The Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) announces the release of its 2010 Unconventional Resources Program request for proposals (RFPs) to award $13.7 million in natural gas research and development projects.

This is RPSEA’s fourth year to release RFPs under the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Research and Development Program that was established by the Department of Energy pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The projects selected under the 2010 Unconventional Resources Program will focus on protecting the environment while efficiently extracting the natural gas needed to meet our Nation’s domestic energy needs. The goal is to ensure that control, safeguard, and environmental impact mitigation strategies are adequate to prevent any environmental damage associated with oil and gas development.

Organizations, which must have a U.S.-based business, are encouraged to submit proposals well in advance of the due date, November 5, 2010, 4 p.m., Central Time, to allow for electronic receipt processing and should review the documents and instructions concerning these proposals without delay on RPSEA’s website.

Important Dates to Remember

RFP Issued Date: September 2, 2010

Written Questions/Answers Period: Questions regarding the Small Producer RFPs must be in writing and directed to Contracts Director Wiley Wells by e-mail at wwells@rpsea.org; the period is open 21 calendar days from date of issue, ending on September 23, 2010; after this date, the question/answer period is closed; all questions and answers will be posted to RPSEA’s website.

RFP Due Date and Time: November 5, 2010, 4 p.m., Central Time

About RPSEA

RPSEA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit consortium with more than 180 members, including 25 of the nation's premier research universities, six national laboratories, other major research institutions, large and small energy producers and energy consumers. The mission of RPSEA, headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, is to provide a stewardship role in ensuring the focused research, development and deployment of safe and environmentally responsible technology that can effectively deliver hydrocarbons from domestic resources to the citizens of the United States. Additional information can be found at www.rpsea.org.

Funding for the projects is provided through the Department of Energy’s Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Research and Development Program established pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This program, funded from lease bonuses and royalties paid by industry to produce oil and gas on federal lands, is specifically designed to maximize the value of natural gas and other petroleum resources of the United States by increasing the supply of such resources, through reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency of exploration for and production of such resources, while improving safety and minimizing environmental impacts. RPSEA is under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.