North Dakota leaders, Energy Secretary unite “Crack the Code 2.0” to advance U.S. Energy
MCF Newsroom Reports
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, joined North Dakota’s top federal and state leaders last Thursday, at the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). The focus of the meeting was enhanced oil recovery (EOR) through linking the coal and oil industries through carbon capture.
Wright was joined by Sen. John Hoeven, Rep. Julie Fedorchak, Gov. Kelly Armstrong and industry leaders for a tour of the EERC’s cutting-edge projects and a roundtable discussion on the initiative, “Cracking the Code 2.0.”
The initiative aims to double the oil recovery rate in the Bakken and double the lifespan of coal-fired power plants, using captured CO2 to boost production and extend reliable baseload power.
“North Dakota’s leadership in developing the energy technologies our nation needs was on full display today,” Fedorchak said. “From carbon capture that boosts oil recovery to extending the life of reliable coal plants, the innovation happening here is second to none.”
Bakken recovery rates currently average five to 15 percent, leaving billions of barrels untapped. Since surpassing five billion barrels in total production last year, experts believe EOR could recover at least another five billion barrels providing a major boost to U.S. energy security and local economies.
Hoeven said the event built on the success of past advances in hydraulic fracturing that transformed the state’s oil industry. “Now we have [Wright] in the state again to crack the code on the Bakken for the second time, bringing together our oil and coal industries for more affordable energy and a more reliable grid,” Hoeven said.
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