Oil and Gas Research Center

Oil and Gas is Oman's largest industry in terms of revenue generation. The prosperous future of this industry depends upon advancement in the methods of exploration for new reserves and enhanced methods of production from existing fields, as well as a continuous supply of competently trained research professionals. The Oil and Gas Research Centers (OGRC) at Sultan Qaboos University was established in 2002 to achieve these goals in collaboration with different colleges and centers within SQU. The OGRC conducts research and provides training and consultancy services to the oil and gas industry, utilising the excellent facilities available at SQU.

 

Director Message

Welcome to the website of the Oil and Gas Research Center (OGRC), the Center was established by Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in 2002 to conduct research and provide training and consultancy services to the oil and gas industry. The Center works closely with several national and international companies and with the different colleges and centers within SQU to find solutions to the problems facing the oil and gas industry. Areas of current research include, enhanced oil recovery, carbonate reservoir characterization, and membrane technology. The Center, through the Shell Chair, provides thesis projects and financial sponsorship for students in PhD and MSc programs in carbonate reservoir geosciences.

OGRC1_1

  • Vision & Mission
  • Strategic Goals
  • Completed Projects
  • Ongoing Projects
  • Publication
  • Services
  • Contact

Vision:

The center is involved in interdisciplinary research development and programs including engineering, physics, chemistry and biology to assist, explore and assess means for oil, gas and energy (OGE) production and finding environmental solutions by utilizing the existing and new technologies in collaboration with national, regional and global experts. 

Mission:

To establish close relation with OGE stakeholders and to be involved in national, regional, and global energy projects. To strengthen a broad spectrum of existing and new research fields related to OGE with skilled professionals. To support new raising innovative technologies of the economic importance and propose practical solutions. To strengthen and train highly motivated researchers and students in critical thinking contributing in understanding of challenges and OGE sustainability. To establish research and development infrastructure.

1- Facilitate and promote academic/industry collaboration and support.

2- Conduct research in the fields of engineering and sciences in collaboration with the oil and gas industry of Oman and the SQU colleges.

3- Provide consultancy and training services for the oil and gas industry.

4- Establish research laboratories with state of the art facilities.

5- Develop research collaboration with reputable organisations.

6- Support the postgraduate programs of the SQU colleges through participation of postgraduate students in the Center's research projects and by teaching advanced courses.

7- Attract outside funding through research grants, consultancy and training courses for the oil and gas industry.

8- Publicize the Center's competence, achievements and capabilities.

Deanship of Research Fund

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

RF/DVC/OGRC/19/01

 Experimental Investigation of Biosurfactant-Coated

Nanoparticles for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Dr. Sanket J. Joshi

2019-2020

Completed

 

2

RF/DVC/OGRC/19/02

A Coupled Support Vector Machine and Hybrid

Swamp Optimization for Prediction of

Oil Water Relative Permeability

 

Dr. Usman Taura

 

2019-2020

 

Completed

Petroleum Development Oman

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

CR/DVC/OGRC/08/01

Polymer Technology for Improved Oil Recovery in Omani Field

Prof. Rashid Al Maamari

2008-2011

Completed

 2

 CR/DVC/OGRC/12/01

 Chemical IOR for Omani Fields

 Prof. Rashid Al Maamari

 2012-2014
 

 Completed

3

CR/DVC/OGRC/15/01

Mechanistic Study of Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer EOR 

Dr. Yahya Al Wahaibi

01/01/2015-31/12/2015

Completed

 4

 CR/DVC/OGRC/13/01

 Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (Phase III)

 Prof. Saif Al Bahry

 2013-2016

Completed 

 

5

 

CR/DVC/OGRC/17/01

Experimental Investigation of Foam Injection in

Harweel Field for Conformance and

Gas Mobility Control

 

Dr. Svetlana Rudyk

 

2017-2018

 

