Kansas University researchers will receive nearly $2.4 million in federal research funds for projects relating to oil production, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday.

The projects were among $39 million in grants announced “to strengthen the country’s energy security and reduce greenhouse emissions,” energy secretary Spencer Abraham announced.

The three KU projects:

• $1.1 million to the Kansas Geological Survey for a project using three-dimensional seismic technology to detect oil underground.

Rex Buchanan, associate director of the survey, said as oil prices continued to increase, producers were looking for more options for oil detection.

“It’s a very expensive data acquisition process,” he said of the 3-D technology. “But it’s improved people’s abilities to drill.”

• $273,489 to the survey for a project examining how drilling can draw up less water. Saltwater that comes up in the drilling process consumes energy that could be used for oil, and the water must be re-injected into the ground. Decreasing water content increases efficiency, Buchanan said.
• $1 million for the Tertiary Oil Recovery Project, also based at KU, for a project testing how high-starch agriculture process waste can be injected into wells to recover more oil.

Paul Willhite and Don Green, co-directors of TORP, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.