Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum Engineering
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The new discoveries of reservoirs are increasingly complex, geologically and technologically. This reality induced a growing demand for innovative technological solutions and for qualified technicians.
It was recently created the “IST – Oil and Gas” platform, the seed for a network of research centres of IST developing research work, directly or indirectly, related to the exploration and production of oil and gas.
The “IST – Oil and Gas” platform has made a survey on the competences of IST that are related to “upstream” and has compiled a portfolio of projects and research lines that is being presented to petroleum companies with the aim of constituting joint partnerships and is the basis for the structure of “IST – Oil and Gas” platform.
For all these reasons starting a PhD programme on Petroleum Engineering is a natural sequence of the strategy and mission of IST on advanced teaching and research in the areas of exploration and management of natural resources.
The exploration and production of oil and gas has seen profound structural transformations due to the growing demand for these products, to the changes in consumer patterns and to the characteristics of the oil and gas fields. The new natural reservoir discoveries are increasingly complex, geologically and technologically, and are more difficult to access and appropriate. This reality has induced a growing need for innovative technological solutions and of qualified technicians.
Three out of the ten more important recent discoveries have been made in Portuguese speaking countries – Brasil, Mozambique and Angola. Portugal has a unique opportunity to lead in the advanced training in the areas related to oil. IST has competences in various areas related to the Oil and Gas industries, covering all the productive chain.
The Petroleum Engineering PhD capitalizes on the horizontal R&D structure of IST that is, directly or indirectly related to petroleum.
The PhDs in Petroleum Engineering will have advanced knowledge and skills on this area, in particular in the domains with more relevance in the current development context: Prospection and Reservoirs, Production and Production Support Systems.