(GP/GT) for Additional Water Supply in the Lower Rio Grande

DOE make a well available to a developer for demonstration of the validity of
using geopressured resources for this type of use.
The negative impacts of cold weather on the citrus industry and disruption
of the marketing of agricultural crops continues to result in the considerable
interest by industry, universities, and market development organizations,
especially in Louisiana and Texas. Agro-Flex, a broad-based 13 parish
nonprofit rural economic development program for Southwestern Louisiana, is
continuing to conduct numerous market studies to select appropriate crops and
to align the interested organizations and industry to aid in development in
their geographic region. Victor Bendel Co., Hindale, IL, is a frozen food
brokerage that is seeking ways to curtail frost damage to citrus trees and has
expressed interest in using geopressured resources for this application.
Riviana Foods, Houston, TX, is principally involved in rice processing and has
expressed interest in using the geopressured energy for their plant needs.
Although their demand for heat occurs over a relatively short period of time,
in the summer when rice is harvested; they may have different operations in
the future and would consider using geopressured energy. Lou Ana Foods, Inc.,
Opelousas, LA, has expressed interest in verifying the use of geopressured
energy for greenhousing of various crops.
Production Plot Warming and Frost Protection
The effects of frost can be mitigated, and the growing season for
different agricultural products can be extended by applying heated water to
warm the soil through underground piping or above ground sprinkler systems and
distribution systems, or both. Hydrothermal fluids (depending upon their
chemical content) can be applied directly to agricultural plots; this was
effectively proven in the Raft River Valley of southeastern Idaho where DOE
operated a geothermal test facility in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The potential to reduce the impact of frost upon agricultural crops,
especially citrus trees, and to extend growing seasons for various crops in
order to improve marketability appears very high in southern Texas and
southern Louisiana where geopressured resources are potentially available.
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