Oil & Gas Exploration & Production

Research is being conducted in reservoir characterization and monitoring, optimization of reservoir performance,and environmental protection. Using basic research studies as a source of innovative concepts, ERD researchers seek to transform theses concepts into tangible products of use to the industry within a time frame consistent with today's rapid growth in technology. Reservoir characterization and monitoring involves development of new seismic and electromagnetic techniques. Optimization of reservoir performances involves application of reservoir engineering and geomechanics principles to enhance production. The next major step in research will focus on methods to optimize performance through integration of monitored geophysical data, production data, and reservoir simulation. Support is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Fossil Energy (FE), Office of Energy Research, the Gas Research Institute (GRI), and direct industry contributions. Industrial collaboration is an important component of the DOE FE and GRI programs. the major part of the ERD oil and gas research program is funded through the DOE FE multilaboratory Natural Gas and oil Technology Partnership Program (NGOTP).

Referred to simply as the "Partnership Program", NGOTP began in 1989 and is managed by DOE's National Petroleum Technology Office (Tulsa, OK) and supported by DOE's Federal Energy Technology Center (Morgantown, WV). The objectives of the program are to develop and transfer to the domestic oil industry the new technologies needed to produce more oil and gas from the Nation's aging, mature domestic oil fields, while safeguarding the environment. Projects are typically multi-year, are reviewed and re-prioritized annually on the basis of industry panel reviews, and receive roughly equal funding support from DOE and industry. To help transfer the resulting technologies to the independents, the Partnership has forged closer working relationships with the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC).