The inaugural IADC Geothermal Drilling Conference & Exhibition took place 25-26 March in Vienna, Austria. Over 250 attendees showed up to take part in conversations about the future of geothermal drilling.
Opening and keynote presentations were given by:
- Angelika Zartl-Klik, Senior Vice President Low Carbon Business and Renewable Energy & Bernhard Novotny, Project Director Geothermal, OMV
- Marit Brommer, Chief Executive Officer, International Geothermal Association
- Bruce Gatherer, Business Development and Drilling Advisor, Iceland Drilling
During the event, IADC and the International Geothermal Association signed a new MOU, ensuring future collaboration and further partnership in the advancement of geothermal.
According to IGA CEO Marit Brommer:
“To fully unlock geothermal’s potential, we must remove the bottlenecks—and permitting is at the top of the list. With IGA and IADC working side by side, we’re building the trust, alignment, and momentum needed to turn endorsement into action.”
Drilling Contractor Interviews from the 2025 IADC Geothermal Drilling Conference
IADC completes inaugural Geothermal Conference in Vienna
As an emerging source of renewable energy for the world, geothermal holds vast potential for drilling contractors not only in terms of new applications for existing drilling rigs but also in terms of potential contributions to the world’s carbon emissions reduction efforts.
At IADC’s first-ever Geothermal Conference, held 25-26 March in Vienna, Austria, DC spoke with Lars Nydahl Jorgensen, IADC Regional Director for Europe and staff liaison for the IADC Geothermal Committee, about geothermal’s value proposition for the global drilling industry, as well as key takeaways from the conference.
European Geothermal Energy Council: Few “tweaks” needed for geothermal to go mainstream
While geothermal energy makes up a miniscule slice of the global energy mix today, it holds great potential that’s waiting to be tapped, and Sanjeev Kumar, Head of Policy at the European Geothermal Energy Council, said he believes only a few tweaks are needed to make geothermal go mainstream.
Speaking with DC, Mr Kumar discussed the regulatory framework that currently exists for geothermal energy, as well as how European policymakers view geothermal versus other renewable energy sources. He also speaks to why “levelized cost of energy” may not be the best metric with which to analyze the potential for geothermal.
OMV hosts IADC Geothermal Conference attendees at Hydros drilling site in Vienna
On 27 March, OMV hosted nearly 100 attendees of the IADC Geothermal Conference on a tour of the Hydros geothermal project as it was drilling ahead within the city limits of Vienna, Austria.
During the tour, DC spoke with Alexander Heger, Head of Well Delivery for OMV, about the status and goals of the pioneering project, as well as OMV’s views on the future of geothermal.
IADC Geothermal Committee presents Well Classification system, previews Risk Index
The IADC Geothermal Committee presented its recently launched Geothermal Well Classification at the inaugural Geothermal Conference. Scott Farmer, Committee Chairman and Well Engineering Manager for H&P, spoke with DC during the conference about the three levels of the classification system – project, site and well levels – as well as key feedback that has been received from the industry so far. He also provides a preview of the IADC Geothermal Well Risk Index, a beta version of which is expected to be launched later this year.
Thank you to everyone who attended, presented, exhibited, sponsored, and organized this conference!
