Energy technology company Baker Hughes announced on Oct. 11 the completion of the test well for its consortium Wells2Watts, a geothermal energy consortium retrofitting old well technology for geothermal energy and renewable electricity production.

The well is now ready to simulate geothermal flow testing to accelerate technology development and commercially scale geothermal as a baseload energy supply.

The geothermal test well, located at the Hamm Institute for American Energy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, will simulate geothermal subsurface environments to test the closed-loop system for various well configurations. The well will also validate engineering performance models and offer scale for field pilot efforts.

“Collaborating with other organizations, investing in research and development and partnering with startups are all critical to making geothermal energy more accessible and affordable,” said Maria Claudia Borras, executive vice president of oilfield services and equipment at Baker Hughes. “The completion of the Wells2Watts geothermal test well is a momentous step in our commitment to delivering new sources of energy to meet the world’s increasing demand.”

During the commissioning ceremony, the Wells2Watts consortium, which includes Continental Resources, INPEX Corp.  and Chesapeake Energy Corp., welcomed California Resources Corp. as its newest member.

“[California Resources] is excited to join the Wells2Watts geothermal energy consortium, and we look forward to collaborating with its members,” Francisco Leon, president and CEO of California Resources, said in the release. “California has ambitious climate goals, and [the company] is committed to providing the state with real solutions to help meet its decarbonization targets and a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy supply.”

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