Peace Garden News

The North Dakota Industrial Commission has approved nearly $6.3 million in matching grants for the Oil and Gas Research Program during its 61st grant round. The commission, comprising Governor Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, aims to enhance oil and natural gas production in the state.

Established in 2007, the Oil and Gas Research Program is funded by taxes on oil and gas production and extraction. The North Dakota legislature has allocated $3 million from these taxes to implement a Clean Natural Gas Capture and Emissions Reduction Program. This initiative offers incentive payments for projects that capture natural gas that would otherwise be flared.

“Our investments in oil and gas research represent the state’s commitment to innovation and the responsible development of our abundant energy resources,” stated the Commission collectively. “We are grateful for the energy industry’s continued investments in innovation and its focus on the potential to unlock even greater opportunities for energy development in the state.”

The approved projects include a grant of $2,566,341 to EERC for "Breaking New Ground in Flaring Reduction" and $1 million to Cobra Oil & Gas Corporation for "Maximizing Lateral Well Oil Production from Conventional Carbonate Mission Canyon Reservoirs in North Dakota." Additionally, $930,245 will be provided to the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation for its Outreach and Education Program, while another $1.8 million will go to EERC for "Injection Testing with Propane to Inform Future Bakken CO2 EOR Pilot."