Energy Department invests $40M in enhanced oil recovery projects
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) recently selected four research development projects in the area of enhanced oil recovery to receive approximately $39.9 million in federal funding.
DOE is providing the funding for the cost-shared research projects under funding opportunity announcement (FOA), Advanced Technologies for Enhanced Oil Recovery. The Department chose the projects as part of its basin-specific research strategy focused on increasing ultimate recovery and operational efficiency.
“The extraordinary growth in U.S. oil and gas development is transforming the energy landscape across the world,” Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said. “Developing technologies to improve enhanced oil recovery will help maximize America’s energy sources, ensuring continued American energy independence.”
The projects resulting from this FOA aim to reduce technical risks associated with EOR and expand the application of EOR methods onshore in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. They also aim to improve the understanding of unconventional reservoirs and improve recovery factors for these plays.
The funding will be awarded to two projects taking place at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N. Dak; as well as projects at the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Tex.; Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio; and the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo.
