OU researchers welcome nation's tallest geothermal rig

The state has an infrastructure for the geothermal rig no one else in the U.S. has

The state has an infrastructure for the geothermal rig no one else in the U.S. has

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The state has an infrastructure for the geothermal rig no one else in the U.S. has

A research group at the University of Oklahoma just cut the ribbon on the nation's tallest geothermal rig.

The rig will be used for researching geothermal energy, which is a form of renewable energy like solar or wind. It also is the nation's first 17-foot-tall geothermal drilling rig, and it was built for OU's Norman campus.

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Authorities said the rig will drill down into the earth in search of hotspots in the ground.

OU Scientists say Oklahoma's rich history in oil and gas gives them the advantage to explore geothermal energy. The state has an infrastructure for the geothermal rig no one else in the U.S. has.

"Oklahoma has a lot of potential for geothermal, and the reason is we have a lot of knowledge about the underground because of more than a hundred years of experience of data that we have been collecting about oil and gas drilling," said Saeed Salehi, a professor with the OU College of Earth and Energy.

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The alternative source of energy has been used on small scales to help power a house or a business, but the research aims to gather more information on the capability to power large areas like full neighborhoods or city blocks.

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