Oil companies are missing out on vast sums of recoverable oil in unconventional reservoirs, according to Penn State experts.

In an effort to modernize and reimagine the United States' power grid, Penn State researchers have qualified for a highly selective, innovative competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Chris Marone has been selected to receive the European Geosciences Union’s 2019 Louis Néel Medal. The medal is awarded to individuals in recognition of outstanding achievements in rock magnetism, rock physics and geomaterials.

Society depends on critical infrastructures like the electricity grid, and ensuring that the power grid is able to recover rapidly from disruptions is vital. Researchers from Penn State and the University of Washington have been awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study economic mechanisms for grid resilience against extreme events and natural gas disruptions.

In late January, the EMS Energy Institute offices experienced a small flood that damaged computers, paperwork, and almost displaced administrative assistant Kelly Rhoades from her office. OPP provided large plastic sheets to cover desks overnight to prevent further damage; however, with Rhoades’ ceiling still leaking water, she continued to work under the tarps to coordinate faculty and administrative areas across campus to ensure faculty research proposals were submitted on time.

Penn State researcher Amin Mehrabian was recently awarded a $110,000 grant from the American Chemical Society’s Petroleum Research Fund to study subsurface stress in hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Chunshan Song, distinguished professor of fuel science in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering and director of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences' Energy Institute at Penn State, received the 2019 George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon or Petroleum Chemistry from the American Chemical Society. He was presented with the award at ACS National Meeting, held March 31 through April 4 in Orlando, Florida.

On March 30, Penn State hosted the SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration) Eastern Collegiate Mine Rescue contest. Teams from Penn State, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, West Virginia University, and the University of Kentucky competed throughout the morning in mock mine-hazard scenarios.

The 2018–19 Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) seed grant recipients have been awarded to 18 groups of interdisciplinary researchers at Penn State.

Ahead of Penn State Energy Days 2019, NETL Director Brian Anderson visited the University to spend time with EMS Energy Institute faculty and staff members discussing NETL’s vision and the Energy Institute’s research.