Drilling rig at the Lightning Dock geothermal field in New Mexico

 Zanskar Geothermal & Minerals, Inc. (Zanskar) has announced exceptionally positive results of a new production well drilled at the Lighting Dock geothermal field in New Mexico.

The production well exhibited a productivity index of around 50 GPM/psi and fluid temperatures of around 325 °F (162 °C). The well was self-discharging at 1000 GPM, but with a high-flow pump installed, the well was modeled to produce around 5000 GPM at 330 °F (165 °C).

The directional well was drilled into a fracture zone at 7500-8000 feet (2286 – 2438 meters) deep. It was a large-diameter well, with Zanskar optimistic that the reservoir will have exceptional productivity and flow.

The estimated capacity of the well is estimated to exceed 200 MWth, and will be more than enough for the 15 MWe Lightning Dock power plant. It is also positioned to become the most productive pumped geothermal well in operation in the USA.

Real-world validation of Zanskar’s thesis

This outcome of the drilling confirms the incredible potential of the Lightning Dock resource and is strong validation of part of the thesis of Zanskar – which is that hydrothermal geothermal resources (sometimes referred to as “conventional”) can produce far more energy than the industry has historically shown.

The drive to validate this thesis was part of Zanskar’s reason for acquiring the Lightning Dock geothermal field from Cyrq Energy in 2024. The geothermal field was put up to sale due to underperformance issues. However, Zanskar had already collected unique data in the region and saw it as an opportunity to test their approach.

The new production well was drilled and tested less than 8 months after the acquisition, with the outcome as positive as the company had hoped. Zanskar remains committed to the perspective that hydrothermal resources can be more productive than previously determined by the industry, and that modern tools and technologies will help to tap deeper into these resources and target them more accurately and precisely.

While Zanskar has made no pronouncement of their future plans yet, the company is determined to prove that the productive well is not a “one-hit wonder” for the Lightning Dock geothermal field.