Number of Projects	Total Value* (Million $)	DOE Share (Million $)	Job Benefits**
Coal & Power Projects	4	$65.66	$40.10	1,871
Oil & Gas Projects	3	$3.87	$2.85	110

*Includes DOE and private sector cost-sharing

**An average of 28.5 direct and indirect jobs per $1 million in R&D funding is used based on the Department of Commerce's Regional Input-Output Modeling System II formula.

Western Research Institute Contributing to the Office of Fossil Energy's Science and Technology Mission

• Jointly Sponsored Research on Energy-Related Topics - The Western Research Institute (WRI), Laramie, WY, has partnered with DOE on a $52.98 million project (DOE share: $27.75 million) to support DOE's Office of Fossil Energy in conducting research on fossil energy and environmentally-related technologies. This joint research effort is addressing topics such as increasing the production of U.S. energy resources, enhancing the competitiveness of U.S. technologies, reducing dependence on foreign energy supplies, strengthening national and regional economies, and minimizing the impact of energy production and utilization.

• Base Research Program - DOE is fully funding $12.02 million to WRI for basic research on fossil energy-related topics that will provide fundamental insights for developing future technologies. This research will help the United States secure future energy supplies, foster economic growth, and improve the quality of the environment.

• Assessment of Coalbed Methane Produced Water - This research effort will evaluate the impact of Coal Bed Methane produced water from the Powder River Basin on soils and vegetation in the vicinity of active production.  The water will be used for irrigation.  WRI will do a literature review of CBM water on soils and plant growth, site assessments and characterization to select suitable study locations, field application of produced water (3 seasons), monitoring and analysis of the use of the water, and data evaluation. DOE is funding $255,000 of this $510,000 project.

• Mercury Calibration System - The ultimate goal of this $150,00 project (DOE share: $75,000) is to develop and introduce to the industry a new mercury in air calibration system based on vapor pressure headspace above elemental mercury, and to establish the use of saturated elemental mercury headspace as a national calibration standard (NIST-traceable) for elemetal mercury in air. The objectives of the current endeavor are to evaluate prototype devices at WRI, identify key parameters affecting analysis, and specify the necessary components for successful design and operation.

Wyoming Business Developing Environmental Protection Technologies

• Coalbed Methane Produced Water Treatment - BC Technologies, Ltd., Laramie, WY, together with Oak Ridge National Lab and the Integrated Petroleum Environmental Consotrium plan to develop and demonstrate a unique and synergistic process for wellhead produced water treatment to bring brines to a level where beneficial use is possible. DOE is contributing $414,000 to this $685,000 project.

University Conducts Oil and Gas Projects

• The University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, is receiving funding from DOE for oil and natural gas recovery research.

  • Fundamentals of Reservoir Surface Energy - DOE is cost-sharing $1.0 million of the $1.25 million total project cost. The long range objective of this proposal to improve oil recovery from fractured reservoirs through improved fundamental understanding of the process of spontaneous imbibition, by which oil is displaced from the rock matrix into the fractures.

  • Coalbed Natural Gas Development - Coal Bed Natural Gas (CBNG) from the Powder River Basin is a significant component of the U.S. natural gas supply.  Environmental concerns over the use of produced water CBNG are limiting the development of this important resouce.  The goal of this project is to clearly define the true environmental issues associated with this water and to develop cost-effective treatment or mitigation technologies that will allow production of the resource without harm to the environment. DOE is contributing $1.44 million to this $1.93 million project.