The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has selected two projects to receive approximately $7 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development. These projects will address technical research needs and key challenges in advancing associated geologic storage in support of DOE’s Carbon Storage Program.

More specifically, the selected projects will advance the development and validation of technologies through computational, analytical, bench-scale, and field laboratories studies in storage complexes located in diverse geologic settings. These advanced technologies will enable the safe, cost-effective, and permanent geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Selected under FOA DE-FOA-0001829, Developing Technologies for Advancement of Associated Geologic Storage in Basinal Geo-Laboratories, the projects will also support the development of best practices for commercial implementation of carbon storage technologies.

Associated geologic storage refers to the storage of CO2 in association with enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and/or enhanced gas recovery operations. Carbon storage, with EOR, offers a means to help offset capture, transportation and storage costs—thereby accelerating the implementation of geologic storage.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage these projects, which are described below:

Stacked Greenfield and Brownfield ROZ Fairways in the Illinois Basin Geo-Laboratory: Co-Optimization of EOR and Associated CO2 Storage – The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Champaign, IL) plans to identify economic strategies to co-optimize CO2-EOR and associated storage in stacked, primarily siliciclastic, reservoirs and residual oil zones (ROZs) in the Illinois Basin.

DOE Funding: $3,455,947; Non-DOE Funding: $917,881; Total Value: $4,373,828

Williston Basin CO2 Field Laboratory – University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center (Grand Forks, ND) proposes to establish the Williston Basin CO2 Field Laboratory in the South Central Cut Bank oil field in Montana, with the overall goal of advancing associated storage within the high-priority Williston Basin.

DOE Funding: $3,495,703; Non-DOE Funding: $873,926; Total Value: $4,369,629

The Office of Fossil Energy funds research and development projects to reduce the risk and cost of advanced fossil energy technologies and further the sustainable use of the Nation’s fossil resources. To learn more about the programs within the Office of Fossil Energy, visit the Office of Fossil Energy website or sign up for FE news announcements. More information about the National Energy Technology Laboratory is available on the NETL website.

Contact:

• Shelley Martin, DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory, 304-285-0228, contact.publicaffairs@netl.doe.gov