Advising the oil and gas industry
The Centre for Petroleum Studies at Imperial has one the largest concentrations of petroleum scientists and engineers in a UK university, and the Petroleum Engineering and Rock Mechanics group research all aspects of petroleum engineering.
From AngloAmerican to Total, researchers at Imperial have worked with some of the largest names in the industry. Many of them even used to work for those same companies before moving into academic research.
With a track record of industry experience and successful delivery of consultancy projects, it’s no surprise that many lead into larger, research projects. Professor Alain Gringarten, Chair in Petroleum Engineering and a renowned expert in well testing, runs several joint industry projects with different companies.
Joint industry projects (JIPs) enable companies to fund students, who use full sets of real-life data to study the problems the company’s interested in. Alain’s projects mostly focus on well testing, for example using deconvolution algorithms to convert pressures at variable rates into pressures at constant rates.
Consultancy and joint industry projects can help companies access the latest thinking and cutting edge research.
Professor Peter King, also a Chair in Petroleum Engineering, explains “I’ve got many years experience in the oil and gas industry, and I can see what value an academic can add to a company. Consultancy can provide an objective observer who can help improve processes or assess new technologies.”
As Professor Gringarten adds: “My advice to companies? Visit us! Come and see us and talk to us about your needs, we’re in the best position to try to solve problems.”
