[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5275-5277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2711]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


National Energy Technology Laboratory; Notice of Availability of 
a Financial Assistance Solicitation

AGENCY: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Financial Assistance Solicitation.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intent to issue Financial 
Assistance Solicitation No. DE-PS26-02NT15378 entitled ``Identification 
and Demonstration of Preferred Upstream Management Practices III (PUMP 
III) for the Oil Industry.'' The Department of Energy (DOE) National 
Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), on behalf of its National 
Petroleum Technology Office (NTPO), seeks cost-shared research and 
development applications for identification of preferred management 
practices (PMP) addressing a production barrier in a region and the 
documentation of these practices for use by the oil industry. 
Applications will either address (1) The solutions to a technical 
barrier to production in a region through identification, 
demonstration, and evaluation of suitable PMP's or (2) they will apply 
research or analysis to overcome an environmental regulatory barrier. 
The near-term goal is to address regional barriers whose resolution or

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removal would result in an increase in near-term oil production from 
onshore or offshore Federal, State, tribal or private land.

DATES: The solicitation will be available on the ``Industry Interactive 
Procurement System'' (IIPS) Web page located at http://e-center.doe.gov 
on or about February 4, 2002. Applicants can obtain access to the 
solicitation from the address above or through DOE/NETL's Web site at 
http://www.netl.doe.gov/business.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Pearse MS 921-107, U.S. 
Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 
Cochrans Mill Rd., P.O. Box 10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940, E-mail 
Address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Petroleum Technology Office of 
the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) National 
Energy Technology Lab (NETL) is soliciting cost-shared applications for 
identification of preferred management practices (PMP) addressing 
production and data-sharing solutions to a production barrier in a 
region and the documentation of these practices for use by the 
industry. The near-term goal is to increase current domestic oil 
production quickly.
    The mission of the Department of Energy's Fossil Energy Oil Program 
is derived from the National need for increased oil production for 
national security, requirements for Federal Lands stewardship, and 
increased protection of the environment. The Oil Program develops 
unique technologies and processes to locate untapped oil resources; 
extend the life of domestic energy resources; and reduce well 
abandonment--all essential to maximizing the production of domestic 
resources while protecting the environment. The National Energy Policy 
in providing energy for a new century supports efforts to increase oil 
and gas recovery from existing wells through new technology (NEP, 
Chapter 5, May 2001). The Preferred Upstream Management Practices III 
(PUMP III) Program continues an effort to meet the NEP goal, by 
encouraging implementation of the most promising and environmentally 
protective advanced technologies for optimizing the recovery of the 
Nation's valuable oil resources.
    The program will accept proposals for cost-shared research and 
development applications for identification of preferred management 
practices (PMP) addressing a production barrier in a region and the 
documentation of these practices for use by the oil industry. 
Applications will either address (1) The solutions to a technical 
barrier to production in a region through identification, 
demonstration, and evaluation of suitable PMP's or (2) they will apply 
research or analysis to overcome an environmental regulatory barrier. 
The near-term goal is to address regional barriers whose resolution or 
removal would result in an increase in near-term oil production from 
onshore or offshore Federal, State, tribal or private land.
    Barriers can be identified as technical, physical, regulatory, 
environmental, or economic. The selected projects are expected to 
employ the following four (4) strategies in order to have a rapid 
impact on production: (1) Focus on regions that present the biggest 
potential for additional oil production quickly, (2) integrate 
solutions to technological, economic, regulatory, and data constraints, 
(3) demonstrate the validity of these practices either through field 
demonstration during the project or documentation of well-run 
successful past demonstration, and (4) use known technology transfer 
mechanisms.
    Using a regional approach where the projects will have a wide 
applicability, an integrated approach scheduling tasks along parallel 
paths to facilitate a quicker response, and operating with existing 
networks, the production results in the field should be accelerated. 
The documentation and evaluation of the PMP will be a valuable resource 
to all producers in the applicable area and possibly other regions as 
well.
    Projects will demonstrate practices and/or technologies that can 
increase production, increase cost savings, or rapid returns on the 
capital investments of the operators. New technologies/processes or 
under-used but effective applications of existing technologies/
processes critical to a region will be demonstrated. Some proposals 
will develop data, systems, or methodologies that enable oil permitting 
agencies to make decisions more quickly and/or that are based on better 
scientific information about the environmental risks of a given 
operation.
    This program expects near-term results and actions that will create 
data or technological resources suitable for long-term use. Teaming is 
encouraged and the proposal partners could include, but not be limited 
to, producers, producer organizations, universities, service companies, 
State agencies or organizations, non-Federal research laboratories, and 
Native American Tribes or Corporations. The DOE will make publicly 
available over the Internet the data on preferred practices resulting 
from this program. The resulting publicly available databases of the 
preferred practices will be interactive, Internet accessible, should 
include both technologies and practices, and address constraints in the 
exploration, production, or environmental areas.
    DOE anticipates issuing financial assistance (Cooperative 
Agreement) awards. DOE reserves the right to support or not support, 
with or without discussions, any or all applications received in whole 
or in part, and to determine how may awards will be made. Multiple 
awards are anticipated. Approximately $6 million of DOE funding is 
planned over a 2 year period for this solicitation. The program seeks 
to sponsor projects for a single budget/project period of 24 months or 
less. Due to the low risk and near-term nature of the PUMP program and 
the potential for a process or technology demonstration, all applicants 
are required to cost share at a minimum of 50% of the project total for 
projects submitted under Area 1 and 20% of the project total for 
projects submitted under Area 2. Details of the cost sharing 
requirement, and the specific funding levels are contained in the 
solicitation.
    Once released, the solicitation will be available for downloading 
from the IIPS internet page. At this Internet site you will also be 
able to register with IIPS, enabling you to submit an application. If 
you need technical assistance in registering or for any other IIPS 
function, call the IIPS Help Desk at (800) 683-0751, or e-mail the Help 
Desk personnel at IIPS center.doe.gov">HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov. The solicitation will 
only be made available in IIPS, no hard (paper) copies of the 
solicitation and related documents will be made available.
    Prospective applicants who would like to be notified as soon as the 
solicitation is available should subscribe to the Business Alert 
Mailing List at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business. Once you subscribe, 
you will receive an announcement by E-mail that the solicitation has 
been released to the public. Telephone requests, written requests, E-
mail requests, or facsimile requests for a copy of the solicitation 
package will not be accepted and/or honored. Applications must be 
prepared and submitted in accordance with the instructions and forms 
contained in the solicitation. The actual solicitation document will 
allow for requests for explanation and/or interpretation.


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    Issued in Pittsburgh, PA on 28 January 2002.
Dale A. Siciliano,
Deputy Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 02-2711 Filed 2-4-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P