Research Group's Strategy

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and developing technologies for accelerated energy transition have been the focus of the group for the past 20 years, with a current emphasis on:

• CO2 storage in saline aquifers and mature reservoirs
• H2 flow dynamics and storage in porous media
• CO2 foam mobility control
• Carbon neutral gas production from methane hydrate with simultaneous CO2 storage

The group’s research strategy is sixfold: 1) Utilize CO2 as a commodity in innovative technologies to encourage the petroleum industry to participate in CO2 storage for reduced CO2 emissions and energy security, 2) lead the research front on H2 storage in porous media to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, 3) conduct reproducible multiscale laboratory investigations of fundamental physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes in porous media, 4) apply state-of-the-art high spatial resolution dynamic imaging to characterize fluid flow and interactions in porous media, 5) upscale controlled laboratory experiments step-wise from pore- to field-scale, and 6) implement the  innovative technologies at the field-scale to prepare for commercialization.

The overarching goal of the group’s research strategy is to develop technologies for maintaining energy security and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Another main element is to conduct fundamental research on emerging energy systems. Therefore, the research group implements a laboratory (µm-m) to field-scale (m-km) approach to tackle the pressing challenges faced in current, and emerging, energy systems. This includes providing scale-relevant research results. The importance of the physical forces acting in subsurface energy systems varies as a function of the length scale.  At microscopic levels, the capillary forces dominate, whereas at the core-scale viscous forces will compete with the capillary forces. At larger scale, the rock heterogeneities and gravity take over as the most important parameters impacting and governing the multiphase fluid flow behavior. Hence, our research strategy is to include research at all scales.

Enabling CCUS globally requires research and development of new disruptive CO2 storage technologies which provide revenue to the industry and attract commercial partners. The group’s strategy applies advanced multiscale upscaling, from microscopic investigations at pore-scale, to PET/CT and MRI at the core- scale, to designing field pilots for demonstrating innovative technologies at the larger scale. This approach is necessary because no investors or industries are willing to implement new innovations without successful demonstrations at scale.

One example of this strategy is that the group demonstrated in controlled laboratory experiments, and at the field-scale, that exposing natural gas hydrates to CO2 will spontaneously produce methane and sequester CO2 without adding energy. This innovative technology was developed in nine years and successfully field tested in Alaska. The large-scale results demonstrated a near neutral carbon cycle exchange, providing energy for the future, twice that of all global fossil fuels combined. The group has also led an international collaboration, including 13 universities/research institutions and 10 energy companies in five countries, combining expertise and the common goal to develop and test CO2 mobility control foam systems on laboratory and field pilot. 

Furthermore, the group actively contributes to research on subsurface H2 storage, aiming to unlock the potential for extending the lifespan of renewable energy sources. The project specifically delved into both pore-scale and core-scale laboratory investigations. These studies focus on unraveling the intricate physical and microbial processes that impact H2injection rates, storage capacity, gas loss and recovery within the reservoirs.

The group’s strategy to maintain a leading position nationally and internationally is bolstered by participation in national centers of excellence and collaborations with the most reputational international research institutions within flow in porous media. The group has key roles in two Norwegian National Petrocentres; the Centre for Sustainable Subsurface Resources (CSSR) and the National Center for Sustainable Subsurface Utilization of the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS2030). 

Energy research at the faculty has in the past two decades shifted from classical petroleum research towards renewables, carbon capture, utilization and storage, low-carbon solutions for oil and gas, geothermal energy, and energy storage. The group has been key in the redesign of study programs to prepare the next generation energy engineers. To provide a higher quality education, the group also deploys a unique dissemination, outreach, and education strategy to provide knowledge-based advice at the national and international level. In education, the group works systematically in “building a culture of quality” and incorporates a strategy of planning, conducting, evaluating, and improving the portfolio of ENERGI courses. 

The group contributes to improved international educational collaborations by establishing a NORAD collaboration with Ecuador and Colombia. This collaboration aims to enhance the research and education in the partner institutions consisting of Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral (ESPOL) and Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL). This leads to higher-quality graduates, higher-quality research, and more inclusive higher education. More information can be found in the following link.

https://www.uib.no/en/rg/ptech/157976/co2-eor-ccus-colombia-and-ecuador-norwegian-energy-initiative

The group also implements a strategy to maintain a leading position in utilizing state-of-the-art high spatial resolution dynamic imaging of multiphase flow in porous media. Here the group continues to be close to industry collaborators with research centers providing CT and MRI capabilities. The group also participates in an interdisciplinary collaboration with medical science at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen utilizing their PET/CT and PET/MRI equipment. 

The group’s strategy to obtain funding involves tackling pressing societal challenges with unbiased knowledge-based advice. In addition, the group strives to collaborate with reputational research groups internationally, by offering unique competence and equipment. The continued PET/CT experimental activities at Haukeland University Hospital, continued collaboration in the USA with CCUS field pilots and public dissemination have secured the group an externally funded project portfolio for the next six years of more than 130 mill NOK.