Commission approves FORGE project permit for deep wells and extended circulation testing

The Beaver County Commission on March 4 approved CDP 2025-01, a conditional-use permit for the Energy & Geoscience Institute’s FORGE project that authorizes drilling additional deep seismic monitoring and circulation-test wells and related surface equipment.

Clay Jones, presenting for the Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah, described planned Phase 4 work through 2028 that includes two new deep seismic wells (described in the presentation as “thousand‑foot deep seismic wells”), further stimulation of existing lateral wells and extended circulation testing. Jones said the project team also plans surface piping and pressurization changes to reduce water lost to flashing and evaporation.

Jones told the commission the project has recorded data from earlier tests, including a 30-day circulation test in which the team estimated roughly 10% of injected water was lost to the deep formation. He said the surface separator used by the project allowed steam to flash at the surface and that keeping the system pressurized should conserve “at least 20%” of water otherwise lost to the atmosphere. Jones discussed technical details including a deepest well identified in the presentation as reaching 9,500 feet (the team said they currently cannot pass about 8,500 feet in that well without additional work) and plans to fish out lost downhole equipment and fiber cable prior to extended testing.

The presentation said circulation testing would run for several months at a time and could be extended to a year or more to measure temperature decline and reservoir response; models shared with the commission showed a wide range of projected times to temperature breakthrough, from several months to multiple years. Jones also described plans to add seismometers or accelerometers in deep holes to reduce surface noise and to expand an active seismic-monitoring network that runs in real time.

Commissioners voted to approve the conditional-use permit. The transcript records Commissioners Gervais and Holland voting “aye” during the roll call; a full board roll call was not recorded in the transcript.

Staff and the project team said existing pads and ponds will be used where possible to avoid new earthwork, but that additional well-pad geometry may change depending on circulation-test results and budget. The permit includes standard conditions and a provision to modify existing surface-use or agreement terms as needed.

Project representatives told the commission they are preparing required documentation for Utah Division of Water Rights and other regulators and plan further outreach as test schedules are set.