PDO, SQU sign research agreements for the first four industrial projects
TIE-UPS: The pacts worth RO 300,000 mark the first cooperation between partners at EJAAD Platform
MUSCAT: EJAAD Platform on Thursday signed the first four research agreements for the first four industrial projects awarded through the platform. The three-year long agreements worth RO 300,000 mark the first cooperation between the partners at EJAAD Platform.
Presiding over the signing ceremony, Salim bin Nasser al Oufi, Under-secretary of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, said the agreements were signed between Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) to carry out four different researches to find solutions to the challenges being faced by the company in polymer, electricity and associated water fields. He pointed out that the programme, which started at the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, aims at creating a platform for understanding between oil and gas companies and the research centres to activate and maximize the role of the research centres in the Sultanate. He noted that researches are now carried out inside the Sultanate to enhance the quality of equipment, human resources and academic research.
Dr Rahma al Mahrouqiyah, SQU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research, said that the relationship between SQU and PDO is historic. She noted that there is a joint committee through which consensus is reached on the researches that provide solutions for oil and gas challenges.
Raoul Restucci, PDO Managing Director, said that signing these agreements sheds light on the growing consistency between industry and academia. This would bring great and sustainable benefits to the Sultanate.
Dr Sulaiman al Toobi, Director of EJAAD Platform, said that the first project is related to developing biofuels and its uses as a clean and sustainable source of energy. The second one is a study for specifying the suitable distance between the high tension lines and oil pipelines. The third project is related to the development of highly cost effective polymer for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) use. The fourth project is related to diagnosing the mechanical and chemical reasons for the fracturing of some oilfield head structures.
“There are 14 research proposals at EJAAD Platform now. They focus on oil and gas, energy efficiency and renewable energy. The challenges are classified into short-term research advice and one to three-year long research projects,” Dr Al Toobi added.
The signing of these agreements between EJAAD Platform, SQU and PDO is one of the outcomes of the scientific research and innovation protocol in energy field between the Research Council, PDO and the Ministry of Oil and Gas in June 2017. Thirty-seven industrial, academic and government institutions signed the protocol.
The signing of the agreements was held on the sidelines of the meeting of the Platform members to update the CEOS, researchers and members of the Platform on the latest developments of the Platform and the challenges it faces. The meeting also aims at inviting companies to interact and cooperate with the Platform to achieve its planned objectives.
EJAAD Platform enhances research and innovation in the field of energy and facilitate cooperation between the three sectors with regard to activating the scientific research activities in energy field through organising seminars and capacity building training courses in energy. The Platform also aims at urging the industrial organisations to utilise in-country value (ICV) in supporting research and innovation in the energy field.