NDIC Approves Research Projects
The North Dakota Industrial Commission approved more than $46 million in research and development projects aimed at boosting oil recovery, advancing critical mineral extraction, and building the foundation for a domestic battery supply chain last Monday.
The largest award, $13.2 million, goes to Chord Energy for a large-scale pilot to test enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques in the Bakken formation using hydrocarbon gas injection. The $38.6 million project, conducted in partnership with the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), will analyze how injected gas can improve recovery rates and extend the life of mature wells. Crews will begin operations early next year in McKenzie County, with projections showing up to a 30 percent production increase compared to traditional recovery methods.
The Commission also approved funding for several other oil research projects recommended by the Oil and Gas Research Council, including initiatives led by Continental Resources, Devon Energy, Cobra Oil & Gas, and the EERC. These efforts will explore new EOR techniques, advanced completion designs, and multi-well pilot programs across Dunn and Williams counties.
Together, the six oil and gas projects represent more than $120 million in total project costs, including $45 million in private and in-kind contributions from participating companies. The program supports the Legislature’s directive to expand EOR technology and increase ultimate recovery from North Dakota’s shale reservoirs.
“EOR projects have the potential to change the trajectory of the state’s oil and gas production,” the Commission said in a joint statement. “If successful, these projects can increase and extend, perhaps by decades, oil and gas production in the Williston Basin.”
~Western Dakota
Energy Association
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