Reducing Environmental Tradeoffs along the Texas Coastal Areas

Richard C. Haut¹ and Tom Williams²
¹Houston Advanced Research Center
²Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program

The Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems (EFD) program, managed by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), integrates advanced technologies into systems that significantly reduce the footprint of petroleum drilling and production in environmentally sensitive areas. The objective is to identify, develop and transfer critical, cost effective, new technologies that can provide policy makers and industry with the ability to develop reserves in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. The EFD Coastal Impacts Technology Program (CITP) is a $4 million research and demonstration program that may lead to commercial application of technologies that will reduce the environmental impacts of unconventional natural gas and other petroleum exploration and production activities along the Texas Gulf Coast. The project area includes all the coastal counties in Texas. The CITP is a comprehensive program that identifies environmentally friendly technologies to conserve, protect or restore the natural coastal environment, and educates the workforce. The CITP was initiated in January 2012. This paper covers the work plan, current activites, and what is being done to engage all stakeholders along the Gulf of Mexico Coast.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90158©2012 GCAGS and GC-SEPM 6nd Annual Convention, Austin, Texas, 21-24 October 2012