Direct application of geothermal energy at the L'eggs Product Plant, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Final report

Technical Report · Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6619091· OSTI ID:6619091

The study program to determine the feasibility of interfacing a potential geothermal resource of Dona Ana County, New Mexico L'eggs Product industrial process is discussed in this final report. Five separate sites were evaluated initially as to geothermal potential and technical feasibility. Preliminary analysis revealed that three sites were considered normal, but that two sites (about three miles from the L'eggs Plant) had very high shallow subsurface temperature gradients (up to 14.85/sup 0/F/100 ft). An initial engineering analysis showed that to meet the L'eggs plant temperature and energy requirements a geothermal fluid temperature of about 250/sup 0/F and 200 gpm flow rate would be necessary. A brief economic comparison indicated that the L'eggs plant site and a geothermal site approximately four miles from the plant did merit further investigation. Detailed engineering and economic design and analysis of these two sites (including the drilling of an 1873 feet deep temperature gradient test hole at the L'eggs Plant) showed that development of the four mile distant site was technically feasible and was the more economic option. It was determined that a single-stage flash system interface design would be most appropriate for the L'eggs Plant. Approximately 39 billion Btu/yr of fossil fuel could be replaced with geothermal energy at the L'eggs facility for a total installed system cost of slightly over $2 million. The projected economic payback period was calculated to be 9.2 years before taxes. This payback was not considered acceptable by L'eggs Products, Inc., to merit additional design or construction work at this time.

• Research Organization: Energetics Corp., Richardson, TX (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-79ID12047
• OSTI ID: 6619091
• Report Number(s): DOE/ID/12047-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
GEOTHERMAL PROCESS HEAT
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
BOREHOLES
DESIGN
FLOW RATE
MAPS
NEW MEXICO
PAYBACK PERIOD
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
CAVITIES
ECONOMICS
ENERGY
HEAT
INDUSTRY
NORTH AMERICA
PROCESS HEAT
SOUTHWEST REGION
USA
Geothermal Legacy
151000* - Geothermal Energy- Direct Energy Utilization
299002 - Energy Planning & Policy- Geothermal- (-1989)