INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO ELIMINATE FLARING FROM OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION | DE FOA 0003017

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003017

The Department of Energy, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), released a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Innovative Technologies to Eliminate Flaring from Oil and Natural Gas Production" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0003017). The program is focused on reducing waste and emissions from upstream oil and gas operations by pushing practical, near-market technologies out of the lab and into real-world field conditions. At its core, the solicitation is looking for solutions that can be deployed at the well site to eliminate routine flaring and also eliminate non-safety-related venting of natural gas, with an emphasis on approaches that are efficient and cost-effective and that are ready for pre-commercialization.

This opportunity is structured as a Cooperative Agreement, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project rather than acting only as a check-writer. In practice, that often translates into more active technical collaboration, clearer go/no-go decision points, and closer monitoring of performance data and milestones, especially because the work involves pilot-scale field deployment and validation. The funding activity category is Energy, and the listing is associated with CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number 81.089, which is frequently used for DOE research and development assistance programs.

The stated objective is specific: competitively solicit cost-shared research proposals that will deploy and validate pilot-scale solutions at the well site. "Pilot-scale field deployment and validation" signals that DOE is not primarily seeking early-stage concepts or basic research here; the expectation is that applicants bring technologies that are already sufficiently mature to operate in realistic field environments and to generate credible performance and reliability evidence. The term "ready for pre-commercialization" reinforces that the endgame is not just a demonstration for its own sake, but a field-proven package that can move toward broader adoption, manufacturing scale-up, and commercial rollout. The target problem is also clearly defined: stopping the practice of burning off gas (flaring) and preventing non-emergency venting, both of which represent lost product and a major source of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions in upstream operations.

Funding details indicate a maximum federal award (award ceiling) of $12,500,000 per award, with DOE anticipating about three awards total. Because the FOA calls for cost-shared research, applicants should expect to contribute a portion of total project costs using non-federal funds or allowable cost share sources, consistent with DOE cost-share rules and whatever specifics are laid out in the full FOA text. The original posting date is September 6, 2023, with an original closing date of November 27, 2023, giving prospective applicants a defined window to assemble teams, secure field sites, confirm cost share, and propose a credible demonstration and validation plan.

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may apply as long as they meet the requirements described in the FOA and any clarifications in the eligibility section. In practical terms, this openness often enables applications from technology developers, oil and gas operators, service companies, universities, national laboratories (as partners where allowed), and consortia that combine equipment providers with field operators who can host demonstrations. Given the requirement for field deployment at the well site, strong proposals typically rely on partnerships that can provide access to operating assets, data collection infrastructure, operational support, and a pathway to commercialization.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a deployment-and-proof opportunity: DOE is using cost-shared federal funding to help push high-potential, near-commercial technologies through the expensive and operationally complex step of pilot field validation. The desired outcome is a set of demonstrated solutions that can credibly eliminate routine flaring and non-safety venting at the well site while remaining practical on cost, reliability, and performance, thereby reducing emissions and preserving natural gas that would otherwise be wasted.

• The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO ELIMINATE FLARING FROM OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 06, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 27, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $12,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for DE FOA 0003017

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: