u.s. department of energy national energy technology laboratory
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U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory. DOE Projects and Programs That Can Help Independents in Alaska February 26, 2003. William (Bill) F. Lawson National Petroleum Technology Office. DOE Goal. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
U.S. Department of EnergyNational Energy Technology Laboratory
William (Bill) F. LawsonNational Petroleum Technology Office
DOE Projects and Programs That Can Help Independents in Alaska
February 26, 2003
DOE Goal
Assist Communities, Producers, State and Federal Government by providing Sound Science for Regulation and Development of Alaska’s Resources
Build Consensus DOE Office of Fossil Energy has a long history of petroleum
exploration and production research in Alaska, and has several ongoing projects in the state.
NETL Funding
$48 million of projects in place in Alaska DOE Fossil Energy Oil and Gas Funds DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Funds University of Alaska, Fairbanks
NETL Current Petroleum Projects
Five Current RD&D Projects - 3 upstream and 2 downstream Alaska Oil & Gas Exploration: Development and Permitting Project Development and Demonstration of Mobile Small Footprint Exploration and
Development Well System for the Arctic Unconventional Gas Resources Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Reconnaissance Level Airborne
Contaminants Study PetroStar Conversion Extraction Desulfurization Process PetroStar Biocatalyst Desulfurization
DOE Arctic Energy Office in Alaska Best Practices Workshops
Alaskan Workshop Series – DOE as facilitator to help technology transfer and generate consensus among groups developing Alaska’s energy resources
Projects Outside Alaska with impact on Alaskan Independents Drilling technologies Environmental cleanup and waste management
Alaska Oil & Gas Exploration: Development and Permitting Project – by State of Alaska
Objective - eliminate three closely inter-related barriers to oil production in Alaska Identification of oil potential form existing wells Plan projects efficiently to avoid conflicts Gain state approvals for exploration and development
Use Geographic Information system (GIS) Combine oil exploration, development and
permitting for an integrated information technology infrastructure for Alaska
Develop web-based, on-line system for public review of data and permitting
On-Line Oil and Gas Development and Permitting
Alaska Resources – one quarter of US crude oil - five billion barrels of proven reserves
Overcome barriers to efficient oil and gas development Currently multiple, independent Alaska agencies Develop Diagnostic Coastal Project Questionaire
To determine suite of permits required Develop document templates for reviews and public
notices Use geography (GIS system) as the organizing principal to
bring shared interests together logically Integrate multiple agencies into one permitting system
Establish easier and faster application process Improve efficiency of review process Improve security of government information systems Provide a means to handle permit fee payments
electronically
Development and Demonstration of Mobile Small Footprint Exploration and Development Well System
for the Arctic Unconventional Gas Resources by NANA Development Corp.
Provide an economic, local alternative fuel source for remote Arctic villages and industrial complexes
3-in slimhole drill rig designed to explore and produce unconventional gas
Performers NANA Development Corporation Teck Cominco, Red Dog Mine Advanced Resources International
NANA Slimhole Drilling
1st slimhole (3 in) wells drilled in remote Arctic locations Planned development of unconventional gas resource Develop natural gas sites near where it will be used Replace diesel fuel for engines and electric power generation Significantly reduce emissions Reduce fuel cost Provide a lower cost, efficient fuel source to Native villages and
mining facilities Promoted technology transfer to Native American tribal groups Design drilling program for unconventional gas
Mobile slimhole rig and equipment Transportation via helicopter to avoid building roads over the tundra Reduced volume of drilling muds Reduced volume of cement for casing Developed biodegradable antifreeze to maintain openhole in permafrost Reduced volume of produced water Significant cost savings compared to conventional oil rig Feasible degasification of existing engines and turbines
Mobile Slimhole Rig and Tool
Research and Monitoring Team
Northeast National Petroleum Reserve –Alaska Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement
Plan establishes procedures and advisory bodies to address subsistence and research concerns.
Representatives from Federal, State, and North Slope Borough agencies, the oil industry, environmental groups, academia and other interested parties will be invited to participate on the research and monitoring team.
Team will coordinate research and monitoring projects in NE-NPR-Alaska
Northeast National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Reconnaissance Level Airborne Contaminants Study
by Bureau of Land Management
Funded by the DOE and operated under the Research and Monitoring Team
Air contaminant baseline study in Northeast NPR – 4, Alaska Study effects if airborne contaminants of watersheds Expand the number of index sites in Northeast Alaska
Determine the air contaminants as they currently exist and to provide a baseline to determine the fate and effect of future oilfield activities
Provide environmental quality baseline for the indigenous people of the Alaskan Arctic
Petro Star Refinery
Conversion Extraction Desulfurization Process and the Biocatalyst Desulfurization Project
by Petro Star Inc. 6 industry partners - fuels, processing and environmental Aimed at meeting EPA requirements on sulfur content in
fuel Reduce sulfur as an air pollutant Reduce sulfur in tailpipe emissions, associated with nitrogen
oxides, carbon monoxide and particulate matter Two strategies for desulfurization
Chemical Extraction - Conversion Chemical Desulfurization Process can be affordable for medium and small refineries
that produce low-sulfur diesel Biocatalyst Desulfurization
Biologically removes sulfur from diesel fuel using log temperature and low pressure processing
Applicable to other small refiners who cannot afford current, high-pressure hydrotreater and hydrogen plant hydrodesulfurization process
Methane Hydrate Researchby Maurer Technology & Anadarko Petroleum
Objective: evaluate subsurface hydrate occurrence and production potential.
