Blog

I recently made the trip down to Cameron, Texas to join Rod Baltzer and the Deep Isolation team at the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center, where Deep Isolation and its collaborators are conducting a full-scale, nonradioactive demonstration of the company’s deep borehole disposal technology and Universal Canister System. The purpose was to get a group of industry leaders together and take a hard look at the next steps of a technology that could change how we solve one of the nuclear industry’s biggest problems.And let me tell you—the collection of people and companies Deep Isolation has assembled is impressive. Folks from very different backgrounds are bringing their experience to the same table to figure out how we safely and permanently deal with nuclear waste. That is no small undertaking. <figure id="figure-wegna9psgnmubaz3lw"><img id="wegna9psgnmubaz3lw" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/6R59TkQZCqp7SvEi9EcEMCg4yPQUXBpRllWZIzEdH4w7wqsutY3AMo5WJmuTLrUK.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/6R59TkQZCqp7SvEi9EcEMCg4yPQUXBpRllWZIzEdH4w7wqsutY3AMo5WJmuTLrUK.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>At the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center near Cameron, TX, July 2026 The trip also brought back a few memories from my oilfield days — some good and some I had probably worked pretty hard to forget. I once swore I would never climb another set of stairs to a doghouse, yet there I was again. &nbsp;It is honest work, though, and there is nothing quite like it. And while the rig felt familiar, we were there for an entirely different purpose: deep borehole disposal.What stood out most was Deep Isolation’s attention to detail. There is a real process behind every part of this approach. We are bringing together two industries—nuclear and oilfield—that speak different languages, follow different rules, and occasionally believe their way is the only right way.But that is also what makes this effort special.The willingness of both sides to listen, learn, and work together has been inspiring—and more than a little educational. Things we take for granted on a rig floor can sound downright complicated to someone who has never been around one. And when you start talking about drilling and steering a horizontal well large enough to safely place these canisters, you realize just how complicated the process can get.&nbsp; I was also reminded that I need to quit saying we are going to “drop something in the hole.” That is one of those phrases that means something very different depending on which industry you come from. In the oilfield, saying you’re going to drop something downhole could mean something as routine as a traveling valve. In the nuclear business, dropping anything is generally a bad idea. We will be placing these canisters—carefully and precisely.<figure id="figure-uelqrcaovlmubb0e70"><img id="uelqrcaovlmubb0e70" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/35LIPwlQSOszlBGjlcNStPE1GqGSkH1VVrfHfuDSIS2wNcaLszrvmciS15dKPDl7.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg selected" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/35LIPwlQSOszlBGjlcNStPE1GqGSkH1VVrfHfuDSIS2wNcaLszrvmciS15dKPDl7.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-mce-selected="1"></figure>At the end of the day, this is about combining the best of two industries to solve a problem that has been passed down for years. And now, for the first time, we have a practical solution with the potential to make sure our children and grandchildren are not left holding the bag.This work also gives us a platform to educate people. Understandably, nobody hears “nuclear waste” and immediately says, “Sure, put that in my backyard.” But when people start to understand the science and engineering behind deep borehole disposal, from how deep the waste is meticulously placed, to how the geology of the host rock supports isolation of the waste, to the safety measures in place, the conversation begins to change.I left Cameron inspired—by the technology, the people, and the opportunity to help others understand what is being built.Two industries are coming together, a generational problem is finally meeting a viable solution, and somehow Rod and I, a couple of rural Oklahoma boys, ended up right in the middle of it.History is going to be made here—and I’m proud to have a front-row seat.

Inside the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center

Occlusion Nuclear Solutions (OCNS), a Tulsa-based subsurface execution company, today welcomed the announcement that Oklahoma has been named one of five finalist states for the U.S. Department of Energy's Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (NLIC) program. OCNS has served as the coordination lead for Oklahoma's private-sector coalition throughout the effort, working alongside the state and a group of industry and university partners to build the case for Oklahoma."Oklahoma has been an American energy leader for more than a century. That work continues now as Oklahoma enters the host agreement process.”— Wink Kopczynski, CEO, Occlusion Nuclear Solutions“This is confirmation that the work Oklahoma's coalition has put in over the past several months is being recognized at the federal level,” said Taylor Coye, VP Strategic Affairs at OCNS. “Oklahoma is one of five finalists today. The host agreement negotiation ahead is where the real competition happens, and Oklahoma is ready for it.”OCNS has coordinated the private-sector side of Oklahoma's effort since its early stages, working with the Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment's office to bring together industry partners, universities, and state agencies around a shared proposal, aligned with federal priorities under Executive Order 14302, which promotes nuclear innovation, energy independence, and national security.OCNS is currently executing the subsurface work for a deep borehole disposal demonstration underway in Cameron, Texas. That demonstration is viewed as a key proof point in Oklahoma's proposal, since permanent materials management is one of the core functions the NLIC campus is designed to include alongside power generation, fuel fabrication, fuel recycling, and medical isotope production for cancer research.“The Cameron demonstration is where we are proving out the subsurface engineering behind this campus,” said Mike Orr, Chief Technology Officer at OCNS. “We are executing real emplacement and retrieval operations, not modeling them. That is the technical foundation Oklahoma is bringing to this competition.”“Oklahoma has been an American energy leader for more than a century,” said Wink Kopczynski, CEO of OCNS. “Our role has been to help bring the private sector together around a shared vision for what comes next. That work continues now as Oklahoma enters the host agreement process.”The proposed campus is projected to bring thousands of construction jobs, permanent high-wage positions in engineering, nuclear science, and operations, and billions of dollars in private-sector investment to Oklahoma. OCNS noted that the effort has drawn support at every level of Oklahoma government, including a unanimous House resolution passed March 31, 2026, and letters of support from the Governor, the Secretary of Energy, higher education institutions, and business leaders across the state.OCNS will continue to serve as a coordination point for Oklahoma's private-sector coalition as the state enters host agreement negotiations with the Department of Energy in the coming months.About Occlusion Nuclear Solutions Occlusion Nuclear Solutions is a Tulsa-based subsurface execution company supporting the safe, secure, and fiscally responsible management of used nuclear fuel. OCNS is a named partner in a Department of Energy ARPA-E SCALEUP award focused on fuel recycling and deep borehole disposal integration, and serves as the coordination lead for Oklahoma's private-sector coalition supporting the state's Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus proposal.

Occlusion Nuclear Solutions Applauds Oklahoma's Selection as a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus Finalist

News & Events

Inside the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center

Occlusion Nuclear Solutions Applauds Oklahoma's Selection...