Quaise Energy conducts geothermal drilling demo in Texas

Quaise Energy demonstrated its drilling technique on a full-scale oil rig outside of Houston. Quaise is working to replace conventional drill bits that mechanically break up rock with millimeter-wave energy that melts and vaporizes rock to create deeper holes.

The mother lode of geothermal energy is 2-12 mi beneath the Earth’s surface. The difficultly in accessing those resources is that the drills used by the oil and gas industries can’t withstand the formidable temperatures and pressures that are found miles down without becoming exponentially more expensive with depth.

Scientists showed that millimeter waves could drill a hole in basalt, and Quaise has been developing the technique to drill deeper and deeper holes. Outside the Quaise lab in Houston, engineers succeeded in drilling a hole 4 in in diameter and 10 ft deep.

The company is now preparing for another demonstration planned for July in Marble Falls, Texas, where the team aims to drill multiple holes 425 ft deep into an actual granite outcrop for the first time.