NETL’s work to meet the nation’s demand for reliable, affordable, and secure domestic supplies of energy will be presented during the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC).

Scheduled for July 20–22 in Austin, Texas, URTeC is the premier event focused on the latest science and technology applied to exploration and development of unconventional resources. The conference brings together stakeholders from across the industry to connect on every facet of the unconventional space.
While significant advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology were achieved during the boom in shale gas production since 2010, as much as three quarters of the oil and natural gas remains out of reach.

The Lab’s Unconventional Resources Research Program remains committed to developing the technologies and methods to enhancing the nation’s ability to benefit from its vast natural gas and oil resources.

Projects to improve the understanding of unconventional resources by reducing costs associated with reservoir characterization, stimulation, and production remain cornerstones of the program, along with mitigating the impacts associated with production. Much of NETL’s work has been performed using field laboratories as platforms for advances supported by partnerships with industrial, academic, and international stakeholders.

Showcasing these various projects and networking with attendees and other exhibitors will serve as the focus of the Lab’s participation in URTeC.

“Our work doesn’t stop on the lab floor. Collaboration and forming new ties with commercial partners remain some of the most important elements of NETL’s work,” said Charles Taylor, NETL’s global partnerships portfolio manager. “With so many players in industry and research coming together, the Lab’s participation in URTeC is a step toward completing the puzzle and getting our findings and innovations into the market where they can make an impact.”

URTeC is led by three organizations: The Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. URTeC is organized around 12 themes, each with subthemes featuring team presentations from operators and others.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that produces technological solutions for America’s energy challenges. From developing creative innovations and efficient energy systems that make coal more competitive, to advancing technologies that enhance oil and natural gas extraction and transmission processes, NETL research is providing breakthroughs and discoveries that support domestic energy initiatives, stimulate a growing economy, and improve the health, safety, and security of all Americans. Highly skilled men and women at NETL’s sites in Albany, Oregon; Anchorage, Alaska; Houston, Texas; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania conduct a broad range of research activities that support DOE’s mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.