((Scholarships|Closing date)): May 1, 2006

PhD Studentship in Petroleum
Engineering Centrefor Petroleum Studies
Department of Earth Science and Engineering

As part of an industry-funded project we are seeking a graduate student todevelop a robust and accurate method of predicting the phase envelope ofcondensates and volatile oils. The method will be based on the latestadvances in the thermodynamic behaviour of near critical fluids. Theemphasis will be on developing appropriate equations of state that canadequately describe the behaviour of hydrocarbon fluids near the criticalpoint. The project is essentially computational in nature with sometheoretical developments envisaged. The aim is to develop a model that willsupersede the current phase equlibria models used in the petroleum industry.

The project is structured in such a way that it is ideally suited for agraduate student pursuing a PhD in the petroleum engineering field.Successful completion of the project will produce a PhD student with anexcellent understanding of the thermodynamic behaviour of near-criticalhydrocarbon fluids and how best to model that behaviour numerically. Thisexpertise is in short supply in the oil industry and academia.

The PhD student is expected to work alongside other researchers in the groupand liaise with industrial collaborators. The nature of the project is suchthat initiative, ability to deal with multi- faceted problems, and theability to make appropriate judgements on what approximations to make areessential. Some experience of the petroleum industry, programming and agenuine interest in thermodynamics would be a bonus.

The project is part of an interdisciplinary collaboration with ourindustrial partners and will be supervised by Prof. A. Gringarten and Dr. V.Vesovic. You will join an enthusiastic research team, which isinternationally renowned and is well connected both in academia andindustry.

You will be based in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering atImperial College , London. Rated 5*(A) in the most recent Re searchAssessment Exercise, the Department is an internationally leading centre forresearch in the field of petroleum engineering.

The duration of the project is 36 months. The PhD stipend is £15,000 perannum, tax free. Home fees will also be paid.

Potential applicants should in the first instance contact either ProfessorGringarten (a.gringarten@imperial.ac.uk) or Dr. Vesovic (v.vesovic@imperial.ac.uk) by e-mail. All applications should be accompaniedby a CV and contact details of two referees who know the candidates well,professionally.