XGS Energy completes 3000-hour operations of geothermal technology in Coso, California
XGS Energy has successfully completed a 3000-hour test of its single-well geothermal system with TRE technology at an idle well in the Coso field in California.
XGS Energy has announced the successful operation of its closed-loop geothermal system at commercial scale for over 3000 hours at an idle well in the Coso geothermal field in California. Results were positive, demonstrating the effectivity of Thermal Reach Enhancement (TRE) technology and proving commercial economics of the proposed system.
XGS designed and executed a workover program on a well that had been idle in the Coso geothermal field, owned by Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure and operated by Coso Operating Company, for over two decades. After installing XGS’s proprietary geothermal system, including performance-boosting TRE technology, flow testing demonstrated record performance for a water-independent geothermal system.
Further, the test proved commercial economics by sustaining a difference between injection and production temperatures greater than 158?F (70?C). Power output from geothermal wells is directly tied to the temperature delta between injection and production fluid.
Improving predictability in geothermal systems
The extensive operating history was used to verify XGS’s production models, with actual performance falling within 2% of predicted values. Compared to other geothermal systems, the closed-loop system of XGS Energy provides a higher degree of predictability and active control of field performance. These are typically challenging in geothermal as they are subject to complex and continuously changing subsurface reservoir conditions.
“Predictable and sustainable long-term performance has been a thorn in the side of the geothermal industry,” said XGS Chief Technology Officer Dr. Axel-Pierre Bois. “XGS’s ability to deliver a highly predictable geothermal system in any subsurface environment, paired with validated power production models, significantly derisks our project development and financing.”
Faster well construction
The project further confirmed TRE formulation and placement methods at commercial temperature and depth conditions. Placement of TRE in the well was completed in less than 24 hours.
“This project demonstrates we are not only able to leverage TRE to produce geothermal energy at commercial scale, but also that we can substantially shorten well construction times to deliver large-scale power projects faster,” said Dr. Ghazal Izadi, XGS Chief Operating Officer.
“With strong demonstrated performance of the TRE system, we can turn our focus to more traditional value drivers such as well design, drilling speed and surface plant cost, leveraging best practices from the oil and gas industry to deliver cost advantage at scale.”
“This milestone is a testament to the extraordinary dedication and talent of the XGS team and our partners,” said Josh Prueher, Chief Executive Officer at XGS. “This success is a critical enabler of our three-gigawatt near-term commercial pipeline as we demonstrate the geographic flexibility and differentiated financeability of XGS’s unique technology.”
XGS is rapidly advancing a multi-gigawatt and growing project pipeline, underpinned by soaring electricity load growth and demand for new baseload energy supplies. In June, XGS announced a partnership with Meta to deliver 150 MW of geothermal energy to the PNM utility grid to support Meta’s data center operations in New Mexico.
Source: XGS Energy
