More than 2,200 people from government and industry attended the Four Corners Oil and Gas Conference in Farmington, New Mexico. The conference, in its 11th year, aims to educate the local industry about new technologies, current regulations, and environmental and safety-compliance issues.
Geothermal energy was a topic of discussion at the conference. Oil and gas companies have the technology and the know-how to access geothermal sources, making it a topic of interest among those looking to diversify their energy portfolio, said John Roe, an engineer manager with Dugan Production.
There is geothermal potential around the edges of the San Juan Basin, and it is already being developed near Los Alamos, N.M., said Tyson Foutz, a petroleum engineer for Merrion Oil and Gas.
Among renewable-power sources, geothermal is one of the most economically viable, Foutz said.
“It has been a topic of interest (among drillers) for some time,” he said.
