The Department of Energy has proposed a program to harness supercomputers at its national laboratories for use in U.S. exploration and production programs.
It has asked producers and service companies to comment on the proposal, called the Advanced Computational Technology Initiative (ACTI), which would be budgeted for $50 million in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
Deputy Energy Sec. Bill White said, "The underlying goal of ACTI is to make it easier and more economical for U.S. companies, particularly independents, to find, produce, and process new reserves.
"With this initiative, companies can do that by taking advantage of the vast scientific and technological capabilities of our laboratories."
DOE has used supercomputers at its labs largely to apply earth science to underground weapons testing and treaty verification. The ACTI program would allow joint industry laboratory projects for basic research and development, demonstration, and deployment of petroleum technologies.
Projects might include processing of 3D seismic data, prediction of fluid movement patterns, definition of reservoir structures and stratigraphy, and delineatation of reservoir compartmentalization.
DOE said any university, oil or gas company, or industry organization can join with a national laboratory to propose an ACTI project.
It plans to appoint 14 persons from independent, major, and service companies to serve on an ACTI industry review panel. The panel will oversee start up of the program and evaluate project proposals.
DOE will conduct briefings on the ACTI program in San Francisco June 6, New Orleans June 8, and Houston June 9.
Copies of the draft program description are available from Thomas Wesson at telephone 918 337 4401 or fax 918 337 4339 in DOE's Bartlesville, Okla., office.
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