Hydrates resource in Arctic is estimated at 11,000 to 24,000 Tcf
Develop specialized drilling platform Determine best practices for safe and economic
drilling and production of methane hydrates in the Alaskan permafrost
Chilled drilling fluids to insure core recovery using hard rock mining rig in Kuparuk oil field.
3 year, $10 million cost-shared with Anadarko Petroleum Corp, and DOE
Arctic Drilling/Production Platform(Maurer/Anadarko)
Good for environment (reduced footprint)
Good for industry (year round drilling)
1/2 scale platform designed & built
Moved to AK in late December 2002
DOE Arctic Energy Office in Fairbanks
In FY 2001, DOE/NETL opened the Arctic Energy Office in Fairbanks, Alaska as a joint project of the Offices of Fossil Energy and EERE
Objectives Create an in-state resource for
the expansion and coordination of arctic-related RD&D in energy technology that will capitalize on the unique knowledge and experience of the people who live and work in the arctic.
Sponsor collaborative R&D by Alaska industry and the University of Alaska Fairbanks to address the E&P barriers to continued development of Alaska's energy resources.
Alaska Energy Office
This new office is located on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and has entered into a five-year cooperative agreement with the University to develop an in-state resource for expansion and coordination of arctic related RD&D in energy technology in two primary categories: Fossil Energy - Promote research, development and
deployment of oil recovery, gas-to-liquids and natural gas production and transportation.
Remote Power - Promote research, development and deployment of electric power in arctic climates, including fossil, wind, geothermal, fuel cells, and small hydroelectric facilities. Regarding the first part of its mission, the Office of Fossil Energy has a long history of petroleum exploration and production research in Alaska, and has several ongoing projects in the state. While the Arctic Energy Office has limited responsibilities concerning the established projects in the state, this new office is working closely with the established Oil and Gas programs to identify new opportunities for research.
Coal Bed Methane Studies – Lessons from other States
Best Practices Guidebook for Coalbed Methane – ALL Consulting Effective low-cost methodologies Selection of technology matched to specific local soil,
water, climate, land and environmental conditions Ground water monitoring and water quality
protection -BLM
Coalbed Methane Potential in Alaska
Projects Outside Alaska that can be Beneficial to Alaskan Independents
Design and Development of Gas Liquid Cylindrical Cyclone Compact Separators for Three Phase Flow; Performer - University of Tulsa
Improved Oilfield Waste Injection Techniques; Performer – Terralog Technologies
Advanced Cuttings Transport Study; Performer – University of Tulsa
Simultaneous Injection Pilot Project: Phase I – Feasibility Study; Performer - Argonne National Laboratory
Gas Liquid Cylindrical Cyclone (GLCC)Objective: Develop and improve a three-phase gas-
liquid cylindrical cyclone (GLCC) separator
Participants: University of Tulsa, plus 15 industry JIP
membersSuccesses: Reduced footprint and 3 fold cost
savings over conventional separators Field application demonstrated a
savings of $3.2 million over conventional separators
Offshore non-producing oil well brought back to life at 1000 Bbls/day
Next Milestone Event: Initiate HP facility & complete 3-phase
simulator design
Improved Oilfield Waste Injection Techniques by Terralog Technologies
Waste injection projects in Alaska, California, Louisiana and Canada
Develop a cost-effective waste injection technique Containment of waste in target interval Sequence of sands and shales, better than a single shale Slurry mix of 10-40% by volume solids Screening method eliminates larger material and handles it
separately Reduces cost of producing slurry, because the process does
not grind unnecessary material Develop software for prediction and control of fracture
propagation in soft formations Visualization of changes in fractures by injection invasion New integrated rock mechanics and fluid flow models Monitor injection rate daily to maintain episodic high rate
injection
Improved Oilfield Waste Injection Techniques by Terralog Technologies
Mixing & Pumping Equipment
Injection Well
Improved Oilfield Waste Injection Techniques
Advanced Well Cuttingsby University of Tulsa
Joint Industry Study Develop advanced cuttings transport and drilling
fluid test facility Design low-pressure, high-temperature flow loop Develop flow tests for single, two-phase and
three-phase flow (water, air and cuttings)