Todd Energy brings decades of experience to first exploratory superhot geothermal well

Energy Resources Aotearoa welcomes the announcement that Todd Energy has been selected as preferred contractor to drill New Zealand's first exploratory superhot geothermal well, near Taupō.

Todd Energy was selected from four applicants following a competitive process to drill the pioneering well near the Rotokawa geothermal field, with drilling expected to begin around mid-2027. The project aims to reach depths of up to 5-6km, almost double that of conventional geothermal wells - where pressure, extreme heat and corrosive conditions make drilling complex.

Todd Energy has built specialised well servicing capability and applied drilling expertise across natural gas and geothermal projects in New Zealand and Australia for decades.

Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie says New Zealand was a pioneer in geothermal energy in the 1950s, and the opportunity to lead again is exactly what a well-developed, experienced domestic energy sector makes possible.

"Todd Energy brings its own rig, a fully New Zealand-based workforce and an established local supply chain. That kind of readiness reflects the depth of capability our energy sector has developed over decades."

Energy Resources Aotearoa has consistently advocated that New Zealand’s energy challenge is not to close down one fuel source before alternatives are proven and at scale, but to use the skills, infrastructure and knowledge of the existing sector to develop them.

"The Rotokawa project is a clear example of that logic in practice. It depends on homegrown expertise, built up over decades, to unlock a genuinely transformative renewable resource.

Energy Resources Aotearoa congratulates Todd Energy on its selection and looks forward to watching this project progress.