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HISTORY OF RMOTC

The Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center was established in 1993 through joint grass roots effort by the Department of Energy, industry and academia to utilize the Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3 (NPR-3) resources and facilities to assist the United States oil and gas industry in the field testing of new technologies. Located on the west side of the Powder River Basin, RMOTC resides within NPR-3, also known as the Teapot Dome Oil Field near Casper, Wyoming.

The downturn in oil prices in the middle 1980s caused major oil companies to cut their R&D budgets and begin concentrating their operations overseas. This caused a gradual shift in the operation of a majority of domestic oil production to independent producers with little or no R&D capabilities. The industry requested the Department support more hands-on, applied field technology that could be better utilized by independents, in comparison to the Department’s traditional role in larger laboratory and theoretical research efforts.

The RMOTC concept quickly received support from industry and government alike. On December 7, 1993, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), comprised of governors from 29 oil and gas producing states, passed a unanimous resolution supporting the concept of a demonstration and testing center at NPR-3. Industry organizations such as the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Association, National Stripper Well Association and the Independent Petroleum Association of the Mountain States, along with numerous Universities and States, all endorsed RMOTC. These endorsements led to RMOTC being included in the Department’s "Domestic Natural Gas and Oil Initiative," which outlined the Department’s new focus in support of the oil and gas industry’s needs.

Commercial field testing at RMOTC began in 1995.  The majority of the technology and processes field tested at RMOTC have primary implications in drilling, oil production, enhanced recovery, and/or production cost reduction.  Environmental testing and technology has been a large growth area, and one of increasing importance in the industry, both domestically and worldwide.

The current target markets for the field test services available at RMOTC are small to large oil field service and equipment manufacturers and suppliers; oil and gas exploration and production companies; federal and national laboratories; private and public research institutions; universities; industry consortia and Joint Industry Projects (JIP); entrepreneurs and inventors working within the petroleum and environmental industries.  The broad range of testing partner types and sizes indicated the wide spectrum of relevance that RMOTC possesses.  This relevance manifests itself in the form of diverse, widely felt benefits for the industry and the nation.

Read more historic information about Teapot Dome prior to RMOTC's establishment