15 NOVEMBER 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Historic Discovery at Geothermal Project Adapted from Information by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science The Denver Museum of Nature & Science was awarded a $250,000 grant last year to explore the possibility of replacing the facility’s natural gas system with a geothermal heating and cooling system. While the museum was drilling geothermal test wells under the Museum’s parking lot, the team decided to conduct a scientific coring study to help researchers better understand the geology of the Denver Basin. The coring investigation led to the unexpected discovery of a dinosaur fossil nearly 70 million years old. The fossil was discovered in a core from 763 feet below the surface and it has been declared the deepest and oldest dinosaur fossil ever found within the city limits. “This is a scientifically and historically thrilling find for both the Museum and the larger Denver community,” said Dr. James Hagadorn, Curator of Geology at the Museum. “This fossil comes from an era just before the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs, and it offers a rare window into the ecosystem that once existed right beneath modern-day Denver.” Dr. Patrick O’Connor, Director of Earth & Space Sciences at the Museum, was part of the team that identified the bone as a vertebra of an herbivorous dinosaur. The fossil is described in an article in the scientific journal “Rocky Mountain Geology.” The bone occurs in Late Cretaceous rocks dated to approximately 67.5 million years ago. “This may be the most unusual dinosaur discovery I have ever been a part of,” said Dr. O’Connor. “Not only is it exceptionally rare to find any fossil as part of a drilling project, but the discovery provided an outstanding collaborative opportunity for the Museum earth sciences team to produce an article led by Denver Museum of Nature & Science Postdoctoral Scholar, Dr. Holger Petermann.” For longtime Earth Sciences Research Associate Dr. Bob Raynolds, the project is nothing short of extraordinary. “In my 35 years at the Museum, we’ve never had an opportunity quite like this - to study the deep geologic layers beneath our feet with such precision. That this fossil turned up here, in City Park, is nothing short of magical.” The specimen deepens our understanding of dinosaurs in the Denver Basin and encourages us to imagine all the fossils hidden right beneath our feet - a world still waiting to be discovered and explored! Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash by WorldWide Drilling Resource by WorldWide Drilling Resource®. This newsletter is filled with articles not included in our print issue. Based on readership, this was the most popular article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: worldwidedrillingresource.com The fossil is on display on the Museum floor in the “Discovering Teen Rex” exhibition. ©Denver Museum of Nature & Science/Rick Wicker The fossil was discovered during a scientific coring project conducted alongside a geothermal drilling project. Shown here is the truck-mounted rotary coring rig that extracted the core from beneath the Museum parking lot. ©Denver Museum of Nature & Science/Rick Wicker For more information call: (270) 786-3010 or visit us online: www.geothermalsupply.com All New! Atlantis-Pro Vault • Traffic-Rated Capable • Simple installation • Trouble-free operation GEO
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