The University of Tulsa

PROJECT PURPOSE

Covid-19 pandemic adversely impacted the job market in oil and gas industry. According to Oklahoma Department of Commerce, even post-pandemic, 10 % of the people working in oil industry have not found new jobs. With the discussion of climate change and increasing restrictions on oil and gas operations, the job market in traditional oil and gas industry may never return. The people with expertise in operating oil/gas wells, surface equipment and infrastructure need to be retrained to work in energy transition. Oklahoma has been the leader in the oil and gas industry and has significant infrastructure in oil and gas. This leadership and the infrastructure (human and facilities) can be re-purposed in energy transition industry. We propose to develop technologies in three areas: hydrogen transportation, storage and production; methane emission measurement, estimation and remediation; and produced water management. Existing natural gas pipeline and storage can be re-purposed for hydrogen; methane emission in existing facilities need to be addressed in cost effective fashion; and produced water from oil and gas operations needs to processed for surface disposal and usage. We will work closely with local manufacturers to develop new cost effective technologies and train the work force for new jobs.

EVIDENCE

University of Tulsa (TU) has more than 60 years of history of developing cost effective technologies for oil and gas industry by conducting field-scale experiments and developing models for practical applications. We have the institutional knowledge, personnel and available space to build facilities which can test new ideas quickly and make them ready for field implementation. We know how to sustain initial funding and expand the scope by providing practical solutions. We will be able to do the same thing in energy transition research by providing solutions specific to the needs of Oklahoma.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Oil and gas industry is present in every part of the state including rural Oklahoma. Many Native Indian communities rely on revenue based on oil and gas production. Large number of people directly used to work in oil and gas production and supporting manufacturing industry. Post-pandemic, many of these people have lost high-paying jobs. The traditional oil and gas industry is under the threat of new regulations and restrictions; thus reducing the employment prospects in this industry. Because of better salaries, It is important to not only retain but expand the manufacturing and production base in Oklahoma. If cost effective technologies can be developed so that existing oil and gas infrastructure is re-purposed for energy transition economy, Oklahoma can shift the old paradigm to a new one and create jobs which deal with hydrogen transport and production; methane emission remediation, plugging of abandoned/orphan wells and processing produced water to be used for agriculture.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

With short and long-term projects, the project will form a research hub in Energy Transition to produce new technologies and manufacturing bases in Oklahoma, along with workforce development in energy transition. It reduces methane emission from existing Oklahoma facilities and develops better technologies to reduce total injection of produced water. The project will investigate and quantify the feasibility of transporting hydrogen in existing pipelines. The matrix of success includes the number of new manufacturing companies and technologies developed, the amount of methane emission reduced, the number of people reskilled or upskilled and the amount of new external funding to Oklahoma.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma