Official from the Office of Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy Visits the School of Energy Resources

 
Scott Quillinan explains drill readouts to DAS Hrkman
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Clean Coal and Carbon Management, Lou Hrkman (right) learns about SER research projects from Director of the Center for Economic Geology Research, Scott Quillinan (left).

The School of Energy Resources (SER) was delighted to host >Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Clean Coal and Carbon Management, Lou Hrkman, on Wednesday. DAS Hrkman is an official in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy.

The visit to SER comes at a time when the Research Centers of Excellence are making great strides in their efforts to advance fossil fuel energy innovation, including several projects funded by the DOE.

High profile research at the School of Energy Resources include the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) focused projects led by the Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR), which is focused on the economical and sustainable capture and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in underground geologic reservoirs. A flagship project is the Wyoming CarbonSAFE Project. Funded by the DOE, the CarbonSAFE program has recently initiated Phase III, which aims to accelerate CCUS deployment.

Other groundbreaking research include advancements in the area of carbon engineering through the Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion. Efforts in the Center have been aimed at the creation of commercial products from Powder River Basin coal derivatives such as building materials, road and roofing products and resins. The Center will be building a test house constructed entirely from carbon-derived building materials in the summer of 2021.

DAS Hrkman in the 3D Viz CenterWhile on campus, DAS Hrkman met with Executive Director of SER, Dr. Holly Krutka, and visited the various labs within the Energy Innovation Center (EIC), including a stop in the Shell 3D Visualization Center. He was able to experience the advanced imaging technology through a 3D projection of the Powder River Basin.

Later in the day he toured the new High Bay Research Facility with Dr. Mohammad Piri and Dr. Lamia Goual to witness the developments in the Center of Innovation for Flow Through Porous Media, before meeting with University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel via zoom.

“We are humbly honored by the visit of DAS Hrkman,” says Krutka. “It is a privilege for the School of Energy Resources to be part of the national endeavors to advance the use of coal while reducing emissions, and we are pleased to showcase our interdisciplinary efforts and meet with leading representatives from the Department of Energy such as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Clean Coal and Carbon Management.”

 

 
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