Five Houston-based projects focused on reducing risks of ultra-deepwater drilling are among recipients of $9.6 million in federal awards from the Office of Fossil Energy, the U.S. Departmentof Energy announced Monday.
The federal funds cover only a portion of each project’s full cost. In total, the six awarded projects have a pricetag of more than $26.4 million over three years, according to the Department of Energy. The sixth project is based in Boulder, Colo. and studies the impact of hurricanes on offshore production operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the $1.8 million project will receive $360,000 in federal funding over three years.
The Houston awardees are:
* Lockheed Martin – The Bethesda, Md. based company is heading an effort in Houston to test and commercialize advanced underwater vehicles that use lasers to inspect underwater equipment. The $2 million project will receive $1.6 million in federal funding over two years.
* Nautilus International LLC – The company will receive $1.25 million to demonstrate its well intervention and blow-out prevention system. The total project cost is an estimated $14.7 million over three years.
* Letton-Hall Group – The consulting firm’s $4 million project seeks to improve measurement of oil, natural gas and saltwater flow rates. The project will study tools that detect fluid flow in order to better asses well performance and reduce the risk of uncontrolled emissions from underwater equipment. It will receive $3.2 million over two years.
* Granherne Inc. – The $1.5 million project seeks to improve an electric pressure-control system that helps maintain the safety of underwater operations. The all-electric High Integrity Pressure Protection System is an improvement on its hydraulic counterparts because it is easier to control at great distances, the engineering firm says. The project will receive $1.2 million for two-and-a-half years.
* CSI Technologies – The research and engineering firm is studying a technology called reverse-circulation primary cementing to determine its viability for deepwater wells. Using the technology for subsea wells will help reduce risk during the cementing process, the company says. The $1.1 million project will receive $268,000 in federal funds for two years.
And the Federal Grant money keeps on rollin ……………
The industry has had one well get away from them, in I don’t know how many thousand that have been drilled ………… and after another period of no accidents, the DOE will be claiming they invented deep water drilling and made it safe.
Thank God for the DOE, where would we be without those people ……….
The petro-chem industry doesn’t need this money. They can and should fund this research themselves since it benefits them and their ability to drill.
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I’m pro oil. I’m pro business. I’m pro fiscal responsibility.