These disused oil wells could soon deliver clean energy to homes in Colorado
This video is part of: Centre for Energy and Materials
The wells were abandoned 6 years ago once they ran dry. Now a US start-up, Gradient Geothermal, hopes to use them to produce clean energy. Geothermal power plants use heat drawn from deep inside the Earth’s crust, but they can be expensive to build. Using existing oil wells means much of the drilling has already been done.
US start-up Gradient Geothermal is giving disused oil wells in Colorado a new purpose by turning them into clean energy sources. These wells, abandoned six years ago after running dry, are now being repurposed to heat the nearby town of Pierce.
A cost-effective approach to geothermal energy
Geothermal power plants usually require deep drilling, making them expensive to build. But the 2.7 km-deep Colorado wells had already been drilled. When they were closed, they were producing just 2% oil and 98% hot water. Gradient Geothermal plans to harness this naturally heated water, significantly cutting infrastructure costs.
Unlocking nationwide clean energy potential
Experts estimate there are 2–3 million disused oil wells across the US, with over 500,000 suitable for geothermal energy. Harnessing these wells could generate up to 13GW of clean energy while preventing 16.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Similar projects are emerging globally, like the UK’s use of flooded coalmines to heat homes and businesses.
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