Improved Oil and Gas Recovery and Produced Water Management Technologies
This grant funds research and field testing of new technologies to boost oil and gas recovery from unconventional reservoirs and improve treatment of produced water, aiming for greater efficiency and environmental safety.
Funder: National Energy Technology Laboratory
Due Dates: September 8, 2026 (Full application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $150,000,000 total; typical awards up to $20M over 5 years depending on topic area; 20% cost share required.
Summary: Supports R&D to improve oil/gas recovery from unconventional reservoirs and advance produced water management technologies.
Key Information: Letters of commitment from industry partners and 20% cost share are required at submission.
Description
This funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) seeks proposals for research and development (R&D) projects that will improve recovery efficiency from unconventional oil and natural gas reservoirs and advance technologies for the treatment and beneficial use of flowback and produced water from oil and natural gas production operations. The program aims to address the challenge of low recovery rates (often under 10%) in unconventional reservoirs and the environmental and operational issues related to produced water management, including alternatives to deep well injection. Projects should focus on field deployment and validation of novel technologies, tools, and processes that will accelerate industry adoption and improve both hydrocarbon recovery and water management practices.
