Sarkeys Energy Center InstitutesThe Sarkeys Energy Center programs include interdisciplinary institutes which involve faculty from the colleges of Earth and Energy, Arts and Sciences, Law, Business and Engineering. Focusing on the energy-related strengths of the university, the institutes develop technology and programs that advance the energy industry in the state and throughout the world and provide significant, “real world” research and education opportunities. The University of Oklahoma (OU) boasts the top program in the world dedicated to the investigation of the mechanics of porous media, in particular to rock mechanics, with applications to the exploration and production of hydrocarbon energy. Established in September 1992, the PoroMechanics Institute (PMI) is a multidisciplinary research unit. Research at the PMI is related to the understanding and application of the mechanics of porous media in general and the investigation of rock mechanics as applied to the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in particular. As such, PMI serves both the petroleum industry and the wider geomechanics community. In addition, the PMI provides state-of-the-art facilities for conducting research and educating university students on poromechanical testing. The institute has two major research efforts with funding provided by two consortia the Rock Mechanics Consortium, (RMC) and the GeoGenome™ Industry Consortium (G²IC). The latter is in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). These consortia involve seventeen domestic/international oil and gas companies, from the Americas, Europe and the Middle East (e.g., ConocoPhillips, Total, Aramco, Chevron, Halliburton, Hydro, Ecopetrol, etc.). The research efforts and technology transfer (industry deliverables) are conducted by undergraduate and graduate OU students with affiliations in three different departments and three different colleges.
The Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) is dedicated to providing the scientific foundation for solutions to applied environmental problems that impact the infrastructure of energy production and use. To date, IEE research has focused on understanding the processes that control the environmental fate of energy-related substances like, spilt hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide corrosion, and contaminating radionuclides. This work is important for assessing environmental risks, designing appropriate remedial measures, and even for environmental forensic analyses. IEE research relates closely to the wider strength of OU in the area of anaerobic microbiology and the University is easily recognized as one of the premier places in the world to study in this discipline. Particular emphasis is on bacteria that produce renewable energy forms such as ethanol and natural gas. Current studies concern biotechnological measures for the enhanced recovery of energy from marginal reservoirs, heavy oil production and the control of problematic paraffin deposits. Research activities span the gamut from basic to applied projects. Institute scientists work closely with graduate and undergraduate students to investigate greener solutions to many environmental issues that attend the use and production of energy in the world today.
The Institute of Reservoir Characterization focuses on integrating geology, geophysics, petrophysics, reservoir engineering, and geological modeling for application to clastic reservoir studies, with emphasis on deepwater (turbidite) reservoirs, both locally (mid-continent and west coast of U.S.A., etc.) and globally (Mexico, South America, India, Indonesia, etc.). Numerous graduate students actively participate in studies as part of their degree requirements. There is close interaction with the petroleum industry, who fund most studies, and employ program graduates. Many studies incorporate outcrop measurements into the subsurface characterization process. Affiliated facilities include a computing lab with state-of-the-art, industry-standard software and hardware, as well as standard core layout/description, petrophysics, rock mechanics, and petrographic labs. Current research activities include stratigraphy of the Barnett and Woodford Shale gas reservoirs, sequence stratigraphy and reservoir characterization of turbidite deposits in various locales, both internationally and in U.S. basins, application of outcrops for quantitative reservoir characterization, and borehole image analysis of reservoirs.
The Institute for Theoretical Geophysics (ITG) was establish in 2002 and is devoted to finding solutions for theoretical problems ranging from oil and gas exploration to fundamental studies of earthquakes and the interior of the Earth. The main focus in all these studies is to build those theoretical approaches that can be used to link the various scales of geophysical measurements. Students associated with the ITG are given a solid understanding in those scientific fundamentals required for handling modern geophysical problems. The institute conducts fundamental studies relating fluid transport, heat flow, electrical properties, and elastic and viscoelastic properties to microearthquakes. The unique skill of the ITG is that it can utilize small scale information about a rock (for example the porosity, mineral content and saturation) and make predictions of the seismic and other geophysical measurements made upon the rock. The ITG professors and their students solve problems relating geophysical measurements to the physical properties of rocks. As a compliment to the work of those directly involved with the ITG, collaboration with other universities takes place making a much richer environment for both students and researchers. Currently the ITG is working with Columbia University and University College of London on areas of mutual interest. In addition, the ITG works with scientists and companies around the world to organize the bi-annual "RAINBOW IN THE EARTH” meeting which allows scientists to share their ideas regarding the frequency-dependent properties of rocks. This year the meeting was held in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Energy Institute of the Americas was chartered in May 1995 by the University of Oklahoma and Simón Bolivar University in Caracas, Venezuela to address issues raised by the growing economic interdependency of the Americas. Directed by Yoana Walschap, the institute focuses on collaborative research agendas, human resources development, and helps independent companies establish contacts with Western Hemisphere business and government officials. The EIA works closely with SEC Institutes and provides administrative support. The EIA has nine member universities in Canada, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Trinidad & Tobago. It also conducts activities in Peru, Bolivia and Guatemala.
The Institute for Energy Economics and Policy focuses on the global energy industry and its relationship with national and state energy industry issues and policy. The institute brings together the extensive resources of the university in business, economics, and energy sciences, as well as external resources to address key economic, technology, geopolitical, political, and social policy issues related to energy. The institute focuses on important energy relationships in the Middle East, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and their relationship with the United States and Oklahoma. The IEEP offers an interdisciplinary master’s degree in Managerial Energy Economics (MEE), with a focus on international oil and gas. Students may also enroll in a collaborative program with the French Petroleum Institute (IFP) in Paris, France. The program is aimed at developing internationally minded professionals who can acquire managerial positions requiring multidisciplinary skills. A search is underway for a director of the Institute. |
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