Release Date: January 7, 2002

TULSA, OK - The Energy Department's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is hosting two workshops this month that will give oil and gas producers and others the opportunity to identify research needs that the federal government can pursue to improve air quality and produced water management in oil and gas exploration and production.

The two identical workshops will be held in different locations to accommodate as many stakeholders as possible. The first will be at the Hotel Sofitel in Houston on January 15th, 2002; the second at the Denver Marriott at Gateway Park, January 17, 2002.At both workshops, attendees can offer suggestions on long-term research objectives for the Energy Department's oil and gas environmental programs and provide specific input for NETL's upcoming solicitation entitled "Focused Research in Air Quality and Produced Water Management for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production."

In preparation for these workshops, NETL contacted a number of oil and gas environmental researchers. From these discussions, several key issue areas and potential research activities emerges, which will be used to structure the workshops. Key issues areas include:

• Offshore Produced Water,
• Onshore Produced Water,
• Coalbed Methane Produced Water,
• Hazardous Air Pollutant emissions,
• Integrated Air Quality Management,
• Integrated Water Quality Management and
• Particulate Emissions/Visibility.

Within the scope of the issue areas and research activities, NETL will ask workshop attendees to identify the key problems face by the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Key questions include:

• What are the objectives?
• What are the impacts of achieving these objectives?
• What regulatory agencies would be involved?
• What critical path activities are needed to meet the objectives?

On line registration is available at: www.energetics.com. You will receive a confirmation letter when your registration is processed. More information is available by calling David Alleman, NETL Environmental Senior Project Manager (918) 699-2057 or Energetics Conference Services at (410) 953-6277.