Completed

Daleel Project

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

    CR/DVC/OGRC/14/02    

Daleel Stimulation Practices Evaluation and Possible Formation Damage

Dr. Yahya Al Wahaibi

 01/11/2014-31/12/2014

Completed

 2

CR/DVC/OGRC/14/01

Low Salinity Water Flooding Towards Improving the Oil Recovery 

Dr. Yahya Al Wahaibi 

01/11/2014-31/05/2015

 Completed

3

CR/DVC/OGRC/16/01

Mudzyme Solution Lab Test in SQU

Dr. Hamoud Al Hadrami

01/04/2016-30/06/2016

Completed

4

CR/DVC/OGRC/17/02

Assesment of Different EOR Techniques for Daleel Fields

Prof. Saif Al Bahry

15/08/2017-14/08/2018

Completed

SNF Group  

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1
 

  CR/DVC/OGRC/13/02        

Multiphase Flow Improvement and Demulsification of Oilfield Emulsions

Dr. Yahya Al Wahaibi

2013-2016

Completed

2 CR/DVC/OGRC/18/01 Evaluation of High Performance Polymers for EOR in Nimr Reservoir Prof. Yahya Al Wahaibi 2018-2020 Completed

Hydrocarbon Finder 

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1
 

CR/DVC/OGRC/16/02        

Sahma and Ramlat Oil Fields Assesment and Development Prof. Yahya Al Wahaibi

 2016-2019

Completed

Biyaq Oilfield Services LLC    

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1
 

CR/DVC/OGRC/19/01 Chemical and Biological Analyses for Biyaq Prof. Yahya Al Wahaibi 2019-2020

Completed

 

HAYA Project

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1
 

  CR/DVC/OGRC/14/03        

Technical Evaluation of Different Procduction Chemicals

Dr. Abdulaziz Al Hasmi

 19/10/2014-29/12/2014

Completed

The Research Council

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

RC/RG-DVC/OGRC/18/01

Bacterial Biodegradation of Partially Hydrolyzed

Polyacrylamide (HPAM) and Acrylamide from Oil Field Produced Water

Dr. Sanket Joshi

2019-2021

Completed

2

RC/RG-DVC/OGRC/18/02

Bioremediation and Removal of Crude Oil from Contaminated Sites

Dr. Usman Taura

2019-2021

Completed

3
 

  RC/DVC/OGRC/13/01        

Preparation and Characterization of
Gas Separartion and Purification Membranes

Dr. Majid Al Maharbi

2013-2015

Completed

   3 RC/RG-DVC/OGRC/21/01  Reactive Sodium Nanofluid: A New Frontier for Enhancing Heavy Oil Recovery  Dr. Usman Taura  2021-2023  Completed

Shell Chair

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

CHAIR/DVC/SHELL/12/01

Carbonate Reservoir Rock Typing (RRT)

Dr. Stephen Neville

 Ehrenberg

 2012-2013

Completed

Shell Technology Oman

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

CR/DVC/OGRC/07/01

Understanding of Three-Phase Flow During Water Alternating Gas

 Injection and other EOR Techniques

Dr. Ali Al Bemani

 01/06/2007-30/05/2008

Completed

Petrogas

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

   CR/AVP/OGRC/03/01      

Bitubal Permit Numerical Simulation Study

Dr. Fathi Boukadi

 01/04/03-30/06/03

Completed

Omantel

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

   EG/SQU-OT/21/06     

Experimental Investigation of using Nanoparticles to Enhance Oil Recovery 

 Dr. Sanket Joshi

 2021-2023

Completed

 

HM Grant

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

SR/DVC/OGRC/21/01 Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil for Use as Fuel: Integrating Environmental, Economic, and Social Aspects Dr. Farooq Al-Jahwari  2021-2023

Ongoing

 

No.

Project Code

Title

PI

Date Granted

Status

1

IG-DVC-OGRC-23 -01                NanoParticle for Enhanced Polymer Injection in
High-Salinity High Temperature Omani Reservoirs
Dr. Usman
Taura
2023-2025

Ongoing

2
IG-DVC-OGRC-23 -02                 
Design and Fabrication of Hydrogen Storage Tanks from Petroleum-based Polymers Produced at Oman Dr. Farooq Al-Jahwari 2023-2025 Ongoing

Routine and SCAL Analyses:

1- Sample preparation (core handling, slabbing, plugging, etc…)

2- Side wall and cuttings analysis

3- Core photography

4- Extraction and drying

5- Particle Size Analysis

6- Porosity, gas Permeability and liquid permeability measurements

7- Relative permeability measurement

8- Capillary pressure and pore size distribution measurement

9- Electrical rock properties

10- Wettability analysis (contact angle and Amott test measurements)

 

Fluid Properties:

1- Crude oil analysis: pour point, viscosity at different temperatures, API gravity

2- Oil and Gas composition (upto 40+)

3- Scale analysis

4- CO2 Analysis

5- H2S Analysis

6- Surface tension

7- Interfacial tension measurements covering the range: 10-6 – 2*103 mN/m. These measurements can be done at different temperatures.

