France’s Total and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company have joined forces to map the region’s carbon reserves marking the first research and development collaboration between the two companies.
The ‘Digital Rock Physics’ (DRP) project will be conducted in collaboration with ADNOC’s Petroleum Institute and Masdar Institute.
The aim of the project is to produce an extensive archive of rock images in microscopic detail and to digitally simulate and test the behaviour of oil and gas reservoirs with the ultimate goal to maximise oil recovery.
Masdar Institute’s microscopy facility will be used to examine rock samples at the nano-scale to generate 3D images of typical Abu Dhabi reservoir rock cores.
Four researchers from Total will be involved in the project, which has been designed as an ‘open laboratory’ to encourage knowledge transfer from all over the world.
SunPower Corporation, Total’s affiliate, also opened regional headquarters at Masdar City.
Stéphane Michel, Total’s president of E&P for the Middle East, emphasised the important role new energies play in meeting increasing power demand.
“Total is immensely proud of its 75-year history in Abu Dhabi, and our collaboration with Masdar, and other Abu Dhabi partners, reflects the strength of our investment in the future of energy, in the emirate and the region,” Michel added.
“The addition of SunPower to Masdar’s innovation ecosystem is another important benchmark as Masdar City grows and integrates a diverse mix of technology tenants,” said Dr Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of Masdar.
