In Case You Missed It October 2019

In the third quarter of 2019, the Office of Fossil Energy’s (FE) leadership represented the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at a range of conferences and ministerial meetings; highlighted the importance of the Appalachian Petrochemical Renaissance; issued one new funding opportunity announcement (FOA) totaling $35 million; made $193 million project selections under thirteen previous FOAs; and more.

ICYMI, we hope you enjoy catching up on some of FE’s most recent highlights:

2019 Carbon Management Technology Conference

ASFE Steven Winberg tours the Petra Nova Power Plant.

DOE’s Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy (ASFE) Steven Winberg was the Keynote Speaker at the 2019 Carbon Management Technology Conference (CMTC) in Houston, Texas on July 16th. The 2019 CMTC focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies and other carbon management tools that provide options for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, while maintaining fuel diversity for sustainable growth.

At the conference, ASFE Winberg highlighted DOE’s robust CCUS R&D initiatives, including NRG’s Petra Nova project—the world’s largest post-combustion carbon capture system.

Read the full blog here.

An Appalachian Petrochemical Renaissance within Reach

The United States is on the cusp of an Appalachian petrochemical renaissance that scarcely could have been imagined a decade ago. Primarily due to the Marcellus and Utica shale plays, Appalachia now produces more than 32 percent of U.S. natural gas and about 600 thousand barrels per day of natural gas liquids.

In fact, Appalachian shale gas is the principal driver for growth in U.S. natural gas production. The Appalachian region has abundant resources and extensive downstream industrial activity, particularly in the quad-state area of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky; this creates an opportunity for a renaissance of the Appalachian petrochemical industry.

Learn more about petrochemical manufacturing and production, and why the Appalachian Petrochemical Renaissance is a driver for U.S. competitiveness here.

ASFE Steven Winberg Speaks inTokyo, Japan

ASFE Steven Winberg spoke in Tokyo in September to discuss DOE’s work to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions; how hydrogen can help create a promising energy future; and why American liquefied natural gas (LNG) can play an important role in Asia’s growth.

ASFE Winberg presented at the International Conference on Carbon Recycling, the 2^nd Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting, the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy Workshop, and the U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas Exports and Market Impacts Meeting. Read all of the event highlights here.

DAS Shawn Bennett Speaks at IOGCC Annual Conference

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Oil and Natural Gas Shawn Bennett

Deputy Assistant Secretary Shawn Bennett

DOE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for the Office of Oil and Natural Gas Shawn Bennett spoke at the 2019 Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission Annual Conference in Medora, North Dakota on August 26th.

During his remarks, DAS Bennett discussed the importance of oil and natural gas development to U.S. economic growth and energy security, and the impacts of those resources in the global energy market.

He also highlighted how the Trump Administration has worked to support U.S. technical leadership, streamlined regulations, and federal-state collaboration on energy issues.

Read the full blog here.

News Highlights

National Carbon Capture Center

DOE’s National Carbon Capture Center—managed and operated by Southern Company—welcomed French major energy player Total as a new member.

Total is the second major oil and gas producer to sponsor the center—following ExxonMobil in 2018— and its membership reflects the center’s growing focus on advancing CCUS solutions for natural gas-based power generation. Active in more than 130 countries, Total produces and markets fuels, natural gas, and low-carbon electricity.

Read the full news story here.

ICYMI, additional FE news updates include:

July 10, 2019 – FE Announces Awards for the High Performance Computing for Materials Program.
July 12, 2019 – How the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Helps Oil Refiners Weather the Storm.
July 16, 2019 – Remarks of ASFE Steven Winberg as prepared at the AIChE Annual Carbon Management Technology Conference in Houston, Texas.
July 18, 2019 – DOE Invests $40 Million in Enhanced Oil Recovery.
July 25, 2019 – Secretary Perry Congratulates Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
July 31, 2019 – DOE Authorizes LNG Exports from the Gulf LNG Liquefaction Project in Mississippi.
August 6, 2019 – ASFE Steven Winberg Speaks at the Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia. Read his prepared remarks here.
August 21, 2019 – Energy Department Announces Congressionally-Mandated Notice of Sale of Crude Oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
August 26, 2019 – Remarks of Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg as prepared at the 2019 Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, and Oil and Gas Technologies Integrated Project Review Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
September 9, 2019 – Energy Department Announces Contract Awards for the Congressionally Mandated Sale of Crude Oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
September 12, 2019 – ASFE Steven Winberg Speaks at the International Pittsburgh Coal Conference. Read his prepared remarks here.
September 13, 2019 – DOE Announces $110 Million for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage.
October 15, 2019 – Energy Department Ranked Global Leader in Carbon Capture and Storage Research.

FOAs

In the third quarter of this year, FE issued one new FOA totaling $35 million:

DE-FOA-0001999 – $35 million for Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE): Site Characterization and CO2 Capture Assessment (September 13, 2019)

FOA Selections

FE selected projects under thirteen previous FOAs to receive $193 million of funding:

HPC4Mtls projects – $600,000 for High Performance Computing for Materials (HPC4Mtls) Program (July 10, 2019)
DE-FOA-0001988 – $39.9 million for Advanced Technologies for Enhanced Oil Recovery (July 18, 2019)
DE-FOA-0002058 – $55.4 million for Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Studies for Carbon Capture Systems on Coal and Natural Gas Power Plants (September 13, 2019)
DE-FOA-0002000 – $20 million for Regional Initiative to Accelerate CCUS Deployment (September 13, 2019)
DE-FOA-0002005 – $9 million for Advanced Subsea System Technologies to Improve Efficiency and Capabilities for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) in Offshore Wells (September 17, 2019)
DE-FOA-0001992 – $10 million for Maximizing the Coal Value Chain (September 20, 2019)
DE-FOA-0001996 – $11.9 million for Advancing Steam Turbines for Coal Boilers (September 20, 2019)
DE-FOA-0002001 – $9.3 million for Crosscutting Research for Coal-Fueled Power Plants (September 20, 2019)
DE-FOA-0002002 – $5 million for Advanced Materials for High-Efficiency, Flexible and Reliable Coal-Fueled Power Plants (September 20, 2019)
DE-FOA-0002003 – $15 million for Process Scale-Up and Optimization/Efficiency Improvements for Rare Earth Elements (REE) and Critical Materials (CM) Recovery from United States Coal-Based Resources (September 20, 2019)
DE-FOA-0001998 – $5.3 million for Transformational Sensing Systems for Monitoring the Deep Subsurface (September 20, 2019)
DE-FOA-0002004 – $4.6 million for Low-Cost, Efficient Treatment Technologies for Produced Water (September 26, 2019)
DE-FOA-0002057 – $7 million for Coal-Based Power Plants of the Future (October 11, 2019)

We hope you enjoyed this quarter’s edition of ICYMI. Thank you for reading!