Geothermal & exploratory
Drilling Hawaii geothermal resources with licensed depth capability.
Water Resources International drills geothermal, exploratory, and research wells across Hawaii — with C-68 licensed crews, deep formation experience, and a contract history that includes the Hawaii Geothermal Project on Hawaiʻi Island.
- C-68 licensed
- Exploratory wells
- Hawaiʻi Island mobilization
- C-68 Geothermal license
- 2,800 ft Max well depth
- 35+ Years in Hawaii
- HGP Contract history
Geothermal drilling
Exploratory discipline for high-temperature island geology.
Geothermal development in Hawaii demands drillers who understand volcanic formations, temperature conditions, and the permitting rigor of research and utility-scale programs. WRI brings deep well capability and exploratory drilling experience — not shallow-water contractor methods applied to geothermal depth.
What we deliver
Scope built for your property
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Geothermal production & injection wells
Drilling for geothermal resource development — boreholes engineered for temperature, formation stability, and program-specific casing design.
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Exploratory & research drilling
Wells drilled to define resource extent, temperature gradients, and formation response for university, agency, and developer-led programs.
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Temperature & formation logging support
Drilling programs coordinated with temperature surveys, core recovery, and testing schedules required by geothermal resource assessment.
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Deep borehole capability
Mobilized rigs and licensed crews for deep geothermal targets — drawing on decades of Hawaii basalt and volcanic formation experience.
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Permit & program coordination
County, state, and project-specific permit requirements managed alongside research advisors and owner engineering teams.
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Kawaihae field mobilization
Big Island field office positioned for Puna, Hualālai, and Hawaiʻi Island geothermal corridors — with Honolulu headquarters support.
How it works
How geothermal drilling programs proceed
- 01
Program review
Align on target depth, temperature objectives, formation risks, and permitting requirements with the owner and technical advisors.
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Mobilize & permit
Rig mobilization, site prep, and permit compliance before spud — coordinated with research or development schedule milestones.
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Drill & log
Execute the borehole with casing programs, temperature monitoring, and exploratory data collection per project specification.
- 04
Test & evaluate
Flow, injection, or temperature testing as required to support resource definition and next-phase development decisions.
- 05
Document & demob
As-built records, testing summaries, and demobilization — with clear handoff to the owner engineering and development team.
Why WRI
Why geothermal programs choose WRI
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C-68 licensed contractor
WRI holds Hawaii geothermal well and exploratory drilling classification — a specialized license beyond standard water-well contracting.
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Hawaii Geothermal Project experience
WRI served as drilling contractor on the Hawaii Geothermal Project — foundational exploratory work on Hawaiʻi Island geothermal resources.
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Deep drilling pedigree
The same crews and depth discipline behind $150M+ in water and contract wells applied to geothermal and exploratory targets.
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Island-based mobilization
Honolulu headquarters and Kawaihae field office — local crews who know Hawaii volcanic geology, not mainland fly-in teams.
Volcanic island geology
Geothermal drilling is not standard water-well work.
Hawaii geothermal corridors demand drillers accustomed to volcanic formations, elevated temperatures, and the exploratory patience research programs require. WRI has done this work — and holds the license classification to do it again.
- C-68 Geothermal Well & Exploratory Drilling classification
- Hawaii Geothermal Project drilling contractor history
- Deep borehole programs to thousands of feet in basalt formations
- Coordination with research advisors and owner engineering teams
- Kawaihae field office for Hawaiʻi Island geothermal mobilization
Common questions
What clients ask us
Is WRI licensed for geothermal drilling in Hawaii?
Yes. WRI is classified as a Geothermal Well & Exploratory Drilling contractor (C-68) in Hawaii, in addition to water well and pump installation licenses.
What is the Hawaii Geothermal Project connection?
Water Resources International served as the drilling contractor on the Hawaii Geothermal Project — exploratory drilling on Hawaiʻi Island to assess geothermal resource potential.
Does WRI drill geothermal wells outside Hawaiʻi Island?
WRI mobilizes statewide from Honolulu and Kawaihae. Geothermal resource work in Hawaii has historically concentrated on Hawaiʻi Island, but exploratory programs are evaluated case by case.
Can WRI support research and exploratory programs only?
Yes. Not every geothermal scope is production development. WRI drills exploratory and research boreholes for resource definition, temperature gradient work, and program-specific data collection.
Ready to scope a geothermal or exploratory drilling program?
Share your program objectives, target location, and technical requirements — WRI will outline mobilization, permitting, and drilling approach for your Hawaii project.