teaming up for tech

Houston company's new joint venture to bring AI into upstream

The companies say their partnership is “aimed at revolutionizing the landscape of science-backed decision-making in the upstream energy industry.” Photo via Getty Images

Houston-based GeoMark Research and Peachtree Corners, Georgia-based Senslytics have formed a joint venture that will bring AI-fueled data and analysis to the upstream energy industry.

GeoMark Research provides geochemical and PVT (pressure, volume, temperature) data and analysis, while Senslytics produces AI software for the energy industry. The companies say their partnership is “aimed at revolutionizing the landscape of science-backed decision-making in the upstream energy industry.”

Among other things, the joint venture will:

  • Combine GeoMark’s geochemical and PVT data repository with Senslytics’ AI algorithms to develop applications for various aspects of fluid property estimation during the drilling process.
  • Provide tools that help subject matter experts “train” AI tools for data-driven decision-making.
  • Contribute to thought leadership in the AI and geochemical/PVT sectors through vehicles such as conferences, webinars, and publications.

“GeoMark Research is passionate about using our data and expertise to advance subsurface fluid understanding. Faster, better information improves our customers’ free cash flow. We are thrilled to partner with Senslytics and embark on this transformative journey together,” Ethan Brown, president of GeoMark, says in a news release.

Blake Bixler, CEO of Senslytics, adds: “Together, we will push the boundaries of what AI can achieve by unlocking insights from our two companies’ technical experts.”

GeoMark was founded in 1991 with the goal of performing regional oil studies in newly explored basins.

Today, the company operates three labs that provide geochemical services, studies, and databases. The labs are in Houston, Humble, and Lafayette, Louisiana.

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A View From HETI

Sage Geosystems has selected a site for its next major geothermal facility. Photo via sagegeosystems.com

Sage Geosystems, a Houston-based developer of geothermal power systems, has chosen a site in Nevada for its commercial-scale Project Vector facility.

The company’s two-well enhanced geothermal system (EGS) will deliver around-the-clock geothermal heat to Ormat Technologies’ Blue Mountain geothermal power plant in Winnemucca, Nevada.

The startup expects to begin drilling the first well later this year, with the first electricity to be generated in 2027 and full-scale production to start in 2028.

In the Nevada system, fluid will circulate through an engineered subsurface reservoir, absorb heat from the surrounding rock and return heat to the surface. The heat will be delivered to the Blue Mountain plant for conversion into electricity.

Project Vector builds on the performance of Sage’s SMECI facility in South Texas. That facility’s results, combined with Sage’s digital twin platform, will be used to shape to the design and development of Project Vector.

Project Vector supports Sage’s growing commercial pipeline, including a 150-megawatt geothermal power agreement with Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

“Blue Mountain is an ideal location for Sage to take the next step in continuing to commercialize our proprietary EGS approach,” Jason Peart, chief operating officer at Sage, said in a release. “By delivering geothermal heat into an existing power plant, Project Vector can demonstrate the model for bringing firm, 24/7 geothermal power to market at scale.”

Project Vector extends Sage’s relationship with Ormat.

In August 2025, Sage and Ormat agreed to accelerate commercialization of Sage’s geothermal technology at an Ormat power plant. This January, Ormat co-led Sage’s $97 million Series B funding round.

Sage, founded in 2020, has raised about $159 million across three funding rounds.

As the startup ramps up its ESG platform, Sage is targeting data centers as customers, among other large-scale users of electricity.

“The energy needs are huge, and they need it now,” CEO Cindy Taff said on Data Center Frontiers’ podcast. “They can’t depend on the grid anymore.”

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