Houston-based companies, Fervo Energy and Sage Geosystems, have been tapped for a new geothermal exploration efforts. Photo via Getty Images

Two clean energy companies in Houston have been recruited for geothermal projects at U.S. military installations.

Fervo Energy is exploring the potential for a geothermal energy system at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada.

Meanwhile, Sage Geosystems is working on an exploratory geothermal project for the Army’s Fort Bliss post in Texas. The Bliss project is the third U.S. Department of Defense geothermal initiative in the Lone Star State.

“Energy resilience for the U.S. military is essential in an increasingly digital and electric world, and we are pleased to help the U.S. Army and [the Defense Innovation Unit] to support energy resilience at Fort Bliss,” Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage, says in a news release.

A spokeswoman for Fervo declined to comment.

Andy Sabin, director of the Navy’s Geothermal Program Office, says in a military news release that previous geothermal exploration efforts indicate the Fallon facility “is ideally suited for enhanced geothermal systems to be deployed onsite.”

As for the Fort Bliss project, Michael Jones, a project director in the Army Office of Energy Initiatives, says it’ll combine geothermal technology with innovations from the oil and gas sector.

“This initiative adds to the momentum of Texas as a leader in the ‘geothermal anywhere’ revolution, leveraging the robust oil and gas industry profile in the state,” says Ken Wisian, associate director of the Environmental Division at the U.S. Bureau of Economic Geology.

The Department of Defense kicked off its geothermal initiative in September 2023. Specifically, the Army, Navy, and Defense Innovation Unit launched four exploratory geothermal projects at three U.S. military installations.

One of the three installations is the Air Force’s Joint Base San Antonio. Canada-based geothermal company Eavor is leading the San Antonio project.

Another geothermal company, Atlanta-based Teverra, was tapped for an exploratory geothermal project at the Army’s Fort Wainwright in Alaska. Teverra maintains an office in Houston.

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Weatherford partners with Abu Dhabi-based AI company to boost efficiency

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Houston-headquartered oilfield service company Weatherford International announced a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with AIQ, an Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company, to develop innovative solutions for the energy sector.

"We are excited to partner with AIQ to bring innovative, AI-driven solutions to the oil and gas industry,” Girish Saligram, president and CEO of Weatherford, said in a news release. “This strategic partnership allows us to deliver cutting-edge technologies that empower our customers to maximize their operational efficiency, enhance automation, and reduce costs. By combining our strengths, we are leading the way in helping operators modernize their workflows and achieve greater success in today's rapidly evolving energy landscape.”

The collaboration aims to use Weatherford's software and hardware solutions with AIQ's AI-driven systems. Weatherford and AIQ hope this union will significantly enhance operational efficiency across global oil and gas facilities, help operators to optimize their production workflows and reduce downtime.

The companies have developed the new Modern Edge Integration, which will combine AIQ's AI technology with Weatherford's Modern Edge program. It will enable operators to scale their work processes.

In addition, Weatherford's Universal Normalizer will work with AIQ's capabilities to combine operational and financial analysis. Customers will also now be able to procure software needs via a comprehensive industrial SaaS platform with the WFRD Software Launchpad, which can eliminate the issues associated with managing multiple systems and vendors, and provide a single point of access for all Weatherford and partner-built applications.

"This partnership marks another step in AIQ's mission to build partnerships that accelerate the deployment of impactful AI systems across the energy value chain,” Magzhan Kenesbai, Acting Managing Director of AIQ, said in a news release. “By integrating our advanced AI-driven tools with Weatherford's energy-specific technology, we are driving greater efficiencies to the industry through the development of scalable, automated applications. Together, we are set to empower operators to optimize their workflows, reduce downtime, and achieve unparalleled operational excellence.”

Exxon expands CO2 storage network with Calpine agreement

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ExxonMobil Corp. has agreed to transport and permanently store up to 2 million metric tons per year of CO2 from Calpine Corp.’s Baytown Energy Center.

The strategic agreement is part of Calpine’s Baytown Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project, which is designed to capture the energy center’s CO2 emissions and enable the supply of low-carbon electricity. It’s also in line with Exxon’s broader strategy to expand its CCS infrastructure along the Gulf Coast.

“Calpine is excited to partner with ExxonMobil to achieve this important project milestone,” Caleb Stephenson, Calpine Executive Vice President, said in a news release. “As the largest U.S. generator of electricity from natural gas, we understand that the nation’s gas fleet will remain the backbone of the grid for decades to come. We believe CCS is an actionable and cost-effective way to meet customers' demand for reliable power and alleviate concerns about the indisputable long-term need for gas-fired facilities. Low-cost natural gas along with carbon capture technology and widespread geologic storage resources can bolster U.S. energy, natural gas use, jobs, and export strength.”

The Baytown CCS Project is expected to produce about 500 megawatts of low-carbon electricity, which Calpine said is enough to power more than 500,000 homes. It can also provide steam for nearby industrial purposes.

The project anticipates creating construction and other full-time jobs, with engineering, permitting, and other development activities coming soon.

"We’re thrilled to work with Calpine on this project that supports American energy security, enhances industrial competitiveness and leverages America’s abundant low-cost natural gas resources," Barry Engle, President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, said in a news release. “This agreement underscores the growing confidence our customers across diverse sectors—including steel, fertilizer, industrial gases, natural gas processing, and now power generation—have in our unique end-to-end CCS system.”

This is ExxonMobil’s sixth CCS customer, bringing the company's total amount of CO2 under contract to approximately 16 million tons a year, according to the company. The CO2 from Calpine’s facility will tie into ExxonMobil’s CO2 pipeline system on the Gulf Coast.