Get ready for Geo! Demo Day by getting to know the five finalist teams vying for winner status—and a $500,000 cash prize and up to $200,000 in reimbursed field-testing costs—during the conclusion of the Geothermal Manufacturing Prize!
The following teams will be presenting their technologies during the Geothermal Rising Conference in Reno, NV, on August 28. Read up and cheer them on!
- Team Baker Hughes (Houston, TX): This team is developing high expansion packers with additively manufactured backup rings. With an inventive, interlocking petal design, these backup rings will improve the zonal isolation in both open and cased hole geothermal wells. Learn more about their technology.
- Downhole Emerging Technologies (Houston, TX): This team is developing an innovative alternative to traditional packer systems. The retrievable, all-metal packer system is designed specifically for high temperatures, extreme pressures, and corrosion experienced in geothermal wells. Learn more about their technology.
- Team PLUGS (Morgantown, WV): This team is developing a sparger system that uses high-pressure air for artificial lift, which replaces the traditional electric pumps. The technology addresses maintenance issues experienced by existing pump technologies due to harsh geothermal conditions. Learn more about their technology.
- The Bit Guys (Morgantown, WV): This team is developing an air-hammer drill bit with carbide cutter retention technology that tackles drilling-related challenges in geothermal environments. Basement rock is notoriously difficult to drill through and this bit technology addresses both the strength and temperature requirements for geothermal drilling. Learn more about their technology.
- Ultra-High Temperature Logging Tool (Houston, TX): This team is developing a technology that uses a labyrinthian heat sink to reduce thermal emissivity and increase the exposure time of temperature sensitive electronic components. The technology solves limitations around maximum temperature rating and lifetime of electronics in logging and measurement tools. Learn more about their technology.
Two winners of the prize will be chosen from among these finalists and announced on Aug. 29 during the conference’s plenary session. Check back here for the complete winner announcement!
