Two wells made the record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The pilot reopened an older well as the injector and added a 10,200-ft. deviated production well. Engineers dug the new well within 6 ft. of its planned path, then circulated fluid between the two through engineered fractures in the hot rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: An Oregon volcano hides rock at over 600\u00b0 just 9,800 feet down, and a Texas crew cracked it open<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThat may sound simple in theory, but the underground plumbing is the challenge. Mazama used its Thermal Lattice stimulation process along with sliding sleeves, chemical and nanoparticle tracers, crosslinked fracturing fluids, and fiber-optic sensors to map fracture expansion and temperature in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The drilling numbers<\/a> are impressive. The company reported a peak penetration rate above 100 ft. per hour, an average of 76 ft. per hour, and a 2,760-ft. bit run without a downhole motor or measurement-tool failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n629\u00b0F is a doorway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The record sits below the temperature that Mazama is looking for. The Department of Energy\u2019s<\/a> superhot EGS demonstration category targets rock of over 707\u00b0F, while Mazama says temperatures surpassing 750\u00b0F are available at Newberry at depths shallower than 16,400 ft.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy chase the extra heat? Hotter fluid carries more usable energy to the surface, potentially increasing output from each well and reducing how many holes must be drilled. Mazama says its design could someday deliver up to 10 times the power density while using 75% less water and 80% fewer wells, but those are still company targets that need commercial proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company is also shooting for electricity below $0.05 per kilowatt-hour. That would have the technology in a far more competitive range, but the Newberry pilot has not demonstrated that cost at commercial scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data centers sharpen the case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What households or server halls<\/a> care about is not the number on a downhole thermometer; it is whether the project can deliver reliable power at all hours, including at night and during calm weather. The Department of Energy describes geothermal as firm and flexible generation that can run essentially around the clock.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat quality is becoming more valuable as computing loads skyrocket<\/a>. The International Energy Agency expects global data center electricity use to increase from 485 terawatt-hours in 2025 to roughly 950 terawatt-hours in 2030, while geothermal produced only about 0.4% of U.S. utility-scale generation in 2025. There is plenty of room to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlso Read: The computer steering Voyager 1 runs 8,000 instructions a second, and the phone in your pocket does millions<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nMazama CEO Sriram Vasantharajan has connected the project directly to what \u201cthe next generation of AI and cloud infrastructure will require.\u201d The first unit is an early building block, intended to test whether one hot horizontal pair can underpin a 200 MW development and someday a much larger field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/oregon-newberry-volcano-geothermal-energy-mazama-wells-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Mazama Energy successfully connects deep wells into 629\u00b0F rock beneath Oregon’s Newberry Volcano to advance enhanced geothermal energy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAn active volcano changes the risks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Newberry is not inactive. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says the broad volcano covers an area about the size of Rhode Island, with its central \u2018caldera\u2019 roughly 25 miles south of Bend, and it last erupted about 1,300 years ago. Hot springs, new lava flows, and background seismicity are why the agency still classifies it as active and lists it as a \u201cvery high threat\u201d volcano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That label does not mean an eruption is forthcoming. As of August 7, 2026, Newberry remained at NORMAL alert status with a GREEN aviation color code<\/a>, while the USGS has indicated that the geothermal work is not expected to alter the volcano\u2019s state or hazard outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\nInduced earthquakes still form part of the environmental calculations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier geothermal campaigns in 2012 and 2014 produced hundreds of small quakes of magnitude 2.5 or lower, and Mazama\u2019s work in late 2024 caused some minor seismicity, so the USGS and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network monitor the site and distinguish engineering-related events from volcanic earthquakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now the permits\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Mazama has named the observation well \u2018Project Athena\u2019 and the horizontal injector-producer pair \u2018Project Ceres\u2019. Its public plan calls for a pilot of over 15 MW that would support a first 200 MW project, with the wider Newberry resource described by the company as having more than 5 GW of potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The regulatory process is moving, but it is not completed. In late July 2026, the Bureau of Land Management<\/a> completed a categorical exclusion and decision record covering a new well pad, up to three geothermal wells, a freshwater well, road work, and a water line, while noting that specific geothermal drilling permits still had to be issued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlso Read: Ukraine’s bargain cruise missile is forcing America’s biggest weapons makers to rethink production faster than anyone expected<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThat is the real next chapter. A temperature record draws headlines, but sustained circulation, manageable seismicity, quality equipment, permits, and actual power sales<\/a> will determine whether Newberry becomes a clean-energy hub or remains another promising experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat the breakthrough proves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Mazama has shown that oil-and-gas-style drilling and stimulation can connect wells in volcanic rock at temperatures that put extraordinary stress on typical downhole equipment. It has not yet demonstrated years of commercial electricity output with reasonable costs, water use, and reservoir performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In any case, the experiment moves superhot geothermal one step closer to the grid. For Oregon, the prize is locally produced, steady power that can complement wind, solar, and batteries<\/a> without waiting for perfect weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe next test is no longer whether the rock is hot enough; it is whether the project can turn that heat into dependable electricity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest official project update was published on Mazama Energy\u2019s EMPOWER page<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Texas geothermal developer has connected two deep wells through rock measuring 629\u00b0F beneath Newberry Volcano in the middle of … <\/p>\n
