Integrated Petroleum Environmental
Consortium (IPEC)
[Integrated Consortium for Energy
and the Environment (ICEE)]
Activities and Accomplishments
November 15, 2007
In FY98, after a
three-year campaign and the strong support of the Oklahoma and Arkansas Congressional
Delegations, the Congress provided $1.5 million in dedicated funding for the
Integrated Petroleum Environmental Consortium (IPEC), for the development of
environmental technology and technology transfer for the domestic petroleum
industry. Subsequent appropriations for IPEC have included: FY99 - $1,500,000;
FY00 - $750,000; FY01 - $750,000; FY02 - $1,250,000; FY03 - $900,000; FY04 -
$1,650,000; FY05 - $1,200,000.
Funded through the Office
of Research and Development of the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (ORD-EPA), the consortium has produced a research center which includes
The University of Tulsa, The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University,
and The University of Arkansas. IPEC's operating
practices and linkages to the independent sector ensure that real problems in
the domestic petroleum industry are addressed with real, workable solutions.
IPEC is developing
cost-effective solutions for the environmental problems that represent the
greatest challenge to the competitiveness of the domestic petroleum industry
and providing much needed technology transfer to the small independent
producers.
As envisioned and
proposed by the Consortium, State-level matching funds have been obtained to
support IPEC, creating a true Federal-State partnership in this critical area.
In each of FY98 and FY99 IPEC received $375,000, and in FY00 $50,000 in
matching funds from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Funded Technology Development
Projects
Since September 1998 IPEC
has approved funding for 43 research projects. 23 of these were funded under
the first IPEC EPA Grant – R82-7015-010 (9-1-98 through 8-31-02); 9 under the
second EPA Grant – R83-0633-010 (9-1-02 through 8-31-07); and 11 to date under
the third EPA Grant – X83-2428-010 (10-1-05 through 9-30-09). Funded projects include, among others: the
use of plants to clean contaminated soils; the natural biodegradation of
gasoline by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen; the beneficial use of
petroleum wastes as road materials; the control of the formation of toxic
hydrogen sulfide in oil wells; the development of simple sampling devices to
replace expensive live organisms to assess toxicity in contaminated soils; the
treatment and disposal of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in
oil production equipment; the remediation of brine-impacted soils; development
of a sound scientific basis for ecological risk assessment of petroleum
production sites; improving the economics of well plugging; improving the
efficiency of oil-water separation; enhancing the remediation of oil
contaminated soils; nematodes as ecological indicators of soil ecosystem
restoration at E&P sites; low-cost approach to remediation of historic
brine scars; effective stormwater and sediment
control during pipeline construction using a new filter fence concept; paraffin
control in oil wells using anaerobic microorganisms; fiber rolls as a tool for revegetation of oil-brine contaminated watersheds; and
analysis of MTBE and TBA biodegradation potential and remediation of MTBE- and
TBA-contaminated aquifers using a new generation of Bio-Sep® beads These projects were first reviewed and
approved by our Industrial Advisory Board (dominated by independent producers)
as relevant to our mission of increasing the competitiveness of the domestic
petroleum industry and finally reviewed and approved by our Science Advisory
Committee (SAC) on the basis of scientific quality.
During this period IPEC
has provided $5,279,561 in funding for research projects. However, another
$3,948,471 in funding for these projects has been secured by the investigators
as matching funds from industry and industry organizations. This is over and
above the matching funds provided by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education. IPEC has pledged to Congress to work for a 1:1 match of federal
dollars. As you can see IPEC is living up to that promise! IPEC is a true
public/private partnership.
Technology Transfer
IPEC's technology transfer program is
directed toward providing useful tools for environmental compliance and cost
reduction to independent producers. The first objective of this program is to
raise the level of technical training of the field inspectors of the oil and
gas regulatory bodies of Oklahoma and Arkansas including the Oklahoma
Corporation Commission, the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, and the Osage
Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs with regard to first response to spills,
pollution prevention, and remediation of oil and brine spills. The second
objective of this program is the development of checklists and tools for
independent producers to assist them in environmental audits ("staying out
of trouble checklists"), remediation of oil and brine spills, and first
response to spills.
The Continuing Crisis in the
Domestic Petroleum Industry
Much attention has been
paid recently to the high costs to consumers of gasoline and natural gas.
