An Environmental Assessment of Proposed Geothermal Well Testing in the Tigre Lagoon Oil Field, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

This report is an environmental assessment of the proposed testing of two geopressured, geothermal aquifers in central coastal Louisiana. On the basis of an analysis of the environmental setting, subsurface characteristics, and the proposed action, potential environmental impacts are determined and evaluated together with potential conflicts with federal, state, and local programs. Oil and gas wells in coastal Louisiana have penetrated a potentially productive geothermal zone of abnormally high-pressured aquifers that also yield large volumes of natural gas. To evaluate the extent to which the geothermal-geopressured water can be used as an alternative energy source and to what extent withdrawal of geopressured water can enhance gas production, it is necessary that flow rates, composition and temperature of fluids and gases, recharge characteristics, pressures, compressibilities, and other hydrodynamic and boundary conditions of the reservoir be determined by means of production tests. Tests are further necessary to evaluate and seek solutions to technological problems