The U.S. and Norway have a strong relationship that goes back nearly 100 years.  We’ve been partners in a number of critical areas – from defense to the development of safe and secure energy sources.  And our relationship is particularly strong when it comes to fossil energy. That close collaboration was recently on display during the 10th annual U.S.-Norway Bilateral Meeting on Fossil Energy, held in Bergen, Norway. Hosted by Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the meeting focused on carbon capture and storage (CCS) – the process of capturing and storing or re-using carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fired power plants and industrial sources.  CCS is an important part of the president’s plan to address climate change and secure America’s energy future. The Office of Fossil Energy’s (FE) Jarad Daniels, Richard Lynch, Mark Ackiewicz, Regis Conrad, John Litynski, and Eric Smistad represented the Department of Energy during the three days of...

The Department of Energy (DOE) is in the final months of activities related to selling resources, equipment and facilities at the government’s only operating oilfield, Naval Petroleum Reserve-3 (NPR-3), including the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC). The sale was initially set in motion by a November 2011 decision by the federal government that it was no longer in the national interest for DOE to continue to own NPR-3, located in the Eastern Rocky Mountains about 40 miles north of Casper, Wyoming.  RMOTC used resources and facilities at the 10,000-acre site to assist America’s oil and gas industry in developing and field testing new technologies. DOE conducted a thorough study delivered to Congress in June 2013, concluding that selling rather than transferring the NPR-3 property to the Department of the Interior for leasing would be the preferred option for DOE.  The report also included the planned sales process, which has been...

It’s the equivalent of the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 210,526 passenger vehicles. It’s the amount of carbon released by burning over 1 billion pounds of coal. And it’s the amount of carbon dioxide that an Energy Department-sponsored project recently captured. Air Products and Chemicals Inc. captured their one-millionth metric ton of carbon dioxide at a hydrogen-production facility in Port Arthur, Texas. Air Products was one of 12 companies awarded Energy Department funding for a carbon capture and sequestration demonstration project in 2009 under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Construction of the facility was completed in March 2013, on time and under budget. Like most hydrogen production facilities, Air Products’ Port Arthur facility uses steam methane reformers (SMRs), which produce CO 2 emissions as a result of the hydrogen production. By using a technology called vacuum swing adsorption, the project has been able to capture over 90 percent of the...

This article is part of the Energy.gov series highlighting the “ Top Things You Didn’t Know About… ” Be sure to check back for more entries soon. Encompassing three research sites and two offices in five separate states -- Alaska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia -- the Energy Department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has a 104‑year history of conducting and sponsoring research to benefit the American people. Today, NETL ’s programs and people proudly work to advance energy options that fuel the nation’s economy, strengthen national security and improve the environment. 10. NETL could be called both the oldest and newest of the Energy Department’s National Labs. The history of NETL ’s Pittsburgh site stretches back to 1910, when the newly created Bureau of Mines in the U.S. Department of the Interior opened the Pittsburgh Experiment Station in Bruceton, Pennsylvania, 12 miles south of Pittsburgh. The station’s original purpose...

The Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have entered into a new data-sharing agreement that promises to improve methods of locating abandoned oil and gas wells. The DEP is engaged in an ongoing effort to discover and seal abandoned wells in Pennsylvania, while NETL has developed survey techniques that make it easier to find such wells. The data-sharing agreement will allow for research results to quickly benefit the Commonwealth and will provide NETL with a greater ability to assess the effectiveness of its survey technologies. Abandoned oil and gas wells pose a serious environmental and economic problem. Wellbores that have not been properly sealed provide potential pathways for methane gas to seep to the surface, where it can trigger explosions, contaminate water supplies, or impact modern drilling operations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 1.2 million abandoned...

The development of U.S. natural gas resources is having a transformative impact on the U.S. energy landscape, helping to improve our energy security while spurring economic development and job creation around the country. The Administration continues to take steps to ensure the safe and environmentally sustainable supply of natural gas. The Natural Gas Act directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to grant Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export authorizations to non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries unless the Department finds that the proposed exports “will not be consistent with the public interest.” Since receiving the first long-term application in 2010 to export LNG to non-FTA countries from the lower 48 states, the Department of Energy has been -- and remains -- committed to conducting a public interest determination process as required by the Natural Gas Act that is expeditious, judicious and fair. Throughout this time, the Department has consistently made clear that a...

From discovering subatomic particles to developing  protective coatings for airplanes , our National Labs are constantly making advancements in research and development. This week, the National Energy Technology Lab held an open  project review meeting  to show the public exactly what they’re working on right now. Held in Pittsburgh, the meeting included presentations of 79 projects from the lab’s  Crosscutting Research Program , and was the first-ever forum for sharing research in three of the lab’s main topic areas: simulation-based engineering, sensors and controls, and high-performance materials. The lab often partners with private sector companies, universities or other National Labs to perform research. Of the 79 projects presented at the meeting, 32 were selected as part of the  University and Training Research Program  -- a lab initiative that consists of the  University Coal Research  program and  Historically Black Colleges and Universities Education and Training  initiative. For example, the National Energy Technology Lab partnered with...