Technical and Business Advisory Services for Energy & Mineral Projects

The Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD) provides technical assistance and consulting to eligible American Indians and Alaska Natives at no cost. Groups and individuals eligible for DEMD technical assistance include:

• Federally-recognized American Indian Tribes
• Alaska Native Villages
• Tribal Energy Development Organizations
• Alaska Native Corporations
• Individual Indian trust land or restricted land owners

How We Can Help

Energy and mineral projects can be complex, and there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Whether you’re in the initial stages of planning or need expert advice to bring your project to fruition, DEMD’s staff of engineers, analysts, geologists and business development professionals can help. Some of the services we regularly provide to Tribes are:

• Assessing energy and mineral resources on your land.
• Project planning and development, including feasibility research.
• Technical advice and problem solving.
• Securing contracts, permits and financing.
• Business development.

Submit a Technical Assistance Request

To submit a technical assistance request, download and fill out the DEMD Technical Assistance Request Form. Email the completed form and a letter from the authorized representative to demd@bia.gov.

For general inquiries about our technical assistance offerings, email us at demd@bia.gov.

• Fluid Minerals

  Projects involving the Branch of Fluid Minerals:

  • Oil.
  • Natural gas.
  • Helium.
  • Exploration of geothermal resources.
  • Any other subsurface fluid mineral.

• Solid Minerals

  Projects involving the Branch of Solid Minerals:

  • Mineral aggregates, such as sand, gravel, and crushed stone.
  • Industrial minerals, such as limestone, bentonite and gypsum.
  • Base metals, such as copper, zinc, nickel, tin and lead.
  • Precious metals, such as gold, silver and platinum.
  • Critical minerals, such as lithium, magnesium and rare earth elemental minerals.
  • Energy minerals, such as coal and uranium.
  • Compressed earth blocks (aka hi-performance adobe).

• Renewable Energy

  Projects involving the Branch of Renewable Energy and Distributed Generation:

  • Biomass.
  • Distributed generation.
  • Geothermal.
  • Hydrogen.
  • Hydropower.
  • Microgrids.
  • Solar.
  • Wind.

• Business Services

  Assistance involving the Branch of Business Services:

  • Starting a business entity.
  • Leasing and negotiation.
  • Project planning and management.
  • Finding and applying for grants.
  • Research and due diligence.