629\u00b0F is a doorway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The record sits below the temperature that Mazama is looking for. The Department of Energy\u2019s<\/a> superhot EGS demonstration category targets rock of over 707\u00b0F, while Mazama says temperatures surpassing 750\u00b0F are available at Newberry at depths shallower than 16,400 ft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why chase the extra heat? Hotter fluid carries more usable energy to the surface, potentially increasing output from each well and reducing how many holes must be drilled. Mazama says its design could someday deliver up to 10 times the power density while using 75% less water and 80% fewer wells, but those are still company targets that need commercial proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company is also shooting for electricity below $0.05 per kilowatt-hour. That would have the technology in a far more competitive range, but the Newberry pilot has not demonstrated that cost at commercial scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What households or server halls<\/a> care about is not the number on a downhole thermometer; it is whether the project can deliver reliable power at all hours, including at night and during calm weather. The Department of Energy describes geothermal as firm and flexible generation that can run essentially around the clock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That quality is becoming more valuable as computing loads skyrocket<\/a>. The International Energy Agency expects global data center electricity use to increase from 485 terawatt-hours in 2025 to roughly 950 terawatt-hours in 2030, while geothermal produced only about 0.4% of U.S. utility-scale generation in 2025. There is plenty of room to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mazama CEO Sriram Vasantharajan has connected the project directly to what \u201cthe next generation of AI and cloud infrastructure will require.\u201d The first unit is an early building block, intended to test whether one hot horizontal pair can underpin a 200 MW development and someday a much larger field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Newberry is not inactive. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says the broad volcano covers an area about the size of Rhode Island, with its central \u2018caldera\u2019 roughly 25 miles south of Bend, and it last erupted about 1,300 years ago. Hot springs, new lava flows, and background seismicity are why the agency still classifies it as active and lists it as a \u201cvery high threat\u201d volcano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That label does not mean an eruption is forthcoming. As of August 7, 2026, Newberry remained at NORMAL alert status with a GREEN aviation color code<\/a>, while the USGS has indicated that the geothermal work is not expected to alter the volcano\u2019s state or hazard outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Induced earthquakes still form part of the environmental calculations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier geothermal campaigns in 2012 and 2014 produced hundreds of small quakes of magnitude 2.5 or lower, and Mazama\u2019s work in late 2024 caused some minor seismicity, so the USGS and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network monitor the site and distinguish engineering-related events from volcanic earthquakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mazama has named the observation well \u2018Project Athena\u2019 and the horizontal injector-producer pair \u2018Project Ceres\u2019. Its public plan calls for a pilot of over 15 MW that would support a first 200 MW project, with the wider Newberry resource described by the company as having more than 5 GW of potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The regulatory process is moving, but it is not completed. In late July 2026, the Bureau of Land Management<\/a> completed a categorical exclusion and decision record covering a new well pad, up to three geothermal wells, a freshwater well, road work, and a water line, while noting that specific geothermal drilling permits still had to be issued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is the real next chapter. A temperature record draws headlines, but sustained circulation, manageable seismicity, quality equipment, permits, and actual power sales<\/a> will determine whether Newberry becomes a clean-energy hub or remains another promising experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mazama has shown that oil-and-gas-style drilling and stimulation can connect wells in volcanic rock at temperatures that put extraordinary stress on typical downhole equipment. It has not yet demonstrated years of commercial electricity output with reasonable costs, water use, and reservoir performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In any case, the experiment moves superhot geothermal one step closer to the grid. For Oregon, the prize is locally produced, steady power that can complement wind, solar, and batteries<\/a> without waiting for perfect weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next test is no longer whether the rock is hot enough; it is whether the project can turn that heat into dependable electricity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The latest official project update was published on Mazama Energy\u2019s EMPOWER page<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Texas geothermal developer has connected two deep wells through rock measuring 629\u00b0F beneath Newberry Volcano in the middle of … <\/p>\nData centers sharpen the case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: The computer steering Voyager 1 runs 8,000 instructions a second, and the phone in your pocket does millions<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
An active volcano changes the risks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now the permits\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: Ukraine’s bargain cruise missile is forcing America’s biggest weapons makers to rethink production faster than anyone expected<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
What the breakthrough proves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n