Will Bureau Research Nurture a Geothermal Energy Revolution in Presidio County?
The geothermal energy program at the Bureau of Economic Geology has as its mission finding and filling the science and technology gaps needed to further develop a fledgling “geothermal-anywhere” ecosystem. The Bureau has been researching and mapping Texas’ geothermal resources for decades, but recently, in cooperation with the Presidio Municipal Development District (PMDD), its researchers conducted a thorough characterization of geothermal resources in Presidio County (located in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas). They also assessed the techno-economics there for geothermal energy power generation and direct use.
Bureau researchers analyzed and integrated outcrops and subsurface geologic, geophysical, and thermal data for resource characterization and quantification, and they confirmed that Presidio County has substantial undeveloped geothermal resources (see the study here: https://doi.org/10.31223/X59H8D). The assessment’s workflow established a model for subsurface characterization and techno-economic scenario analysis for enhanced geothermal and closed-loop systems for power generation and direct use in activities such as agriculture. Subsequent to the initial study, a letter of intent was signed between PMDD and Exceed Geo Energy to pursue plans for an ambitious deep-well geothermal project in Presidio County.
Trey Gerfers, General Manager of the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District, who was heavily involved in facilitating the initial study, noted, “The collaboration with the Bureau of Economic Geology has been indispensable to our understanding of Presidio County's geothermal resources. The people at the Bureau have been incredibly encouraging to us on a human level as we have pursued these efforts. Unconventional geothermal development has the potential to reinvigorate Presidio County's agricultural sector, increase binational trade along the border with Mexico, and generate unprecedented wealth and opportunities for area residents in this remote corner of far West Texas.”
“The bottom line is that the whole county looks like a really good geothermal development target, as good or better than areas that are already being developed in Texas,” observed Ken Wisian, Associate Director of the Bureau and the Principal Investigator of its HotRock geothermal energy research consortium. He added, “I think the Presidio study is a model of how to help rural and remote communities understand and develop their energy resource.”
In the Bureau’s role as the State Geological Survey of Texas, it seeks to assess the economic potential of the state’s natural resources. To that end, last year it launched The Texas Imperative: A set of very focused multi-disciplinary studies of vital state resources such as water, critical minerals, and naturally occurring helium and hydrogen. Among these, geothermal resources are being thoroughly researched and assessed statewide. The goal of The Texas Imperative is to inform state and local leaders, state agencies, and industry about the location, quantity, and potential economic impact of these resources. The excitement around the potential economic benefit of geothermal development in Presidio County is a prime example of how The Texas Imperative’s assessments should play a key role in stimulating the future economic success of the State of Texas.