Energy experts agree that the price increases currently being experienced were
brought on by short-term shocks that resulted from sudden changes in supply and
demand. On the demand side there has been increasing demand for petroleum
worldwide, especially in the
In order to regain energy
security the
The high cost of
environmental compliance has made domestic oil production noncompetitive with
foreign oil and placed the
IPEC's Response to Critical Research Needs
IPEC is well on its way
to fulfilling its pledge to Congress of responsiveness to the needs of domestic
petroleum industry and fiscal responsibility. IPEC is continually probing our
Industrial Advisory Board for new ways to assist the industry and continually
seeking out cost-effective technical solutions to these problems through an
aggressive solicitation and review process. IPEC will continue to work with the
domestic petroleum industry to provide technical solutions to those
environmental problems that represent the greatest challenge to the
competitiveness of the industry. In addition, IPEC proposes to launch two new
technology transfer initiatives.
Cooperation with the
Since December, 1997 IPEC
has worked closely with the EPA to meet all internal requirements for funding
of research centers. In response to these requirements IPEC has
1.
formed
a Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to perform technical reviews of IPEC
research proposals,
2.
developed
a Quality Management Plan for the Consortium,
3.
appointed
a Quality Assurance / Quality Control Officer, and
4.
undergone successful peer review as an
IPEC has formed an
excellent working relationship with the Environmental Engineering Division of
the
Proposal Solicitation and Review
IPEC Industrial Advisory Board (IAB)
Even before the grant
from EPA was finalized, IPEC proceeded in its solicitation and review process
so that the Consortium would be in a position to fund projects as soon as funds
were made available. A total of 77 proposals were received as a result of two
solicitations issued by IPEC prior to finalizing the EPA grant. The first step
in the review of these proposals was an evaluation by the IPEC Industrial Advisory
Board (IAB). This Board, formed in early 1998, is composed of environmental
professional from the domestic petroleum industry and is dominated by
representatives of independent producers. The IAB serves as a test of relevancy
to IPEC's mission as required by our strategic plan.
A proposal must be deemed relevant to IPEC's mission
by the IAB to move forward in the review process.
The IPEC IAB has met
numerous times since January, 1998 and has accomplished the following:
1.
elected
a chair;
2.
developed
criteria for evaluating proposals;
3.
developed
a charter to govern activities of the Board;
4.
developed
an initial list of 26 critical research needs in the domestic petroleum
industry and reviewed and updated this list in April 2000;
5.
reviewed
the 187 proposals received by IPEC from the first 11 solicitations and approved
59 to go forward in the review process; and
6.
provided guidance to IPEC on technology transfer needs in the
domestic petroleum industry.
IPEC Science Advisory Committee (SAC)
The SAC is composed of
highly qualified scientists and engineers from academia and national
laboratories. The role of the SAC is to review proposals for scientific
quality. Only those proposals approved by the IAB as relevant to IPEC’s mission proceed to this second stage of review. The
following actions were taken by the SAC on the first 59 proposals approved by
the IAB as relevant to IPEC's mission:
1.
39
proposals approved for full funding;
2.
4
proposals approved for "proof-of-concept funding";
IPEC has followed the
guidance of the IAB in establishing a technology transfer program to meet the
needs of the domestic petroleum industry. The development of this program has
included:
1.
establishing
and maintaining a world wide web page (http://ipec.utulsa.edu);
2.
developing
workshops for independent producers on remediation and first response to spills
of produced fluids;
3.
developing
workshops for independent producers on regulatory compliance;
4.
establishing
scholarships for regulatory technical personnel for participation in the
International Petroleum Environmental Conference; and
5.
developing
and distributing self-assessment kits, site checklists, soil and water analysis
kits, remediation guidelines for oil and brine spills, and instructional videos
and DVD’s to aid independent producers and regulators in the field.
6.
establishing a position of Technology Transfer Outreach Manager in order
to continue to expand and improve the consortium technology transfer program.
7.
assisting to organize and present a yearly International Petroleum
Environmental Conference designed to explore issues and solutions in
exploration, production and refining..
14th International Petroleum Environmental Conference
The 14th International
Petroleum Environmental Conference was held November 6-9, 2007 in
The conference was
organized by the Integrated Consortium for Energy and the Environment (ICEE –
formerly IPEC) and
This conference brings
together professionals from industry, government and academia who seek
solutions to environmental problems of a technical, legal and regulatory
nature. Features of the 14th Conference included:
“Utilization
of Stable Isotopes in Environmental and Forensic Geochemistry Studes”, instructed by Paul Philp,
"IPEC
Soil Remediation Workshop," instructed by G. Phil Spurlin,
BEACON Environmental Assistance Corporation,
The following organizations Co-Sponsored the 14th conference and helped
promote the event:
In addition, the following
organizations were members of the Corporate Sponsors and Conference Advocates
groups this year:
Corporate Sponsors:
The organizers of the
conference gratefully acknowledge the assistance and support of all the
Co-Sponsors and Corporate Sponsors. Their efforts contribute greatly to the
overall success of the event each year.
The 15th International
Petroleum Environmental Conference is currently being planned. Information concerning this event will be
available early in 2008.