Under the agreement, University of Kansas (KU) researchers will use nanotechnology to generate polymer type products and will conduct initial screening and testing.
ConocoPhillips will provide additional evaluation and field testing to determine the products’ practical application. Also it will contribute $400,000 per year to the program.
Nanotechnology – engineering on the scale of atoms and molecules – is used in industries, and its application in the oil and gas industry represents sustained benefits. KU has been examining and developing enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques through its Tertiary Oil Recovery Project since 1974.
Stephen Brand, senior vice president of technology at ConocoPhillips, said: “KU’s experience in enhanced oil recovery and nanotechnology provides a foundation for our collaborative research focused on developing oilfield applications.”
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ConocoPhillips is an energy company engaged in contributing to social, economic and environmental improvements. It is also into reservoir management and exploration, 3-D Seismic technology, petroleum coke upgrading and sulfur removal.
