Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001722

The grant opportunity titled Advanced Technology Solutions for Unconventional Oil and Gas Development (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001722) is a U.S. Department of Energy program administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). It was released on June 21, 2017, with an original application deadline of August 15, 2017. The Department of Energy positioned this funding as a key part of its broader effort to support the environmentally responsible development of U.S. unconventional oil and natural gas resources, specifically shale gas, tight oil, and tight gas.

At its core, the opportunity aims to fund research and development projects that address major knowledge and technology gaps limiting efficient and responsible production from unconventional reservoirs. The emphasis is on improving understanding of reservoir behavior and translating that understanding into better field practices. This includes refining how wells are completed and stimulated (for example, how hydraulic fracturing designs are selected and optimized), as well as improving strategies for managing and disposing of wastewater associated with unconventional development. The underlying idea is that better science, better models, and better tools can lead to higher recovery with fewer mistakes, less trial-and-error, and fewer unintended environmental impacts.

A central theme of the announcement is doing more with less: enabling effective resource recovery from fewer wells and with a smaller surface footprint. By developing advanced technologies and approaches that increase per-well productivity and reduce uncertainty about how the reservoir will respond to stimulation, operators can potentially reduce the total number of wells needed to recover a given amount of resource. Fewer wells, in turn, can mean reduced land disturbance, fewer truck trips and infrastructure requirements, and lower overall volumes of water handled, treated, or disposed. The opportunity also explicitly ties technical performance to environmental performance, signaling that projects are expected to support both cost efficiency and improved environmental outcomes rather than focusing on production gains alone.

The funding mechanism for selected projects is a cooperative agreement, which typically means DOE expects an active role in project oversight and engagement during execution, as opposed to a more hands-off grant. The program falls under the Energy, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development activity category, and is associated with CFDA number 81.089, aligning it with DOE research and development assistance programs.

In terms of scale, the opportunity listed an award ceiling of $8,000,000 per award and anticipated making about 11 awards. Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning the solicitation was broadly open to different types of entities (such as companies, universities, national laboratories, non-profits, and other organizations), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications included in the full announcement. Overall, the solicitation is best understood as DOE/NETL targeting high-impact R&D that can close critical technical gaps in unconventional resource development, improving reservoir management, completion and stimulation effectiveness, and wastewater disposal practices to achieve more cost-effective and environmentally sound domestic energy production.

  • The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advanced Technology Solutions for Unconventional Oil and Gas Development" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jun 21, 2017.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 15, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $8,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
Apply for DE FOA 0001722

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled Advanced Technology Solutions for Unconventional Oil and Gas Development.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0001722.

Which federal agency is offering this funding?

This funding opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Which DOE office or laboratory administers the program?

The program is administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

When was the opportunity released?

The funding opportunity was released on June 21, 2017.

What was the original application deadline?

The original application deadline was August 15, 2017.

What types of energy resources does this opportunity focus on?

The opportunity focuses on U.S. unconventional oil and natural gas resources, specifically shale gas, tight oil, and tight gas.

What is the main purpose of the funding?

The main purpose is to fund research and development (R&D) projects that address major knowledge and technology gaps that limit efficient and environmentally responsible production from unconventional reservoirs.

What kinds of project outcomes is DOE trying to achieve?

DOE is aiming for projects that improve understanding of reservoir behavior and translate that understanding into better field practices, with an emphasis on both cost efficiency and improved environmental outcomes.

What technical areas are emphasized in the announcement?

Key emphasis areas include:

  • Improving understanding and modeling of reservoir behavior
  • Refining how wells are completed and stimulated, including optimizing hydraulic fracturing designs
  • Improving strategies for managing and disposing of wastewater associated with unconventional development

How does the opportunity connect technical performance with environmental performance?

The opportunity explicitly links technical results to environmental outcomes by encouraging solutions that reduce uncertainty and trial-and-error while also supporting environmentally responsible development. The framing suggests projects should not pursue production gains alone, but should also support improved environmental performance.

What does "doing more with less" mean in this funding opportunity?

It refers to enabling effective resource recovery from fewer wells and with a smaller surface footprint. The idea is that improved science, models, and tools can increase per-well productivity and reduce uncertainty, which can reduce the total number of wells needed to recover a given amount of resource.

What operational or on-the-ground impacts does DOE associate with fewer wells?

The announcement connects fewer wells with potential reductions in:

  • Land disturbance
  • Truck trips and related logistics
  • Infrastructure requirements
  • Total volumes of water handled, treated, or disposed

What kind of funding instrument is used for awards?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.

What does a cooperative agreement imply about DOE's involvement?

A cooperative agreement typically means DOE expects an active role in project oversight and engagement during project execution, rather than a more hands-off approach.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The opportunity falls under the Energy, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development activity category.

What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 81.089.

What is the maximum (ceiling) amount available per award?

The award ceiling listed is $8,000,000 per award.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated making about 11 awards.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to different types of entities, subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement.

What types of organizations are implied by "unrestricted" eligibility?

Based on the description provided, the solicitation was broadly open to entities such as companies, universities, national laboratories, non-profits, and other organizations, as long as they met any requirements described in the full announcement.

Is this opportunity more focused on basic research or applied field improvements?

It is framed as R&D that improves understanding of reservoirs and translates that understanding into better practices, including completion/stimulation optimization and wastewater management. In other words, it emphasizes research that can inform and improve real-world operational approaches.

What overall problem is DOE/NETL trying to address with this solicitation?

The solicitation targets high-impact R&D to close critical technical gaps in unconventional resource development, with the goal of improving reservoir management, completion and stimulation effectiveness, and wastewater disposal practices to support more cost-effective and environmentally sound domestic energy production.

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