DOE Invests $23 Million to Evaluate the Potential for Use of Captured Carbon Dioxide Emissions for Enhanced Oil Recovery With Geologic Storage in Unconventional Reservoirs
April 29, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced two projects selected to receive a total of $23.2 million to evaluate the potential of oil and gas production and geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) from unconventional reservoirs through a combined process that uses captured CO2 emissions to recover residual oil—called CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR). The projects will help evaluate the feasibility for permanent storage of CO2 in depleted unconventional shale oil and gas reservoirs, repurposing existing infrastructure in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic decarbonization goals.


“Today we’re investing in a key opportunity to use carbon dioxide to recover a greater portion of our country’s energy resources without drilling new wells,” said Brad Crabtree, Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. “At the same time, these projects will study the ability to transition unconventional oil reservoirs into carbon storage reservoirs—reducing the carbon intensity of oil production while supporting our nationwide efforts to capture and permanently store carbon dioxide to slow the harmful effects of climate change.”


CO2-EOR is a technique used to recover oil, typically from mature conventional oil fields that are no longer productive using traditional oil recovery methods, which can leave up to two-thirds of the original oil in place. In conventional oilfields, the CO2-EOR process is not only effective in increasing ultimate oil recovery, but the depleted reservoir can provide a geologic formation suitable for permanent storage of CO2 emissions during and after the oil recovery process. Following the useful production life of the reservoir, the location can then be used for continued injection and storage of captured CO2 such that it remains permanently underground in the geologic formation, thereby prevented from entering the atmosphere. 


The two selected projects will focus on examining the effectiveness of the CO2-EOR with geologic storage process when applied to low-permeability, light-oil unconventional reservoirs that have dominated new production in recent years, as well as understand the potential to safely store CO2 in these complex systems. In conjunction with this testing, the projects will collect critical data on how CO2-EOR and carbon storage can be co-optimized with the goal of reducing the carbon footprint of the incremental oil produced.


  • GTI Energy (Des Plaines, Illinois) will develop an integrated field laboratory study for incremental oil recovery and to test the feasibility of CO2 storage in depleted unconventional reservoirs in Texas’s Midland Basin.


  • University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center (Grand Forks, North Dakota) will conduct laboratory, modeling, and field studies for injecting CO2 into an unconventional reservoir located in the Williston Basin’s Bakken Formation for incremental oil recovery along with CO2 storage.


DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), under the purview of FECM, will manage the selected projects. A detailed list of the selected projects can be found here.


The two selected project teams were required as part of their applications to submit Community Benefits Plans to demonstrate meaningful engagement with and tangible benefits to the communities in which these projects will be located. These plans provide details on their commitments to community and labor engagement, quality job creation, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and benefits to disadvantaged communities as part of the Justice40 Initiative.


FECM minimizes environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuels and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across the U.S economy. Priority areas of technology work include carbon capture, carbon conversion, carbon dioxide removal, carbon dioxide transport and storage, hydrogen production with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, and critical minerals production. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements, and visit the National Energy Technology Laboratory website.

VVC Exploration Corporation Provides Regulatory Update and Clarifies a Previous Incorrect Statement about CYRB

