Realizing the Energy Potential of Methane Hydrate for the United States (2010) / Chapter Skim
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4 Coordinating Process for the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program
4 Coordinating Process for the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program
Pages 109-132
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From page 109... ...
RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE, SCIENCE CoMMUNICATIoN, AND EDUCATIoN AND TRAINING The majority of the Program's modest resources are directed toward research through field projects and other cooperative agreements (Appendix F)
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From page 110... ...
the external factors, particularly with field projects, that affect research progress but which may often be beyond DoE's direct control. P roject Selection and Peer Review The Program includes project selection and performance evaluation for procedures for two primary project types: cooperative agreements selected competitively through publicly announced funding opportunity announcements and those awarded directly through interagency agreements and national laboratory field work proposals (FWPs)
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From page 111... ...
As in the Program's selection process, the internal review team uses feedback from the external review to create consensus evaluations of each project. Currently, reviews alternate annually, with cooperative agreements assessed in one year and interagency agreements and FWPs in the subsequent year.
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From page 112... ...
The total cost for field operations in the Alaska North Slope project managed by BP Exploration Alaska is less than that needed to conduct work in the Gulf of Mexico -- as of late 2008, the total DoE share contributed to work in the Gulf of Mexico was $24.6 million and to work on the Alaska North Slope project was about $10 million. The cost differences between the two projects are largely due to high daily rates for drill ships in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico which, when combined with logging tool rentals and other costs, reach about $500,000/day (DoE/NETL, 2008)
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From page 113... ...
Most of the agencies involved in the interagency collaboration on methane hydrate (see also below) have their own, dedicated methane hydrate research programs which are funded internally and thus are conducted in true partnership with the Program.
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From page 114... ...
. Although most of these projects are stand-alone in the sense that each one is proposed by an academic researcher or research team to address one or more specific research topics, a number of the projects are or could be adapted to provide input data, newly developed technologies, or other results to the active field projects in the Gulf of Mexico or on the Alaska North Slope.
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From page 115... ...
The committee is supportive of Program efforts to attempt to integrate research results, where appropriate from individual projects, in order to augment the overall advances of the Program's research, particularly related to the large field projects. Developing the Next Generation of Researchers Training and educating new researchers in methane hydrate studies is essential for continued growth of the field, and helps to ensure that the appropriate level of basic and applied knowledge is available to carry work forward to develop safe and environmentally sustainable potential commercial production.
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From page 116... ...
This result is partially due to an increase in the number of active research projects and their relative maturity, but has been enhanced by several dedicated efforts on the part of the Program to encourage public awareness of active research in methane hydrate. Primary information outlets for methane hydrate research that have been promoted by the Program include (1)
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From page 117... ...
Although peer-reviewed publications are only one means to report research results, the committee supports greater emphasis on this means of communication as a mechanism to provide community support for and validation of the Program's achievements. CoLLABoRATIVE ENGAGEMENTS: INTERAGENCy AND INTERNATIoNAL CooRDINATIoN The Program is dependent upon collaborative engagement and strong cooperation with other federal agencies that have active programs and direct interest in methane hydrate research.
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From page 118... ...
Agencies are listed below in alphabetical order without intent to prioritize. The "Interagency Five-year Plan for Methane Hydrate Research and Development 2007-2011,"10 "An Interagency Roadmap for Methane Hydrate Research and Development,"11 the "Interagency Coordination on Methane Hydrates Appendix C in http://fossil.energy.gov/programs/oilgas/hydrates/MHAC-07-ReportToCongress 10 final.pdf.
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From page 119... ...
The committee notes the importance of revisiting and updating these interagency plans and roadmaps as methane hydrate research efforts proceed. BLM Specifically through its established agreements with the USGS and MMS, BLM's engagement in interagency methane hydrate research focuses on examination of the environmental and land impacts of methane hydrate occurrences on the Alaska North Slope and quantification of methane hydrate resources.
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From page 120... ...
, which has supported methane hydrate research for approximately 15 years. A small amount of additional funding comes through NoAA's Arctic program.
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From page 121... ...
To the extent possible, NRL also attempts to facilitate the participation of foreign researchers in U.S.-based methane hydrate research projects. NSF NSF supports the study of marine methane hydrate through the competitive grant process.
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From page 122... ...
USGS scientists contribute to the interagency coordination effort through developing methane hydrate research plans, evaluating research proposals, reviewing ongoing projects supported by the Program, and leading workshops to identify key methane hydrate research topics. The agency has also completed an assessment of technically recoverable methane hydrate in association with BLM (Collett et al., 2008; see also Chapters 2 and 3)
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From page 123... ...
Although some aspects of these challenges may lie in the Program's ability to allocate the needed resources to these efforts, the committee encourages high-level administrative support by DoE to the Program to complement inroads already being made by the Program to engage more fully with the international methane hydrate research community. h ttp://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/publications/Hydrates/Newsletter/ 17 HMNewsSpring08.pdf#page=6.
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From page 124... ...
• GMGS-1, the first gas hydrate drilling program, was completed in the South China Sea in 2007 for the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, the China Geological Survey, and the Ministry of Land and Resources of the People's Republic of China. • GMGS-1 reveals thick sediment layers rich in gas hydrate just above the base of the methane hydrate stability zone at three of the eight sites drilled (see Figure 1.1 for drill-site location)
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From page 125... ...
coordinates the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) , which is monitored by a Steering Committee chaired by the Secretary of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
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From page 126... ...
• Seismic surveys confirm extensive bottom seismic reflectors in the Nankai Trough. • The first 5 years of the Japan National Gas Hydrate Program culminated in 1999/2000 with the drilling of closely spaced core and geophysical logging holes in the Nankai Trough.
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From page 127... ...
Taiwan • Since 2004, the Central Geological Survey has led ongoing gas hydrate research efforts and is working on the development of a national program. • Government launched a 4-year program in 2007 to study offshore gas hydrate oc currences.
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From page 128... ...
EXTERNAL PRoGRAM oVERSIGHT -- THE METHANE HyDRATE ADVISoRy CoMMITTEE The Methane Hydrate Advisory Committee (MHAC) was originally established by the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 to assist the Program with development of program priorities.
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From page 129... ...
As part of this broadly interpreted advisory role, members have reviewed the Interagency Roadmap for Methane Hydrate Research & Development18 and in 2007, in accordance with Section 968 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, submitted a report to Congress that assessed the Program and its 5-year Research Plan.19 The current MHAC is composed of 13 members representing academia, oceanographic institutions, state agencies, and industry. CoNCLUDING REMARKS The Program strengthened its management in several areas during the past 5 years, particularly through initiation of its project peer review process, in balanced allocation of fairly modest resources to numerous research themes relevant to the Program's goals (e.g., Appendix E)
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From page 130... ...
Presentation to the Committee on Assessment of the Department of Energy's Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program: Evaluating Methane Hydrates as a Future Energy Resource, Washington, DC, Sep tember 11. Collett, T
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From page 131... ...
Presentation to the Committee on Assess ment of the Department of Energy's Methane Hydrate Research and Development Program: Evaluating Methane Hydrates as a Future Energy Resource, Golden, Co, December 3. Ruppel, C., R
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