258: Drilling, DAS, and Disagreements - A Real Look at EGS Geophysics

“The difference now is horizontal wells, faster drilling, and better geophysics. That makes today’s EGS attempts more promising than ever.” In this episode, host Andrew Geary talks with Michael Wilt and Bill Cumming, guest editors of the April 2025 The Leading Edge special section on geophysical applications to geothermal exploration and development. With decades of field experience, Bill and Michael dive into the lessons and findings from the U.S. Department of Energy's FORGE Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) research project and Fervo's Cape Modern EGS commercial project. The interview features thoughtful back-and-forth that reveals the complexity of emerging EGS techniques. They discuss how microseismic monitoring, DAS systems, P-wave velocity models, and well design are shaping the future of EGS development. Importantly, they share practical advice for how geophysicists and students can get involved in this rapidly evolving field. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Utah FORGE and Cape Modern are shaping the practical future of EGS, offering real data and insight into what works, what doesn't, and what still needs to be figured out. > Back-and-forth perspectives from Bill and Michael show that even experts are still navigating unknowns in EGS development, especially around velocity modeling, fiber reliability, and stimulation strategies. > Geophysics is critical in reducing uncertainty in geothermal projects, but models must be questioned and continuously updated as new data arrives. THIS EPISODE SPONSORED BY KATALYST DATA MANAGEMENT Katalyst Data Management® provides the only integrated, end-to-end subsurface data management solution for the oil and gas industry. Its employees operate in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America and are dedicated to optimizing the value of subsurface data, including seismic and well data. Katalyst enables clients’ digital transformation of E&P data with digitizing services and digital transformation consulting. Learn more at www.katalystdm.com. LINKS * Visit https://seg.org/podcasts/episode-258-drilling-das-and-disagreements-a-real-look-at-egs-geophysics for links to the articles in The Leading Edge.