May 21, 2026
TORONTO, May 21, 2026 - VVC Exploration Corporation, dba VVC Resources (“VVC” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: VVC and OTCQB: VVCVF) is providing an update to its previous news release dated May 16, 2026, regarding the status of its annual financial filings. The Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC") has notified the Company that its application for a Management Cease Trade Order ("MCTO") has been rejected. In delivering its decision, the OSC noted that they are not of the view that there is an active, liquid market for the issuer’s securities, based on a review of the trade volume, trade value, and number of trades over the last month. Consequently, the OSC intends to issue a Failure-to-File Cease Trade Order ("FFCTO") against the Company shortly after the regulatory deadline if the continuous disclosure documents are not submitted. The Company's audited annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis, and related officer certifications for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2026 (collectively, the "Required Filings") are due on June 1, 2026. Reason for Anticipated Delay The delay in completing VVC’s Required Filings is primarily attributable to the time required to complete the valuation and related accounting assessment of VVC’s equity investment in Cyber Apps Solutions Corp. (“CYRB”) and its operating subsidiary, Proton Green, LLC. The complexity of the valuation process and the resolution of related accounting matters delayed the commencement of VVC’s Required Filings. The Company also wishes to clarify that the references to executive management vacancies at CYRB included in the May 16, 2026 announcement were incorrect and have been retracted. Financing & Corporate Update In light of the operational adjustments required by the developments at CYRB, the Company also announces that it is actively pursuing capital-raising initiatives to protect working capital and fund ongoing operations, including its core helium and gold exploration assets. VVC is currently evaluating various financing options, which may include a proposed non-brokered private placement of securities. Any such financing remains subject to compliance with the strict terms of the proposed MCTO, which prohibits the issuance or acquisition of securities from any director, officer, or insider of VVC during the period of the default. Further details regarding the terms, pricing, and closing dates of any such financing will be announced if and when they are finalized. There can be no assurance that any financing will be completed on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all. Anticipated Completion and Impact of Order The Company and its independent third-party valuation specialist are working diligently to resolve the valuation framework with MNP LLP. VVC continues to target the completion and submission of the Required Filings on or before June 30, 2026. If an FFCTO is issued by the principal regulator, trading in the common shares of VVC will be suspended across all trading platforms in Canada, including the TSX Venture Exchange, until the Required Filings are completed and the order is formally revoked by the regulators. Insider Trading Restrictions The Company's internal insider trading blackout notice issued by the Corporate Secretary remains in full effect. All directors, officers, and insiders are strictly prohibited from trading in the Company's securities or exercising stock options until the default is fully remedied and the Required Filings are publicly available. About VVC Resources VVC engages in the exploration, development, and management of natural resources - specializing in scarce and increasingly valuable materials needed to meet the growing, high-tech demands of industries such as manufacturing, technology, medicine, space travel, and the expanding green economy. Our portfolio includes a diverse set of multi-asset, high-growth projects, comprising: Helium & industrial gas production in western U.S.; Gold & associated metals operations in northern Mexico; and Strategic investments in carbon sequestration and other green energy technologies. VVC is a Canada-based, publicly-traded company on the TSXV (TSX-V:VVC). To learn more, visit our website at: www.vvcresources.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

VVC Grants Options

April 20, 2026
TORONTO, April 20, 2026 - VVC Exploration Corporation, dba VVC Resources, (“VVC”), (TSX-V:VVC and OTCQC:VVCVF) announces the following: Option Grant The Directors granted incentive stock options under its stock option plan, to officers, directors and consultants of the Company, to purchase up to an aggregate of 14,750,000 common shares, representing 2.58% of the outstanding shares of the Company. The stock options are exercisable at a price of CA$0.05 per share expiring April 20, 2036. Twenty five percent (25%) of the options granted will vest immediately with the remaining vesting at 25% every six months. The exercise price was fixed at the minimum allowable price by the TSX Venture Exchange policies. The options, granted in accordance with the provisions of the Company's stock option plan, are subject to the TSX Venture Exchange policies and the applicable securities laws. Of the Options granted, 32.2% were to Directors, 37.3% to Officers, 18.6% to Employees and 11.9% to Consultants of the Company.  About VVC Resources VVC engages in the exploration, development, and management of natural resources - specializing in scarce and increasingly valuable materials needed to meet the growing, high-tech demands of industries such as manufacturing, technology, medicine, space travel, and the expanding green economy. Our portfolio includes a diverse set of multi-asset, high-growth projects, comprising: Helium & industrial gas production in western U.S.; Gold & associated metals operations in northern Mexico; and Strategic investments in carbon sequestration and other green energy technologies. VVC is a Canada-based, publicly-traded company on the TSXV (TSX-V:VVC). To learn more, visit our website at: www.vvcresources.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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