Looking Beyond the Traditional Energy Ecosystem Submit your solution by May 19 for a chance to pitch directly to Chevron.

Chevron produces oil from shale rocks buried miles beneath the earth’s surface, where oil is trapped in small, disconnected pores. While hydraulic fracturing is currently used to break rocks and produce oil, Chevron is looking for bold solutions that could fundamentally change how rock is broken underground to increase oil recovery from the same volume of rock.

This is not a call for small improvements.

Up to 20 finalists will pitch virtually to Chevron representatives May 28–29. Up to three winners will begin direct engagement discussions with Chevron in June.

Potential pathways with Chevron may include:

• grant funding,
• direct investment,
• supplier relationships, or
• other collaboration opportunities.

Through the Chevron Rapid Engagement Challenge: Break Rocks Better, Chevron seeks early-stage technologies that could:

• Increase broken-rock surface area
• Improve permeability or connectivity
• Expand reservoir contact
• Unlock new stimulation approaches

The core objective of this Challenge is to fundamentally change how force and energy are delivered into the subsurface, resulting in increased surface area, greater permeability or connectivity, and new stimulation paradigms. Approaches could combine multiple energy formats to deliver enhanced performance. Chevron encourages submission of ideas that may come from outside the usual lanes.

Submissions will be reviewed throughout the open period, so early responses are strongly encouraged. Join the webinar on May 12 to learn more and bring your questions for live Q&A! Submission deadline: May 19