US Dept of Energy Awards Grants for Hydraulic Fracturing Research, Looking for Greener Alternatives

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DOE logoThe U.S. Department of Energy is funding a number of research projects to help find ways to extract more energy from unconventional oil and gas resources while reducing environmental risks. The DOE grants amount to $12.4 million.

The selections include $10.3 million for eight projects that will reduce the environmental risks of shale gas development while accelerating the application of new exploration and production technologies; and $2.1 million for three projects investigating innovative processes for extracting additional oil from mature domestic oil fields including Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).

The total value of the shale-related projects is more than $17.0 million over 3 years with approximately $6.7 million of cost-share provided by the recipients in addition to the $10.3 million in federal funds. The shale gas projects include:

  • GE Global Research (Niskayuna, NY) – NORM Mitigation and Clean Water Recovery from Marcellus Frac Water. DOE share: $1,600,000; Recipient share: $400,000; Duration: 2 years
  • Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) – Novel Engineered Osmosis Technology: A Comprehensive Approach to the Treatment and Reuse of Produced Water and Drilling Wastewater. DOE share: $1,324,000; Recipient share: $382,000; Duration: 2 years
  • CSI Technologies (Houston, TX) – Lowering Drilling Cost, Improving Operational Safety, and Reducing Environmental Impact through Zonal Isolation Improvements for Horizontal Wells Drilled in the Marcellus and Haynesville Shales. DOE share: $3,006,000; Recipient share: $2,500,000; Duration: 2 years
  • Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) – A Geomechanical Analysis of Gas Shale Fracturing and Its Containment. DOE share: $651,000; Recipient share: $217,000; Duration: 2 years
  • Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) – Diagnosis of Multiple Fracture Stimulation in Horizontal Wells by Downhole Temperature Measurement for Unconventional Oil and Gas Wells. DOE share: $763,000; Recipient share: $254,000; Duration: 3 years
  • Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) – Development of Non-Contaminating Cryogenic Fracturing Technology for Shale and Tight Gas Reservoirs. DOE share: $1,991,000; Recipient share: $2,600,000; Duration: 3 years
  • Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO)- Predicting Higher-Than-Average Permeability Zones In Tight-Gas Sands, Piceance Basin: An Integrated Structural And Stratigraphic Analysis. DOE share: $512000; Recipient share: $200,000; Duration: 2 years
  • Houston Advanced Research Center (The Woodlands, TX) – Technology Integration Program. DOE share: $500,000; Recipient share: $125,000; Duration: 1 year

For complete details about the projects, check out the DOE press release:

DOE Office of Fossil Energy Press Release (Aug 1, 2011) – DOE Selects Projects Totaling $12.4 Million Aimed at Increasing Domestic Energy Production While Enhancing Environmental Protection

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