Oil and Gas Industry Driven Academic Research

Abstract

Academic research is not often considered as a high priority in any industry since it does not always deliver clear results in a short term, although a considerably large sum of funds is spent on highly educated, thus costly human resources. However, research activities have to be performed. On the other hand, education process in universities has to deliver good human resources to run delicate operations such as in oil and gas industries. An attempt was initiated at ITB to meet the oil and gas industry needs for both good university graduates and answers to their problems. A Research Consortium, namely Optimization in Pipeline Network (OPPINET) was established in the year 2001. Establishment of OPPINET motivated at the time of by a development plan of an integrated national gas pipeline network (Indonesian Grid) and the ASEAN Grid, and even the Asia Grid. Constructions of pipeline are very expensive so they need to be optimized in such a way that the development provides economic benefits for shareholders and provide maximum benefit for society and the state. The number of member participants grew from three at its inception to nine members during a period of ten years. A number of topics, which are proposed by the member companies have been investigated, e.g., pipe route, pipe size, compressor and pump size optimization, flow assurance, debottlenecking, leak detection, oil pipe heater positioning, toll fee calculation. Three years later, another research consortium, Oil and Gas Recovery for Indonesia (OGRINDO) was established based on the needs in Indonesian oil and gas industries to improve oil recovery and production, including the rejuvenation of old and marginal fields. Differing from OPPINET, OGRINDO was directed to conduct technical and economic feasibility by setting up predictive model, simulation and necessary laboratory experiments for appropriate techniques in oil recovery for Indonesian oil fields which inflict minimal or no harm on the environment. The topics of OGRINDO include EOR Screening, Water Injection, Chemical (Polymer, Surfactant) Injection, Air Injection, Nitrogen Injection, Microbial EOR, Sand Control, Vibro seismic. The contributions of OPPINET and OGRINDO to the oil industry have been appreciated by the government of Indonesia, business people and academia. Besides providing answers to oil and gas industry problems, both research consortia deliver graduates at Bachelor, Master and Doctorate degrees who are knowledgeable about oil and gas industry real problems. In addition, a number of computer software programs have been developed, some of them have acquired copy right. Research ObjectivesResearch Consortium OPPINET, which was established in March 2001, is a research consortium between university with oil and gas companies in Indonesia. The research is coordinated under Institute for Research and Community Services (LPPM), involving various experts from Departments of Petroleum Engineering, Mathematics, Chemical Engineering and Engineering Physics. This multidisciplinary research will...

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