Photo Friday: Teapot Dome – sunset on the last U.S. Government-owned operating oil field
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) is located on Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3 (NPR-3). Nicknamed “Teapot Dome,” this center was used for testing new technologies and techniques related to drilling, oil and gas production, renewable energy, and other portions of the energy system.
By Melissa C. Lott
This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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The U.S. Department of Energy's Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) is located on Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3 (NPR-3). Nicknamed "Teapot Dome," this center was used for testing new technologies and techniques related to drilling, oil and gas production, renewable energy, and other portions of the energy system. It was the last U.S. Government-owned operating oil field.
On July 15, 2013, Secretary of Energy Moniz informed Congress of the DOE's intent to sell this 10,000 acre testing facility via a public bidding process. This month, the DOE announced the sale of all equipment and material in the center.
Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Energy - Photo of oil rig on Teapot Dome, taken on May 27, 2004
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