[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 92 (Monday, May 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32023-32025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11915]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Energy Technology Laboratory; Notice of Availability of
a Financial Assistance Solicitation
AGENCY: National Energy Technology Laboratory, Department of Energy
(DOE).
ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Financial Assistance Solicitation.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intent to issue Financial
Assistance Solicitation No. DE-PS26-02NT15375 entitled ``Public
Resources Invested in Management and Extraction (PRIME) .'' The
Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory
(NETL), on behalf of its National Petroleum Technology Office (NPTO),
seeks applications for cost-shared long-term (7-10 years), high-risk
research and development (R & D), including fundamental research and
optimization of important, state-of-the art oil/gas technologies, for
future applications on
[[Page 32024]]
domestic areas including on state and federal lands and waters. These
longer-term, high-risk research activities emphasize new concepts and/
or approaches that may lead to significant revolutionary (i.e., not
evolutionary) advancements in the state-of-the-art oil/gas technology
by reducing risks, costs, and environmental impacts associated with
finding and producing U.S. petroleum resources. The projects in this
program may be designed to yield specific solutions to exploration and
production problems including issues of public lands, and allowing real
returns from these lands and waters while preserving the Nation's
asset.
The goal is to develop world class technologies that will provide
the domestic industry a leadership role in discovery and the
development of undiscovered or previously unattainable resources. This
new initiative will focus longer-term fundamental R&D in the following
three broad areas: (1) Oil and Gas Recovery Technology, (2) Advanced
Drilling, Completion, Stimulation, and Operations (ADCS), or (3)
Advanced Diagnostic and Imaging Systems (ADIS) and Reservoir
Characterization.
DATES: The solicitation will be available on the DOE/NETL's Internet
address at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business and on the ``Industry
Interactive Procurement System'' (IIPS) webpage located at http://e-
center.doe.gov on or about May 31, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith R. Miles, U.S. Department of
Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940, MS 921-
107, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, E-mail Address: miles@netl.doe.gov,
Telephone Number: 412-386-5984.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy, National Energy
Technology Laboratory's Fossil Energy--Oil and Gas Program plans to
initiate a fundamental research and development (R&D) program (PRIME)
in exploration and production technologies during FY-2002. This new
initiative differs from the current Fossil Energy--Oil and Gas Program
in that it stresses high-risk research that may require multiple years
to develop from the concept phase. Such R&D activities warrant the
longer-term investment of resources from which one to several
breakthroughs may result in significant advancements in our
understanding and subsequent development in technologies applicable to
petroleum exploration and production.
The three areas of interest for this solicitation are:
Area of Interest 1--Oil and Gas Recovery Technology
The production research program has historically targeted oil
reservoirs that contain around 200 billion barrels of oil that are
potentially recoverable by conventional Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
methods. This program has been subdivided into the areas, (1) chemical
methods, (2) gas flooding, (3) microbial methods, (4) heavy oil
recovery, (5) novel methods, and (6) reservoir simulation. Each area
addresses one or more specific portions of the resource base.
However, new technologies and concepts are being developed so there
may be new areas that do not fit into the present EOR methods. This
initiative is to focus on new technologies with longer-term R&D
potential (recovery processes which are only at the concept stage),
which may help recover additional oil but are currently outside the
traditional methods.
Area of Interest 2--Advanced Drilling, Completion, Stimulation, and
Operations (ADCS)
Currently producers and service providers in the oil and gas
industry are being asked to reach deeper depths with a minimum of
damage to the producing formation and at a cost well below traditional
methods. What the industry needs is safe, lower cost drilling systems
whose use can be considered value added and not simply a cost to the
project. Technology that increases the ultimate production and creates
access to the remote sites with a minimum disturbance and have the
ability to drill and complete wells while protecting the environment is
essential in the effort to develop remote areas.
DOE is looking for projects with the potential to create
technological breakthroughs and surmount the current barriers to
drilling and production. Projects should use an integrated system
approach to the problems. The needs identified as high priority by a
group of industry and research representatives in the ADCS area are:
Miniaturization and materials development--The operational
and mobilization costs associated with drilling and completion must be
reduced significantly without sacrificing any performance. It will be
necessary to develop beyond our current capabilities in the offshore
and deep onshore to access the deeper targets economically and also to
reduce the exploration costs. Research to improved performance and
reliability must increase radically in order to reach some targets. DOE
is accepting proposals for revolutionary development that would come
into use after 2010. Such breakthroughs could lead to reductions in
mobilization costs and increase the economics of a prospect. This may
be achieved through breakthroughs in the following areas:
(1) Materials development that would allow the design of lighter,
yet robust systems for drilling and operations.
