Enhanced geothermal development is quickly becoming the ultimate stress test for modern drilling systems, artificial intelligence, and digital workflows. Recent projects have demonstrated that drilling techniques developed in the oil and gas industry, including long horizontal wells, advanced completions, and high resolution subsurface monitoring, can unlock geothermal resources in areas previously considered uneconomic.

At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence, real time data integration, and automated drilling systems are changing how wells are planned, drilled, and optimized. In geothermal environments, high temperatures, hard rock formations, and limited well counts increase both cost and uncertainty. These conditions make drilling performance critical and require faster learning cycles than many conventional developments.

This panel will explore three questions shaping how artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics, and modern drilling systems are converging to accelerate geothermal development. First, how can advances in drilling systems and automation help scale enhanced geothermal projects? Second, what role can AI, sensing technologies, and subsurface data play in improving geothermal reservoir understanding and well placement? Third, how can the drilling expertise developed in oil and gas be applied to shorten learning curves and improve well performance in geothermal operations?

This session represents collaboration between three SPE technical sections: the Drilling Systems Automation Technical Section (DSATS), the Geothermal Technical Section (GTS), and the Drilling Engineering Systems and Applications Technical Section (DSEATS). Enhanced geothermal development sits at the intersection of these disciplines and provides a platform for collaboration between drilling engineers, geothermal specialists, and digital technology experts.