A new consortium is poised to take advantage of the Permian Basin’s vast expanse and position as the center of the global energy economy to address energy challenges around the world.
The Permian Energy Development Lab was unveiled this week at the University of Texas and is a project incubated by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation in Austin. Midland College, Odessa College and the University of Texas Permian Basin are participating along with the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at El Paso, New Mexico Tech, New Mexico State University, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories.
“The entities are collaborating, focusing on research, education and community engagement,” Marilu Hastings, executive vice president of the Mitchell Foundation and director of the Mitchell Lab, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview.
Jennifer Myers, Midland College’s associate vice president for workforce education, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview that she sees the new lab as a regional focus on energy and that the college will focus its efforts on helping to meet the labor force needs of the region.
Some participants engage in scientific research and development — New Mexico, for example, focuses on renewable energy, Myers said. Other participants are in workforce education “and that’s where we come in through our continuing education programs and the Petroleum Professional Development Center,” he said.
Myers added that he has already met with what he called the workforce subgroup. “It’s exciting, it’s an important job. We’re here to provide opportunities, whether it’s reskilling, upgrading or changing careers,” Myers said.
George Nnanna, dean of UTPB’s College of Engineering and head of its Texas Water and Power Institute, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview that UTPB’s involvement will be in both research and development of the workforce.
Scientific research “will focus on four main research areas: advanced energy, fuels and integration; carbon and materials management; water, land and agriculture; and economic development,” he said.
His department is exploring the feasibility of using renewable energy (wind and solar) to treat produced water to a level that allows it to be used elsewhere, such as for non-food crops. This, he said, would create jobs and lead to economic development. The UTPB lab last year submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation Engine program, and Nnanna said initial feedback seems to suggest it will be funded.
In the area of education, he said, “we will focus on introducing students to advanced energy concepts with the goal of preparing them to excel in technology and energy careers,” weaving advanced energy concepts to the existing curriculum at the university and local community colleges.
Even if students don’t want a degree, he said they can receive higher education credentials that will provide career opportunities and can also be used if students later decide they want to pursue a career.
Testing can be done on a large scale, he said, noting that results in a lab can differ from results in the field.
“The huge advantage of this lab is that it brings together parts from various universities and national labs to solve common problems,” Nnanna said. “People at universities tend to work in silos. Now we’re breaking down those silos and bringing all parties together to solve common problems.”
Hastings said the participants will help address what she called current, pressing and ongoing questions related to traditional oil and gas operations, such as the safest and most efficient way to manage produced water. They will also address questions that she says are underappreciated.
“The land impact of any energy development is rarely discussed,” he said. “We do not appreciate that the loss of land and habits is a major problem. As an example, and you can say this about any energy development, solar farm development. Current practices have a significant impact. An important question is what are the best and most effective practices that any industry could adapt to avoid habitat destruction during development. Do we really have to scrape up all the land and destroy organisms to set up a relatively temporary facility? It would take many decades for this ecosystem to recover naturally.”
A third theme will be advancing the energy research portfolio and the Permian Basin’s role in the growing hydrogen economy, Hastings said. “And what about geothermal in the Permian basin? There is also great potential for carbon storage. (The consortium can study) does this carbon stay? What’s the best way to control it?” she continued.
“We’re also going to look at the revenue potential for owners (who) dedicate some acreage to research and testing at scale, which the Permian Basin is uniquely positioned to do.”
He continued: “We’re intrigued by the idea of a living lab that allows us to build at scale. This will inform and drive the world. It’s not just oil and gas, it’s energy activity, positioning sites to be part of geothermal development , hydrogen, carbon storage, direct air capture. We want to be a resource for everyone; we want to move forward in a positive way to move energy forward for everyone.”
Hastings hopes some companies will play a role in the new lab’s work. More importantly, he hopes to hear from the communities surrounding the efforts about what they see as challenges and opportunities.
“The burdens, benefits and opportunities that come before us must be shared equally so that they do not benefit a few at the expense of everyone else,” he said.
