Offshore staff
MANCHESTER, UK – BP (NYSE:BP) is committing $100 million to a new program of advanced materials engineering research.
The “hub” of the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (BP-ICAM) will be at the University of Manchester’s Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. According to the company, the hub has a track record of delivering breakthrough research and engineering applications.
The “spokes” and other founder members are the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
BP’s 10-year program will fund research into advanced materials and is expected to create 25 new academic posts, 100 post-graduate researchers, and 80 post-doctoral fellows.
Bob Dudley, group chief executive, said: “Advanced materials and coatings will be vital in finding, producing, and processing energy safely and efficiently in the years ahead, as energy producers work at unprecedented depths, pressures, and temperatures. The BP-ICAM hub will be based in dedicated premises which will use state-of-the-art tools to support this major international collaboration.”
While the research will focus on seven primary areas, the initial focus is on:
- Structural materials, such as new metal alloys and composites for deepwater production, and high-pressure/high-temperature reservoirs
- Smart coatings, partly to protect pipelines and offshore platforms from corrosion
- Membranes and other structures, for separation, filtration, and purification of oil and gas, water, and chemicals in production and other sectors.
8/09/2012
