Deep Fission Tests Underground Borehole Reactor Tech with Youngquist Brothers

Deep Fission, Inc., a Florida-based developer of small modular nuclear reactors, has partnered with Youngquist Brothers, LLC—a commercial driller specializing in deep borehole operations—to test a prototype of its Gravity Nuclear Reactor. The collaboration took place in Fort Myers, Florida, on September 3, where the company demonstrated the insertion and retrieval of a 30-inch-diameter reactor canister into a 34-inch borehole at a depth of approximately 100 feet. Youngquist Brothers, which has drilled to depths exceeding 8,000 feet since 1971, brings established expertise in large-diameter drilling to the project, allowing Deep Fission to leverage existing infrastructure rather than developing new equipment from scratch. The demonstration marks a step toward the company’s broader goal of deploying its technology at depths of around one mile underground, where it plans to install small, pressurized water reactors using low-enriched uranium fuel. Deep Fission was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program for its innovative approach, with a target commercialization timeline of as early as 2027. The partnership underscores the potential for integrating nuclear energy with deep borehole drilling, a strategy that could expand the viability of modular nuclear reactors in remote or challenging geologic settings.