FEI, University of Wyoming partner for digital rock research

LARAMIE, Wyoming -- The University of Wyoming (UW) has announced that FEI, the scientific and technical instrument manufacturer, will provide state-of-the-art imaging equipment, software and support for cutting-edge digital rock research that will have far-reaching impacts for Wyoming’s oil and gas industry and its economy.

Through this public-private partnership, UW and FEI intend to focus on advancing digital rock technology to gain better insight into flow and transport behavior in unconventional and conventional oil and gas reservoirs.

FEI’s digital rock technology will be used to create images and models that deliver valuable information to support critical business decisions -- this is especially valuable for application in the oil and gas industry. The precision 2-D and 3-D pore-scale images, and the digital rock models, inform decisions on how to optimize drilling and production.

Additionally, UW will install an environmental transmission electron microscope from FEI, which will be the first atomic-resolution microscope to be used for nano-scale characterization of pore spaces in oil and gas. FEI’s data visualization and analysis software will be used to visualize results and to perform key modeling steps.

Rudy Kellner, FEI’s Industry Group V.P. said, “UW is a recognized leader in oil and gas research, and we look forward to working with the university in providing valuable insight into the nano- and micro-scale mechanisms that govern hydrocarbon flow in the oil and gas industry.”

The Wyoming Legislature’s state matching program will contribute an amount equal to the equipment and support provided by FEI -- for a total impact of $24 million.

Gov. Matt Mead said, “The University of Wyoming is well known for enhanced recovery and other oil and gas research. We would not be in this enviable position without industry partners like FEI. The generous FEI gift will go a long way to advancing research and pushing the bounds of knowledge about reservoirs for the benefit of all -- our state, UW and the industry.”

The investment will create the new Center of Innovation for Flow in Porous Media, which will fund research to improve understanding of how to maximize recovery from conventional and unconventional oil and gas reservoirs -- part of UW’s Tier-1 Engineering Initiative and the School of Energy Resources’ Strategic Areas of Concentration.

Specifically, the center will continue to advance scientific understanding of subsurface flows. It will develop the tools and knowledge necessary to predict the behavior of these flows -- an essential component of both carbon recovery and storage. The center’s fundamental research -- resulting in published experimental data and predictive modeling software -- provides key insight into energy problems significant to the state of Wyoming, the nation and the world.

Mark Northam, director of UW’s School of Energy Resources, said, “FEI’s involvement in the Center of Innovation for Flow in Porous Media is a major step in creating the world-leading research facility in this area. Our future collaborations promise to accelerate the development of fundamental knowledge of how fluids flow in tight rocks and will have bottom-line impacts for development of oil and gas fields globally.”

The Center of Innovation for Flow in Porous Media and its state-of-the-art equipment will be housed in the High Bay Research Facility, which will contain approximately 90,000 sq ft of traditional and high-bay research laboratories, offices and meeting areas. With ample space and capacity, and state-of-the-art equipment, the facility will support important areas of UW research. It has been designed to be easily reconfigurable, modular and expand as different research areas are emphasized.

The equipment will be installed in the third quarter of 2015 through the end of 2016. The center is anticipated to open by summer 2016.