ENERGY & GEOSCIENCE INSTITUTE

ENERGY RESILIENCE: DRIVING THE ENERGY TRANSITION, PROMOTING ENERGY SECURITY

GEOTHERMAL

Using cutting edge tools, our staff have deep expertise in applied geoscience and engineering required to explore, drill and develop geothermal resources. It is now on the forefront of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technology with the Utah FORGE project, which aims to produce power from hot dry rock.

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PETROLEUM & MINERALS

Hydrocarbons and minerals are essential components of energy mix needed to power the world. EGI has data and skillsets to characterize these subsurface resources including basin analysis, rock mechanics, fluid flow, and reservoir modeling.

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CARBON MANAGEMENT

EGI conducts numerous projects in carbon sequestration wherein large amounts of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions are targeted for injection into deep saline aquifers or other suitable geologic formations. EGI’s research portfolio on low-carbon technologies includes work in carbon capture, utilization and storage.

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FRONT-RUNNER ON ENERGY RESILIENCE

Science, technology, and innovation, central to energy resilience, drive the Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI) at the University of Utah. EGI excels in diverse areas including geothermal energy, carbon sequestration, and energy fluids and minerals, contributing to decarbonization and energy security. The institute’s collaboration with global industrial, academic, and government partners, through research and consortia, accelerates the development of tomorrow‘s energy solutions and workforce. Partnering with EGI means investing in a resilient energy future, leveraging cutting-edge research and technological advancements.

QUICK LINKS

EGIconnect

The EGI library catalog presented through the EGIconnect platform is undergoing updates that help define the study area and scope of reports, articles, dissertations, theses and maps more clearly. This update process enables the new EGIconnect search tool to quickly return available EGI library items within or near a client’s area of interest. EGIconnect also has a new EGI library summary tool that generates a list and optional report of all available EGI library items within a client defined area of interest. Lastly, as a reminder, the map layers presented through EGIconnect can always be consumed by client-side GIS applications and ArcGIS online accounts.

iCORDS™

EGI’s Integrated Continent-Ocean Research Data System – is a global database and analytic platform that offers data bank and research tool for worldwide energy exploration and geoscience.

Utah FORGE

Frontier Observatory For Research In Geothermal Energy – is a dedicated underground field laboratory sponsored by the Department of Energy for developing, testing, and accelerating breakthroughs in Enhanced Geothermal Systems technologies to advance the uptake of geothermal resources around the world.

CURRENT EVENTS & NEWS

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Read the Fall 2024 issue of ASK EGI

Mapping minerals remotely: How hyperspectral imaging can support exploration

Satellites are already used in mineral exploration, but advances in technology are creating new opportunities for more sophisticated remote prospecting. Researchers in Utah are combining satellites, hyperspectral imaging and AI to discover mineral deposits.

Discovering new deposits of critical and rare earth minerals is paramount to delivering global net-zero ambitions. However, finding new ore bodies is becoming more challenging due to increasing costs and geopolitical tensions. What is more, much of the low-hanging fruit, so to speak, has already been exploited.

Could technological advances help broaden the search and speed up the process? Dr. Bryony Richards, a senior research scientist with the Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah in the US, believes so.

Machine Learning Methods in Geoscience Short Course: April 4, 2025

The short course Machine Learning Methods in Geoscience consists of lectures that explain the high-level concepts underlying fully connected Neural Networks, Convolutional Neural networks (CNN), clustering methods, Recurrent Neural Networks, and ChatGPT. It is intended for practicing scientists and engineers in geosciences and engineering who have little knowledge of ML methods but desire a hands-on introduction to Machine Learning (ML) methods and their applications to scientific problems. The goal is to learn the basics of some ML methods and their implementation on free software that can be used for solving real-world problems. Read more

Utah FORGE Concludes Successful Extended Circulation Test

In April 2024, the production and injection wells were successfully stimulated by perforating the steel casing in the wells and pumping water into them under pressure. This process created the fracture network that forms the reservoir. Read more

$hydrolic fracturing$

Optimizing hydraulic fracturing in the Paradox formation: A geomechanical study of the Cane Creek play

The Cane Creek play has unconventional tight oil potential but presents drilling challenges. This article revisits its viability in modern horizontal drilling techniques and proposes a redefined approach to hydraulic fracturing that prioritizes detailed characterization of stress states and fracture dynamics. Read more

Utah scientists fracked Beaver County — then proved the earth’s heat can provide clean energy

Scientists have spent years fracking outside Milford, jamming chemicals and water into the earth to break rock with the same technique that’s drawn controversy to the oil and gas industry.In April, they tested whether water would flow through the hot granite they had fractured — and if enough gallons would return to the surface, heated enough by the warmth of the earth, to create steam power. Read more at sltrib.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 3, 2025: EGI Webinar with Pengju Xing, Ph.D.

April 4, 2025: Machine Learning Methods in Geoscience Short Course

Aug. 24-29, 2025: SEG | AAPG International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy Read more

May 1, 2025: EGI Webinar with Rasoul Sorkhabi, Ph.D.

Resilient Energy Geoscience & Engineering Courses

As the energy transition unfolds, geoscience and engineering students and the existing workforce will need to be trained in the science and technology of newer energy extraction and carbon management concepts.

These concepts will be developed through five modularized courses at the graduate level. Read full class descriptions.

CORPORATE ASSOCIATES PROGRAM

EGI offers Corporate Associate members a competitive advantage in a highly competitive industry with our diverse staff of expert geoscientists, engineering researchers and innovative technical staff.

EGI’s Corporate Associate members gain access to over $850,000,000 of regional and thematic research for only a fraction of their investment.

BECOME A CORPORATE ASSOCIATE

Expert Geoscientists

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Engineering Researchers

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Innovative Technical Staff

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$850 MILLION+ GENERATED RESEARCH

10,000 REPORTS GENERATED

200 CURRENT AND PAST PARTNERS