Leading academics work with industry on oil and gas drilling innovations

A team of leading scientists from the University of Aberdeen is working in partnership with the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC) and energy companies to develop new technologies for the oil and gas sector.

OGIC is supporting projects worth more than £1.3 million where the University’s Centre for Applied Dynamics Research (CADR) team is developing, or has developed, technologies for use in offshore drilling operations.

OGIC has provided £640,000 in co-funding for seven projects, where the CADR team have partnered with five companies to develop innovations including an automated programme for testing well integrity and a new drill-bit.  

The projects have seen the CADR team partner with companies Volcanic Basin Petroleum Research Ltd (VBPR), Welltec, READ Cased Hole, RotoJar and Varel (project details in Notes for Editors).

The CADR team’s work with industry has recently been recognised with the University’s Award for Success in Engagement with Industry, which recognises innovative research, a significant breakthrough or a major contribution to a team’s field.

“OGIC projects are short and focused on delivery, with an emphasis on team effort,” explained Professor Marian Wiercigroch, Director of CADR and Principal Investigator on all seven projects.

“Without the exceptional project organisational and technical skills of all members of the team, in particular of Dr Vahid Vaziri and Dr Marcin Kapitaniak, the quality and efficiency which was praised by OGIC would not be possible.”

Mhairi Begg, Project Manager at OGIC, said: “We have worked on a number of projects with the CADR team and their commitment to developing pioneering technology to better the industry has always been evident.

“The feedback we have had from companies that have worked with this team has been exemplar and the collaborations have resulted in the development of technology which has the potential to maximise economic recovery from the UKCS.”

Ian Phillips, OGIC’s Chief Executive, added: “At OGIC we support a wide range of projects developing near-to-market oil and gas technology. These projects are excellent examples of the opportunities which exist in just one area of oil and gas operations to enhance production operations.”

Dr Liz Rattray, Director of Research & Innovation at the University of Aberdeen, commented: “We very much welcome the commitment shown by OGIC and our industrial partners in working alongside our Centre for Applied Dynamics Research, a recent recipient of the University’s Award for Success in Engagement with Industry.

“The University has long been at the forefront of research aimed at supporting the oil and gas sector, and the CADR is in the vanguard of activities leading to the development of pioneering technical solutions that will benefit industry.

“These projects are testament to our ongoing commitment to industrial engagement, as well as to the quality of our world-class research teams here at the University of Aberdeen.”