The Global Petroleum Research Institute (GPRI) is the managing partner of a Cooperative effort to conduct critical research in the development of petroleum technology. Research findings will lead to the application of new and innovative technologies in petroleum exploration and production to address the increasing demand for cost-effective production and enhanced recovery.

EFD Program Receives Environmental Partnership Award!

The Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program has been selected by the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission’s Stewardship Award Subcommittee as the winner in the Environmental Partnership category. The award was presented at the Commission’s annual meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi, on October 5, see:

http://www.harc.edu/News/PressReleases/IOGCCSelectsHARC

 

Upcoming Events:

    2012 Practical Short Courses
The Food Protein R&D Center of Texas A&M University will again host the 22nd Annual Practical Short Course on "Membrane/Filtration and Separations Technologies" on April 22-26, and the 7th Annual Practical Short Course on "Water Issues & Technologies: Process Water, Wastewater, and Desalination" on August 5-7.

Recent Events:

    There was an Environmentally Friendly Drilling meeting in Kingsville, Texas, on November 20th highlighting the accomplishments of a five-year effort to lower the environmental footprint of drilling operations in the development of the Eagle Ford Shale. Official meeting announcement and Agenda.

    EFD hosting an industry meeting
There was an industry meeting in San Antonio on March 15, 2011, to discuss low environmental impact drilling technology for the Eagle Ford Shale. This meeting focused on technologies to monitor emissions, treat produced water and frac flowback brine, and create 'disappearing roads' to minimize the land footprint of drilling and completion activity. Agenda.

    PTTC-EFD Workshop
A Petroleum Technology Transfer Council-Environmentally Friendly Drilling (PTTC-EFD) Workshop featuring "The Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program: Managing Marcellus Play Development in Sensitive Areas" will be held on August 24, 2010 at the Hilton Gardens Inn, Pittsburg/Southpointe, PA.
Please click here for more information.

    EFD Quarterly Meeting, February 23, 2010, HARC, The Woodlands, TX. Participation via web and teleconference will be available. More information to come.

    EFD Exhibiting at the IADC HSE Conference and Exhibition, January 26-27, 2010, at the Omni Houston Hotel Westside. More information here

    Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program Advisory Board Kick-off Meeting, August 20, 2009 at HARC, in the Woodlands. Agenda

Recent Articles:

• Electrical Power Generation from Produced Water: Field Demonstration of Ways to Reduce Operating Costs of Small Producers (project was awarded RPSEA grant)
• The Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program (project was awarded RPSEA grant)

Quick Links:

    Environmentally Friendly Drilling Program

    Public Alliance Site

Major Projects:

    Oil Field Brine Desalination

• Overview - Why environmental sustainability is needed
• The A&M Desalination Program - An explanation of the program and its projects
• GPRI Desalination of Oil Field Brine and Flowback Water project homepage - Advanced membrane technology can be used to treat oil field brines to make them acceptable for re-use in oil field, industrial, or municipal applications

    Environmental Drilling

• Environmentally Friendly Drilling - An overview of the program and who is involved
• Project Summary - A more detailed explanation
• Low Impact Access Projects within the EFD Program - Technology relating to reducing the footprint of O&G Operations
• Optimization Models for Surface Placement of O&G Drill Sites - Existing hydologic models can be used to minimize surface impact of well sites and access roads
• Disappearing Road Competition - Information about a nation-wide scholastic competition to design an environmentally friendly road system
• Ultra Deepwater Environment - Information pertaining to key environmental issues encountered in ultra deepwater
• Public Perception and Acceptance of Technology - Studies performed to identify public acceptance of new technology designed for reducing impact of O&G technology
• GPRI Alternate Rig Power Study - An alternate power concept for light weight drilling rigs that eliminated diesel generator packages
• Program for the Beneficial Use of Oil Field Produced Water - Environmentally Friendly Drilling presentation, 2009 SPE Tight Gas Conference

    Other GPRI Proposed Projects

• GPRI DEA Update
• GPRI Novel Coil Tubing Drilling Unit - An industry-funded joint venture to develop a commercial model of a rotating coil tubing drilling unit
• GPRI Novel Offshore Platform Design - A novel concept intended to simplify fabrication of a deepwater floating, drilling, and production unit
• Study of Bacteriophages as Corrosion Control in O&G Applications - A proposed GPRI industry funded joint venture to develop new technology to control SRB related problems in oil field operations

University/National Laboratories Alliance Team
News (Information) | Group site (Members only)

Current GPRI Members:

• Anadarko
• BP
• BHP Billiton
• Chevron
• ConocoPhillips
• ExxonMobil
• Marathon
• Shell
• Statoil
• Total

Staff:

David Burnett
GPRI-Director of Technology
Phone: (979) 845-2274
E-mail: burnett@pe.tamu.edu
Webpage

Pam Hunt
GPRI-Business Coordinator
Phone: (979) 845-2272
E-mail: pam.hunt@pe.tamu.edu