8- Full polymer/starch rheology analysis

9- Emulsion analysis

10- Nano drilling fluid analysis

11- Basic cement testing 

 

Rock-Fluid Compatibility, Formation Damage & Core Flooding:

1- Testing the effect of damage/enhancement on formation core samples properties (from both wellbore end and reservoir end) caused by any drilling mud type, stimulation chemicals, acid (any type of acid including HF) and enzymes.

2- Performing any core flooding types (water flooding, water shut-off flooding, chemical EOR flooding such as Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer flooding, microbial injection, steam injection, acid flooding,….etc). All of these tests are done under reservoir temperature and pressure.

3- X-Ray diffraction Compositional

4- Analysis & XRF Conduct SEM analysis (including photographs)

5- Cryogenic SEM for oil leg, by two methods to observe pore-filling and porelining fluid (including photographs)

6- Thin Section analysis (including photographs)

7- CAT scanning/photography

8- AFM/XPS/NMR analysis

9- Asphaltene analysis


Water Analysis: 

1- Anion (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, Fe, B, Al, P, Si) and Cation (Cl, SO4, HCO3, Br) sampling and analysis (TDS)

2- VFA (formate, acetate, propionate, and butyrate) sampling & analysis

3- Field water dissolved gas (H2S and CO2) sampling and analysis

4- Field pH/temperature/ specific gravity sampling and analysis

5- Field total sulfide in water sampling and analysis

6- Field Total Dissolved and Suspended Solids sampling and analysis

7- Total Alkalinity, Bicarbonate Alkalinity, Carbonate Alkalinity, Hydroxide Alkalinity.

8- Total Hardness, Calcium Hardness

9- Microbiology reader bioscreen C

10- Bacterial nutrient (nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, phosphate, and iron) field sampling

11- MPN serial dilution sampling and analysis procedure- SRB, GAB, and NRB

12- Gradient PCR and real time PCR Nonculture technique for microbial identification at molecular level by 16 S rRNA using iron torrent

13- Cultural technique for isolation SRB / NRB under anaerobic conditions using anaerobic chamber

14- Nanodrop spectroscopy GC (TCD and FID detection)

15- Co-culture study: core flood

16- Co-culture study: lab scale bioreactor 


Numerical Modeling & Reservoir Simulation: 

1- Basin and petroleum system modeling

2- Reservoir static modeling

3- Reservoir dynamic modeling

4- Well log analysis

5- Petrel, Eclipse, Navigator, CMG package, and interactive petrophysics

Dr. Farooq Khalfan Saif AL-Jahwari

Director of Oil & Gas Research Center

Tel. no. (+968) 2414 2455

Email address: farooq@squ.edu.om

Dr. Usman Habu Taura

Researcher at Oil & Gas Research Center

Tel. no. (+968) 2414 2468

Email address: usman@squ.edu.om

Dr. Asma Mohammed Salim AL-Saidi 

Senior Technician at Oil & Gas Research Center

Tel. no. (+968) 2414 2454

Email address: aalsaidi@squ.edu.om

Sami Salim Ali AL-Khamisi

Technician at Oil & Gas Research Center

Tel. no. (+968) 2414 2460

Email address: samih@squ.edu.om

Houda Said Murshid AL-Farsi

Engineer at Oil & Gas Research Center

Tel. no. (+968) 2414 2469

Email address: houda.farsi@squ.edu.om

Khadija Hamdan Humaid AL-Aamri  

Assistant Researcher at Oil & Gas Research Center

Email address: khadijaa@squ.edu.om

Ibrahim Fraish Amir AL-Owaisi 

Coordination, Follow-up and Archiving Specialist at Oil & Gas Research Center

Tel. no. (+968) 2414 2456

Email address: i.alowaisi@squ.edu.om