WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced its intent to issue funding to support research and development (R&D) projects focused on advancing cost-effective technology options toward commercialization that can more efficiently characterize the condition of undocumented orphaned wells (UOWs) and provide a range of remediation options.

If issued, the potential funding opportunity is anticipated to focus on the following areas of interest (AOIs):

•  AOI 1 — Advanced Remediation Techniques for UOW Boreholes to address the need for novel and advanced remediation materials for UOW boreholes in various conditions and with minimal surface disturbance.
• AOI 2 — UOW Wellbore Characterization to address the need for surface deployable technologies that do not require entry into the wellbore to characterize wellbore conditions, as well as determine the need for novel plugging and abandonment (P&A) techniques in unique situations.
• AOI 3 — Long-Term UOW Monitoring to address the need for cost-effective, long-term well monitoring techniques and technologies to measure and quantify methane emissions from UOWs both before and after P&A activities.

R&D objectives would include accelerating the development of disruptive technologies for characterization, mitigation, and remediation measures related to UOWs by 1) advancing novel, cost-effective wellbore P&A technologies toward commercialization that can permanently eliminate hydrocarbon leakage pathways and associated constituents to the atmosphere, local ecosystems and areas that would result in direct exposure to people or other organisms, 2) developing technologies to more efficiently characterize wellbore conditions without physically entring into the wellbore to better inform future P&A operations, and 3) developing advanced sensing technologies to monitor and assess environmental conditions in and near the UOW to help inform P&A prioritization and to ensure permanent sealing of the wellbore and zero emissions to the atmosphere over time.

Potential projects related to validating and demonstrating technologies must identify an industry partner(s), well site location(s), duration of operations, an initial estimated labor hour commitment and an outline of expected tasks to ensure the safe and effective operation of the technology in the field. Solutions must show a net-zero emissions profile at the well site that is in line with the current Administration’s decarbonization goals and well-aligned to support ongoing and potential future UOW emissions mitigation efforts.

This notice of intent (NOI) is issued to give applicants ample time to prepare their proposals and form partnerships (if necessary) in anticipation of the upcoming issuance of the funding opportunity announcement. More information on this NOI can be found here.  

FECM minimizes environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuels and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across the U.S economy. Priority areas of technology work include carbon capture, carbon conversion, carbon dioxide removal, carbon dioxide transport and storage, hydrogen production with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, and critical minerals production. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements, and visit the National Energy Technology Laboratory website.