MaverickX, Y Combinator’s first oil and gas investment, today announced successful results from its Fowler 1 field trial in South Texas, demonstrating that its PetroX enhanced oil recovery (EOR) chemistry can reactivate severely impaired wells while laying the foundation for future critical metals extraction from depleted oilfields.
Field trial turns “non-commercial” well back on
The Fowler 1 well in the Olmos formation had produced only about five barrels of oil over 15 months and recorded zero production for three months before treatment, leading operators to classify it as “non-commercial.” Following a single PetroX EOR treatment, the well resumed sustained crude production of approximately 23 gallons of oil per day, with basic sediment and water consistently below 5% as of January 14, 2026.
- PetroX was successfully injected and displaced into a clay-rich, swelling formation without mobilizing proppant or damaging fracture integrity.
- The treatment recovered incremental oil from a well previously considered uneconomic and restored fluid communication in a severely impaired asset.
Lab data confirms mechanism and longevity
Comprehensive ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) OES (Optical Emission Spectroscopy) and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analysis of oil, produced water, and sediment samples from the Fowler trial confirms that PetroX operates through a precise mineral level mechanism rather than brute force dissolution.
- Early post-treatment fluids showed a sharp but transient increase in dissolved iron, followed by a steady decline to non-detectable levels over 30 days, consistent with controlled iron chelation and removal from clay-bound phases.
- Sulfur concentrations in oil decreased initially by roughly 10%, then stabilized, while FTIR spectra showed stable hydrocarbon functional groups, indicating preserved crude quality.
These observations support PetroX’s ability to disrupt iron and aluminum stabilized clay structures, open previously inaccessible pore pathways, and maintain stable hydrocarbon flow paths without causing damage.
Platform chemistry for energy and metals
MaverickX, through its platform, is engineering the next generation of chemistry and enzyme systems for resource extraction, with an initial focus on energy and mining. The company’s proprietary PetroX and LithX peptides and enzymatic systems are designed to hydrolyze silicate minerals in situ, liberating metals into solution as polymetallic brines from depleted oilfields.
By combining PetroX’s proven ability to penetrate swelling, clay-rich systems and maintain fracture integrity with LithX’s silicate-degrading enzymes, MaverickX is building an integrated chemistry platform to both reactivate marginal oil assets and unlock critical metals from the roughly 3.5 million idle wells across the United States.
Safer alternative to conventional stimulation and leaching
The Fowler 1 trial suggests that MaverickX’s approach can reduce reliance on harsh acids and high-temperature, high-pressure processes traditionally used in both stimulation and mineral extraction.
- In proppant stability evaluations, LithX mobilized only a very small fraction of edge-bound silica, with no evidence of bulk silica dissolution or catastrophic matrix attack, indicating negligible proppant structural risk under single-pass field use compared to conventional acid treatments.
- Enzyme activity remained robust across a wide range of salinities, temperatures, surfactants, biocides, and acid systems, supporting compatibility with real-world EOR and produced water environments.
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