The University of Twente
(UT) will contribute to the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Exploratory Research
Program (ExploRe) from the energy company BP, started 23 September 2009. In
this program, researchers examine methods to increase oilfield production by
approximately 10 percent. The Physics of Complex Fluids group (PCF), led by
Professor Frieder Mugele, and was chosen from numerous research groups throughout
the world. The contract lasts five years and the research group will receive
more than €4 million from BP.
'Efficient oil extraction from the earth means effectively using water to force
oil from microscopic rock pores. This is micro- and nanofluidics, the core activities
of my research group, but applied on an extremely large scale. Our expertise
in these areas, supported by two research institutes with excellent facilities,
MESA+ and IMPACT, ensured that the UT was chosen by BP', said research leader
Mugele.
ExploRe
Current oil extraction technology leaves about two thirds of the oil in the
ground. The aim of ExploRe is to increase the efficiency of oil production by
at least 10 percent. This means if the world's oil consumption was to remain
constant, known oilfields could be used for an extra ten years. BP is seeking
innovative technologies by working intensively with three world-class research
groups. These were deliberately sought outside the oil industry to facilitate
innovation. Alongside the UT, the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization
in Göttingen (Germany) and the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) are also
participating.
Professor Mugele's PCF group will research the interaction between oil, water
and rocks on micro- and nanoscales. This research will be carried out within
the next few years in MESA+, the Institute for Nanotechnology, and IMPACT, the
Institute of Mechanics, Process and Control Twente.
University of Twente
The University of Twente strives to use technological research to solve society's
problems. This contract with BP is an excellent example of this. 'It is recognition
of our commitment to excellence that an international party like BP chooses
our University', said Anne Flierman, President of the UT Executive Board. The
Executive Board President directs attention in this context to Kennispark Twente,
the UT's valorization sector, which supports innovative entrepreneurship for
new and developing businesses, and thus also the region's development.
Posted September 24th, 2009
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