Bureau Launches Energy Partnership with the Dominican Republic

Members from the Bureau of Economic Geology recently traveled to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, to kick off a multiyear collaborative project with the country’s Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM).

Working alongside members of The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Subsurface Energy and the Environment, the Bureau is helping the Dominican government evaluate its natural resources, both oil and gas resources and critical minerals. The initiative aims to improve geological insight to attract foreign investment while bolstering energy security in the country

The project involves a detailed regional assessment of the energy potential in onshore and offshore sedimentary basins across the Dominican Republic

“We are bringing in experts from The University of Texas, leaders in their fields, to share knowledge and work directly with Ministry staff, both in Austin and in Santo Domingo,” said Dallas Dunlap, a project leader from the Bureau

The project will use the Bureau’s extensive knowledge of oil and gas basin analysis to target areas that have the greatest potential to reward future, more detailed exploration work. While focusing primarily on hydrocarbons, the project will carry out a parallel study to evaluate critical mineral resources, with potential crossover between the two areas.

This partnership marks the latest chapter in the Bureau’s long history of deploying Texas-based expertise to assist international partners, following prior work in Venezuela, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, and Timor-Leste. "The people were incredibly friendly, and the Ministry was very welcoming," Dunlap said.

For the Bureau, the project represents a dual opportunity to collect valuable scientific data and build long-term international partnerships.