Virgo Energy: phase one wells complete, testing planned this summer; commercial operations aimed for Oct. 2026

Virgo Energy representatives told the Beaver County Commission on April 15 that construction of surface facilities and well work for phase one is substantially complete and that the company expects to begin testing that could place power on the grid this summer, with commercial operations targeted for October 2026.

The update matters because the project will bring new construction jobs and a small number of permanent operations jobs to the county, along with new electricity capacity and transmission work that will affect regional planning.

Brandon Law, project representative for Virgo Energy, said the company has finished construction on phase one well pads and has completed 19 wells to date. "We've completed construction for phase 1," Law said. He told commissioners the company has started surface‑facility work, including foundations and heavy electrical equipment, and that a bond from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) covers up to 2 gigawatts of development in the project area. Rahul Rumbova, also representing Virgo Energy, described adjustments to well spacing and well‑design that increased productivity while reducing surface footprint.

Law outlined the company's near‑term schedule: additional drilling and well testing will continue through the next month, and the team expects to begin stimulation and well connectivity tests later in the quarter. "If you're driving by the site, you probably see some skidding. That is a temporary operation as we're completing well testing," he said. Law said testing could put electricity on the grid in June, and that the project's first commercial phase — a roughly 100‑megawatt block — is slated for commercial operation in October 2026. Company spokespeople said the broader project has a development objective near 500 megawatts, subject to permitting and customer contracts.

Commissioners asked about local hiring and workforce impacts. Law said construction workforces are mixed and include local housing in Milford, Beaver and Cedar City and that the company is using work trailers on site for some crews. On permanent staffing, Virgo estimated 15–30 on‑site jobs when the plant enters steady operations. The company is running apprenticeship and education partnerships with local schools; Law said the apprenticeship program had about 22 participants at the time of the meeting. Rumbova said the project team is conducting outreach to recruit locally for operations roles as the project nears commissioning.

Virgo said it will host visitor events in early June expected to bring roughly 200 guests to the area; the company asked county leaders to be aware of hotel and hospitality demand during that period. Law also said the company will publish a non‑consumptive water appropriation notice in local papers in the coming weeks and that the state engineer had been engaged productively.

The company made a written offer to update the county as the project moves toward commercial commissioning and to keep county staff and elected officials informed on permitting and workforce numbers.

Why this matters: local officials will track permitting, road use, and workforce demand as construction peaks, and the timeline will determine when testing and commercial revenues begin. The county and the company agreed to continue quarterly updates to the commission.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article were present at the April 15 Beaver County Commission meeting and identified in the meeting transcript: Brandon Law (Virgo Energy representative), Rahul Rumbova (Virgo Energy representative) and Wade Long (head commissioner).