The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office announced it will renew a cooperative agreement with the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) for the development and use of the nation's hydrocarbon and geothermal energy resources. The agreement will provide up to $25 million in funding over the course of the next 5 years.
“The innovative work undertaken by the EERC directly contributes to our ability to more efficiently maximize the potential of America’s valuable hydrocarbon resources, reduce energy costs for families and businesses, and fortify our energy infrastructure for a secure and resilient future,” said DOE Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit.
Under the agreement, research will be applied to key areas including
- Developing technologies to uncover potential remaining US oil and gas reserves by focusing on accelerating enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in unconventional reservoirs, advancing the utilization of byproducts such as produced water, and improving operational efficiency.
- Advancing coal utilization, improving the characterization of coal seams for the co-production of critical minerals and rare earth elements, next-generation mining and extraction techniques, and advancing waste and byproduct utilization.
- Accelerating the deployment of geothermal energy technologies by exploring the repurposing of existing oil and gas infrastructure for geothermal power production.
- Supporting growing power needs and enhancing efficiency and reliability to lower energy costs.
- Advancing carbon capture technologies and evaluating how to utilize carbon dioxide for applications such as EOR and the creation of products including fuels and chemicals.