090-m) drilling bit run which only stopped when the planned casing point was reached. Equipment reliability was a standout with zero downhole motor or directional drilling system failures.
Athena also is a key step toward Mazama’s Project Ceres which, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, will drill the first ever commercial-scale superhot rock horizontal wells in Q4 2026. As stated by CEO Sriram Vasantharajan, the commercial project is on pace to achieve a development cost of USD 4500 to 4950 per kW and provides a pathway to USD 3200 per kW as the technology scales.
The goal is to scale superhot rock geothermal to be cost-competitive with gas. Aside from incremental efficiency gains, Mazama also aims to drill fewer wells and reduce land disturbance, further driving down capital costs.
RELATED: Harnessing heat from SuperHot rock: The Mazama Energy approach
“Our goal was to demonstrate that we could drill faster and be cost effective as we move toward increasingly hotter and deeper conditions,” said Pat Brand, Project Athena Director and Mazama’s Drilling SME. “We still have work ahead as we drill toward 750+°F temperatures, but the performance we are already seeing gives us confidence.”
“Mazama’s Projects Athena and Ceres are pivotal milestones in the progression of next-generation geothermal. Continued field demonstration and innovation can help expand the range of geothermal resources and locations capable of delivering reliable, 24/7 energy at scale,” said Sean Porse, Acting Director, Geothermal Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy.
“We have the demonstrated superhot rock platform which includes well construction, drilling, and stimulation to substantially increase the power capacity of engineered geothermal systems. This allows our projects to drill fewer wells, use less water, and minimize surface footprint to drive down capital and compete on cost with natural gas,” said Sriram Vasantharajan, CEO of Mazama Energy.
Source: Mazama Energy via GlobeNewswire