The Advanced Energy Consortium (AEC) is an industrially funded research consortium developed by the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at the University of Texas at Austin. Founded in 2008, the vision of the AEC is to illuminate oil and gas reservoirs and improve hydrocarbon recovery with novel micro- and nanosensing technology, developed collaboratively with the global research community and our member companies. In only 9 years, we have created a whole new scientific space, published hundreds of peer reviewed papers, created a patent portfolio exceeding 40 inventions (world record for smallest functioning temperature and pressure sensor), and are now on the verge of completing commercial-scale proof-of-concept tests. The AEC has invested more than $50 million in research with a combined 30 university and research facilities around the world. Fundamental research has progressed to applied development targeting commercial applications (“use cases”) that create commercial value. The basic science of nanoparticle mobility enhancing coatings, image enhancing contrast agents, nanomaterial and microfabricated sensors are now reaching the point of member company driven, field scale, demonstrations and commercial value assessments. It is important to note that the technology developed in the AEC is also showing itself to have a potential application in many other developing areas beyond oil and gas exploration and production. Such things as hot-dry rock geothermal; seal integrity and other application for MMV in CCS; cement integrity in nuclear waste and nuclear power generation are areas of clear potential. Learn more about the most promising possibilities for nanotechnology in both the near term and future at this talk as well as how a pre-commercial research consortium can facilitate a positive disruptive evolution in the oil and gas industry. We are dedicated to achieving a transformational understanding of subsurface oil and natural gas reservoirs through the deployment of micro- and nano- sensors functioning in conjunction with enabling contrast agent materials.

Overview of the advanced energy consortium for oilfield nanotechnology

256th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.