Innovation, Business and Rural Development
November 21, 2011
The following is being distributed at the request of the Research & Development Corporation:
Statoil Canada and RDC Invest $2 million to Grow
Research and Development
Petroleum Education in Newfoundland and Labrador
A $2-million investment by Statoil Canada and the Research & Development Corporation (RDC) will boost Memorial University’s research expertise in reservoir engineering.
The funding will create the Statoil Chair and Statoil Associate Chair in Reservoir Engineering at Memorial University and foster the development of a new Petroleum Engineering Research Program in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. Statoil Canada and RDC will each contribute a total of $1 million over the next five years.
“Today’s announcement is an excellent example of the opportunities that are created when industry, academia and government partner,” said the Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister Responsible for the RDC. “This partnership will result in positive outcomes as it will further develop Newfoundland and Labrador’s research expertise in reservoir and arctic operations. It also represents some of the innovative work of RDC and its contribution to enhancing exploration and development opportunities for this province.”
“Statoil is a technology-based upstream energy company, so investments in research and development (R&D) and education and training are important for us,” said Hege Rognø, Vice-President, Offshore Upstream, Statoil Canada. “We have a long track record of collaboration, technology sharing and knowledge transfer, which sets us apart. With the goal to strengthen the areas of petroleum technology, reservoir engineering and R&D in the province, we are very pleased to enter into a partnership with Memorial University and the Research & Development Corporation.”
Recently, Statoil signed a similar agreement, focused on R&D collaboration, with the University of Texas.
“Universities and academic institutions in North America represent important arenas for Statoil in research and competence development,” said Ms. Rognø. “With plans to significantly develop our operations in Canada and the United States, we want to further develop our position in the market for talented and skilled individuals.”
“Research and development investments in petroleum reservoir engineering align with Newfoundland and Labrador becoming a world-class leader in new technologies for exploration and development in harsh environments,” said Glenn Janes, Chief Executive Officer, RDC. “Today’s announcement will also foster new generations of researchers critical to the future growth of this province’s offshore petroleum industry.”
The Statoil Chairs in Reservoir Engineering will become an integral part of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. The chairs will establish, promote and focus their teaching and research programs on reservoir engineering. The chairs will also develop the reservoir engineering capability within current programs.
“The new Statoil Chairs in Reservoir Engineering will significantly strengthen Memorial’s research capacity in this strategic area and we are committed to pursuing other opportunities, such as a Canada Research Chair or NSERC Industrial Chair, to further build our expertise in this area,” said Dr. Gary Kachanoski, President and Vice-Chancellor, Memorial University. “I have every confidence that the Statoil chairs will lead to innovative new research that will benefit both engineering students and the wider community.”
The recruitment process for the new chair positions will start immediately with the goal to have a chair in place by April 1, 2012.
Statoil is an international energy company with operations in 34
countries. Building on more than 35 years of experience from oil and gas
production on the Norwegian continental shelf, Statoil is committed to
accommodating the world’s energy needs in a responsible manner, applying
technology and creating innovative business solutions. For more information,
go to www.statoil.com 
.
Statoil ambitions are to become a producing operator offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, while gaining knowledge about the region's sub-arctic conditions. The company is a partner in the Terra Nova (15 per cent) and Hibernia (five per cent) fields, as well as Hebron (9.7 per cent) and in the Hibernia Southern Extension (10.5 per cent) field developments. Statoil is also a major exploration operator, holding four significant discovery licences and five exploration licences. In 2009, it made a discovery on its Mizzen prospect located in the Flemish Pass Basin, opening a new relatively unexplored basin for the province. Statoil is currently operating a two-well exploration program offshore Newfoundland: the first is on Mizzen, the second on its Fiddlehead prospect, to be completed by the end of 2011. It also recently completed a 3-D seismic program in the northern Flemish Pass Basin.
The RDC is a provincial Crown corporation responsible for improving
Newfoundland and Labrador’s R&D performance. RDC works with R&D stakeholders
including business, academia and government agencies and departments. In
Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For
Newfoundland and Labrador, the Provincial Government allocated more than $19
million to make strategic research and development related investments in
people, strategic opportunities and infrastructure. For more information
about RDC, go to www.researchnl.com .
Founded in 1925 as a memorial to Newfoundland’s war dead, Memorial University College was elevated to degree-granting status in 1949 as Memorial University of Newfoundland. Today, the university is the largest in Atlantic Canada, with about 18,000 students. Memorial provides excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in virtually all disciplines. With locations in St. John’s, Corner Brook, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, the French-owned island of Saint-Pierre, and Harlow, England, Memorial University is committed to experiential learning. The university's many interdisciplinary programs abound with opportunities for experiential learning, ranging from on-campus employment to work terms around the world.
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Media contacts:
| Scott Barfoot Director of Communications Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development 709-729-4570, 690-6290 scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca |
Caron Hawco Communications Lead, Offshore Canada Statoil Canada Ltd. 709-738-8471, 749-0601 cahaw@statoil.com |
| Jeff Green Manager Marketing & Communications Research & Development Corporation 709-758-0973, 691-8892 jeffsgreen@researchnl.com |
Laura Barron, Communications Co-ordinator, Capital Campaign Memorial University of Newfoundland 709-864-3447 l.barron@mun.ca |
2011 11 21 11:15 a.m.