California-based XGS Energy has found a way to access untapped geothermal heat beneath the Earth’s crust using a “special mud,” as TechCrunch describes.
It is part of the company’s goal to expand the renewable energy source that has not accelerated for various reasons, such as wind and solar energy. According to government statistics, geothermal produces less than half a percent of U.S. electricity.
“XGS has brought together the right team with the right technology to unleash the potential of geothermal energy,” Craig Barrett, chairman of XGS, said in a press release early this year, announcing a $9.7 million funding round for the company .
Geothermal technology typically involves drilling into the earth to access heat. Shallower depths provide stable temperatures for warm and cool homes. Other methods include drilling much deeper (up to 12 miles or more in at least one case) to harness extreme heat from below the surface.
XGS targets depths that offer temperatures of at least 482 degrees Fahrenheit. This ultimately heats water that is returned to the surface.
Geothermal systems often pump water underground and then pull it to the surface to provide electricity, often by driving a turbine. But over time, the underground cracks that trap heat can close or absorb too much water, causing the well to fail, according to TechCrunch.
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“The history of geothermal has always been this idea of degradation,” Josh Prueher, CEO of XGS, told the publication. “This is happening all over the world.”
The company’s patented process uses what TechCrunch – based on discussion with Prueher – describes as a “specialized mud” that could fix the problem. Better yet, the process can save old wells or work for new drilling sites.
Proprietary thermally conductive material is injected around the wellbore, filling the cracks and drawing heat into the shaft, as XGS describes it. The “mud” is partly made of minerals that conduct heat well.
A special well jacket lines each hole and collects the heat, heating the water flowing through the system as part of a closed loop arrangement. This prevents water loss, degradation and other problems that plague the sector.
A major advantage of the process is that the same water is repeatedly reused, making the technique also feasible in dry places. The company notes that other operations can use millions of gallons of water per day.
The result for XGS is a cheaper method with more than 30 years of warranty.
“We’ll know in 30 days where we’ll be in 30 years” in energy production, Prueher said in the TechCrunch report.
Geothermal energy has the potential to provide virtually unlimited energy without harmful air pollution. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that electricity production from “all energy sources” was responsible for 1.82 billion tons of CO2 pollution in 2022.
XGS could help unlock geothermal energy as part of an energy transformation that eliminates tailpipe emissions. Less air pollution has a number of benefits, even limiting the risk of extreme weather that NASA links to planet-warming gases.
TechCrunch reports that XGS recently secured another $20 million to help build a commercial-scale prototype in California this summer as part of the next phase, all supported by top experts.
“Our team consists of the best and brightest minds with hundreds of years of cumulative experience in materials science,” XGS boasts on its website.
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