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Ruzo said his investigations led him to the conclusion, “ i t ’s just a ‘normal ’ hydroth ermal feature where waters are seeping deep into the earth, heating up, and then coming back up quickly.” Thermal springs often undergo a similar process, but what sets this river apart is its size. It is about 5.5 miles long, and can reach a width of over 80 feet, though in those areas, the water is shallow. Although Ruzo supports all green energy development, he believes geothermal is the “energy world's sleeping giant” and has “potential synergy with the oil and gas industry”. He continued, “I am convinced that the future of green energy lies in the hands of oil and gas companies. The oil and gas industry has spent over a century master ing the product ion of resources from the subsurface. Because the development of geothermal energy uses virtually the same tools, technology, skill sets, and personnel as oil and gas companies, geothermal represents an untapped market with minimal barriers of entry for the oil and gas industry. This is especially true when you consider that the technology that uses abandoned oil and gas wells to produce baseload, green geothermal energy already exists.” As part of his continued research, Ruzo will continue searching for old mining holes in Peru, as well as spending time in the Amazon rain forest studying the geology of the area. He hopes the information learned from the boiling river and his continued research will help people better understand the geothermal process- es, which could ultimately produce new opportunities and ways to harness geo- thermal energy. Since his discovery in the Amazon, Ruzo has been a prominent voice encouraging both environmentalists and oil and gas companies to work together because he believes there is great potential in harnessing geothermal energy, and everyone benefits from a united front. A member of the team walks near the river. A Discovery cont’d from page 39. 42 DECEMBER 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®