Supercritical Geothermal | Drilling Into the Hottest Rock on Earth

The Enverus Innovation Underground series, hosted by Enverus Intelligence® Research Analyst Graham Bain, features in-depth discussions with industry leaders pioneering the adoption of cleaner energy solutions, including CCUS, hydrogen, geothermal, direct lithium extraction and more. 

Supercritical geothermal — accessing rock above 374°C where water exists in a state that is neither liquid nor gas — could generate up to ten times more power per well than conventional geothermal systems. But reaching that potential requires solving some of the most demanding subsurface engineering challenges in the energy industry. 

Drilling into rock at temperatures exceeding 400°C means managing extreme thermal stress, preventing drilling fluid breakdown, maintaining wellbore integrity and developing stimulation technologies capable of operating where conventional equipment fails. 

In this session, Graham Bain is joined by Blake Wood, Co-Founder and CEO of 400C Energy, to examine the technical realities of developing superhot geothermal resources. With a background in drilling operations at Chevron and deep expertise in downhole tool design, Blake leads a company purpose-built to stimulate and produce from ultra-high-temperature reservoirs. 

Together, they explore what it takes to drill, complete and fracture wells in supercritical conditions, where the technology stands today and what must happen for scalable deployment. 

Topics Covered: 

• What defines supercritical geothermal and why it dramatically increases energy output per well 

• The engineering realities of drilling at 400°C 

• Managing fluid stability, thermal stress and wellbore integrity in extreme heat 

• 400C Energy’s all-metal stimulation technology tested at 400°C and 15,000 psi 

• The Salt Cove project in Utah 

• The commercialization pathway and how oil and gas expertise maps directly to superhot geothermal development 

Join us for a focused 30-minute discussion on whether supercritical geothermal can move from technical breakthrough to scalable baseload energy solution. 

About Enverus Intelligence®| Research 
Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations and macro-economic forecasts and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies and capital providers worldwide. See additional disclosures here.