Wyoming’s Energy Future:
Creating Options
Mark A. Northam, Director
UW School of Energy Resources
September 25, 2008
Outline
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Wyoming’s Energy Resources
Energy Options
School of Energy Resources - Program
Strategy
Three Focus Areas
Research Centers and Directions
Energy Sector Research
Summary
Wyoming’s Energy Resources
Statistics
• Wyoming is among the leading energy producing states in the US
 1st in Coal (by production; 3rd in reserves)
 1st in Uranium (by production and reserves)
 2nd in Natural Gas (by production and reserves)
 Top 3 in CBM (by production)
 7th in Petroleum (by production; 3rd in reserves onshore)
 15th in Wind Energy
• Wyoming derives a larger portion of its state revenue from
energy than any other state
Wyoming’s Energy Resources
Boom and Bust
• Most of the state’s energy resources are sold into commodity
markets
 Very little value-added industry in the energy sector
 Revenue can fluctuate widely due to commodity pricing
 Boom periods create prosperity, but
 Bust cycles create havoc for state and communities
“Dig-and-ship” does not provide for economic stability over time
Wyoming’s Energy Resources
Energy Security
• Large portion of US transportation fuels foreign-derived
• 30% of US electricity generated from Wyoming coal
• Electricity demand growth forecast to exceed supply growth
• Climate change legislation coming; uncertainty delaying action
• Demand for “Clean Fuels”; resource reserves getting “dirtier”
• One important solution: develop technologies to utilize coal cleanly
 Carbon capture
 Carbon sequestration
 Coal transformation technologies including gasification and
liquefaction
Multiple
Purposes
Synthesis
Gas
WGS
H2
IGCC
Coal
EOR
Crushed
CO2
Flue Gas
Normal
Pulverized
Coal
CO2
Capture
Ultra
Super
Critical
Super
Critical
Transmission
Gasification
Methane
Carbon
Management
Sequestration
Liquid
FT
CO2
Transportation
EOR
& Chemical Feed
Stock
CO2
Oil
Oil & Gas
Unconventional
Heating ,
Chemicals
Transportation
TIGHT
GAS
CBNG
Carbon
Transmission
Management
Sequestration
EOR
Renewable
Photovoltaic
Transmission
Wind
Energy
VIEW FROM 100,000 FEET
Coal
Carbon
Management
Chemicals &
Fuels
Gas &
Oil
Renewable
Transmission
School of Energy Resources
Strategy
• Initial focus of SER faculty hires, research center creation, and
knowledge transfer has been in four areas to add value by:
 Maximizing the value and flexibility of coal
 Maximizing the recovery of discovered resources
 Developing appropriate alternative energy resources
 Managing carbon emissions and storage
Three Focus Ares of SER
1. Academics is the first priority (workforce development).
• Provide a unique interdisciplinary approach to education in energyrelated disciplines, especially those integral to Wyoming’s economy.
2. Research is needed to shape the energy future (technical innovation).
• Advance state-of-the art energy-related science, technology, and
economic research, focused on Wyoming’s resource base.
3. Outreach is essential (knowledge transfer) .
• Disseminate scientific, engineering, and economic knowledge to
Wyoming’s public and private sector energy stakeholders.
SER Research Centers
1. Centers fully operational:
• Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute
• Wind Energy Research Center
• Coal Bed Natural Gas Center
• Arid Lands Restoration & Ecology Center
• Renewable Energy Resources Center
• Carbon Management Center
2. Centers under development this year:
• Clean Coal Technologies Center
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Porous Media Flow Center
3. Centers to be developed following SER hires:
• Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Center
Centers will evolve over time. All are interdisciplinary.
SER Research Directions
Coal – maintain PRB coal as clean energy resource
• High Plains Gasification Advanced Technology Center (HPGATC)
 Wyoming/GE 50:50 Partnership
 ~$100 M Facility as currently envisioned
 Focus on dry-feed gasification of PRB Coal
 Future coal-to-liquids, syngas clean-up and decarbonization research
• Clean Coal Technology Fund
 >$6 M in matching funds provided by state legislature
 Entire range of clean coal technologies on the table
• Underground Coal Gasification
 Enormous reserves expansion if UCG can be made viable
SER Research Directions
Coal-Bed Natural Gas
• Reservoir imaging, characterization and simulation for
improved recovery
• Flow modeling
• Water management and monetization
• Assessment of CO2 and microbes for stimulation
SER Research Directions
Natural Gas
• Focus on optimum recovery from tight reservoirs and unmineable
coal beds
• Optimum field design to decrease surface footprint
• Site reclamation
Petroleum
• Carbon Dioxide Enhanced Oil Recovery
• Beyond CO2
• Verify EOR for carbon sequestration
SER Research Directions
Wind
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Turbine design for higher efficiency and lower cost
Resource and site assessment
Energy storage
Power transmission
Solar and Geothermal
• Where do they fit in Wyoming’s mix?
• New technologies for energy conversion
Uranium
• Streamline the permitting process
• Improve recovery at reduced cost
• Protect and reclaim groundwater
SER Research Directions
Carbon Capture
• Novel methods to reduce cost
• Economics of green field and bolt-on applications
Carbon Storage – Mixed Gas Streams
• Enhanced Oil Recovery – monitoring and verification
• Saline aquifer demonstration
 Reservoir and trap characterization and simulation
 Short-term/long-term fluid flow and diffusion models
 Reactive transport experimentation and modeling
 Measurement, modeling, and verification
Summary
• Wyoming is a leading US producer of energy resources
• Revenue from the resources support the state.
• SER will leverage UW’s strengths to facilitate teaching and
research to help shape the state’s energy future.
• UW’s energy research directions will lead the state in:
 Climbing the value chain
 Keeping coal in the clean energy mix
 Maximizing recovery of energy resources
 Exploiting alternative energy solutions
 Building for the future
The School of Energy Resources
at the University of Wyoming
Building a sustainable energy
future for Wyoming, the
region, and the nation.