Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins Say ‘Guten Tag!’ to This New Kind of Geothermal Tech
18 snips
Dec 17, 2025 Mark Fitzgerald, President and CEO of Eavor, brings 35 years of oil and gas experience to the table, discussing innovative closed-loop geothermal technology. He shares insights on how their system works without fracturing, the successful Geretsreid project in Germany, and the potential for zero-carbon energy. Fitzgerald highlights the lessons from the oil industry that apply to geothermal, emphasizing the transition to sustainable energy and Eavor's commercial strategy for expanding into European markets. Tune in for a glimpse into the future of clean energy!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Closed-Loop Geothermal As An Underground Radiator
- Eavor's closed-loop system creates an underground radiator by drilling vertical wells with multilateral horizontal laterals that are connected into a continuous loop.
- The loop circulates fluid without injecting or fracturing rock, letting it deliver heat reliably and with no emissions.
Lower Costs By Applying Oil‑And‑Gas Drilling Lessons
- Drive down drilling costs by leveraging proven oil-and-gas drilling methods and iterative learning to compress costs across laterals.
- Speed and repetition cut per-lateral cost heavily, as later laterals at Geretsreid cost 50% less than the first two.
Magnetic Ranging Enables Precise Lateral Connections
- Eavor uses active magnetic ranging tools to steer drill bits and reliably intersect horizontal laterals for loop closure.
- That capability enables building continuous 16-kilometer loop wellbores reaching 4–4.5 km depth and long laterals.