(2) Miniaturization without loss of performance or reliability
would effectively reduce space and weight requirements so critical to
remote locations and ultradeep offshore development and exploration.
Fluid/flow identification--It is critical to identify flow
and fluids the horizontal leg of a well and in multi-lateral wells. The
need for ``smart pipes'' and robust diverse sensors are suitable for
such work. In particular, the identification must be in space.
Parameters could include pressure, temperature, density, specific
gravity, flow rate, flow volume, acoustics, orientation, motion or
vibration, electrical or acoustical conductivity, radioactivity, and
chemical composition.
Separation technology--Downhole separation technology
along with seafloor separation technology will be critical to the
offshore industry and reduce the costs associated with produced water
and waste issues. The technology has not advanced to fully address
multi-lateral well designs or separation in the horizontal leg of a
well. Proposals are sought for two topics in this area:
(1) Issues related to downhole separation--Radical design of
downhole separation technology is critical to handle higher flow rates,
fit into 8" diameter and less wells, operate effectively at high water
cuts, be able to handle solids, maintain better separation efficiency
and high product quality.
(2) Subsea separation--The separation technology suitable to reduce
cost associated with water lifting to the surface and address the
associated disposal issues could create economic targets offshore that
are currently marginal. Significant breakthroughs in this area are
sought.
Area of Interest 3--Advanced Diagnostic and Imaging Systems (ADIS)
and Reservoir Characterization
High risk, long term new research applications are solicited for
finding new domestic oil/gas reserves. The research may be focused to
develop innovative geologic system models and exploration concepts for
analysis ofU.S. basins for new and overlooked fairways (field-to-basin
scales).
[[Page 32025]]
The potential is focused on the development and application of new
geoscientific and engineering concepts in high oil/gas potential basins
on public lands and waters. Technology is needed to increase accuracy
and resolution of seismic and other geological and geophysical methods.
New methodology is solicited for interpretation and integration of
multiple technology, and data sets into refined geologic and
engineering models that guide discovery of new oil reserves, oil field
development, and management for maximum economic oil recovery.
DOE currently has available $3.5 million for this Program
Solicitation (PS) and the proposed budget for this program over 5 years
is $23.5 million of DOE support. The total program of PRIME may be $30
million for a period of 7-10 years. It is anticipated that between 10-
20 cost-shared awards, with a total project value estimated at $1.0
million to $1.5 million each (i.e., DOE share of project costs
estimated at between $750K-$1,000K), will be made under this
solicitation. The applicant must cost share a minimum of 20% of the
total project cost. Projects must be structured with two (2) phases
(i.e., Budget Periods) which include: idea and/or concept development
(Budget Period 1) and initiation of proof-of-concept activities (Budget
Period 2).
The research conducted in this program will provide support for
foundation-building R&D in universities and the national laboratories
and maintain the leadership of the United States in oil and gas
technologies. It is envisioned that a teaming of expertise from
academic, private research organizations, state and federal agencies in
collaboration with industry may be needed to focus efforts on
overcoming key scientific and engineering hurdles. Applications
submitted by or on behalf of (1) another Federal agency; (2) a
Federally Funded Research and Development Center sponsored by another
Federal agency; or (3) a Department of Energy (DOE) Management
Operating (M&O) contractor will not be eligible for award under this
solicitation. However, an application that includes performance of a
portion of the work by a DOE National Laboratory and/or M&O contractor
will be evaluated and may be considered for award subject to the
provisions to be set forth in Program Solicitation DE-PS26-02NT15375.
(Note: The limit on participation by a National Laboratory and/or M&O
contractor for an individual project under this solicitation cannot
exceed 25% of the total project cost).
Once released, the solicitation will be available for downloading
from the IIPS Internet page. At this Internet site you will also be
able to register with IIPS, enabling you to submit an application. If
you need technical assistance in registering or for any other IIPS
function, call the IIPS Help Desk at (800) 683-0751 or E-mail the Help
Desk personnel at IIPS_HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov. The solicitation will
only be made available in IIPS, no hard (paper) copies of the
solicitation and related documents will be made available.
Prospective applicants who would like to be notified as soon as the
solicitation is available should subscribe to the Business Alert
Mailing List at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business. Once you subscribe,
you will receive an announcement by E-mail that the solicitation has
been released to the public. Telephone requests, written requests, E-
mail requests, or facsimile requests for a copy of the solicitation
package will not be accepted and/or honored. Applications must be
prepared and submitted in accordance with the instructions and forms
contained in the solicitation. The actual solicitation document will
allow for requests for explanation and/or interpretation.
Issued in Pittsburgh, PA, on May 3, 2002.
Dale A. Siciliano,
Deputy Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 02-11915 Filed 5-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P