Saudi Aramco to Open 3 US Research Centers

Saudi Aramco has announced the opening of three research centers in the United States with Houston named one of the cities to house a new facility focused on upstream research. Houston joins two other U.S.- based centers in Cambridge, Mass. and Detroit designed to extend the energy giant’s global research and development (R&D) network.

The Houston Research Center, expected to be operational later this year, will consist of teams spanning upstream subsurface domains. Saudi Aramco is currently hiring experts from around the world to work in this center that has state-of-the-art laboratory to develop technology to advance the discovery and recovery of oil and gas.

In opening these research centers, Saudi Aramco looks to further strengthen its collaboration with others and to provide solutions to challenges in the upstream and downstream sectors of the industry. These specialized centers of excellence will address far-reaching challenges.

The three centers join a worldwide network of research centers established by Saudi Aramco to leverage scientific expertise and further complement the cutting-edge work by the company’s Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center’s Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC) and its Research and Development Center (R&DC) both located in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. These world renowned R&D centers are devoted to original research from the upstream exploration and production sector to downstream refining. The work supports Saudi Aramco’s strategic aims to increase oil and gas reserves, improve recovery rates and develop improved refining processes.

The Houston Research Center, located in the city’s “Energy Corridor” west of downtown along Interstate 10, was strategically located in a major hub for oil and gas research and development with close proximity to many energy-industry related companies. Furthermore, it is near chemical and oil field fluids manufacturers as well as service companies, R&D labs and top petroleum engineering universities.

The Cambridge Research Center, in a stand-alone center adjacent to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was strategically located to support computational reservoir modeling, nanotechnology and advanced gas membrane systems.

The Detroit Research Center, sited in southeastern Michigan in the city of Novi, was strategically located to take advantage of collaboration with leading research organizations for joint research on fuel efficiency and engine development.

Saudi Aramco R&D representatives say much of their research happens in partnerships with premier universities and technology providers as well as independent researchers and developers around the world.

The three U.S.-based centers will employ experienced professionals with advanced degrees in petroleum engineering, geology, chemistry, materials science or other related fields. The company also has research centers in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Delft, The Netherlands; Paris; and Beijing; and a technology center in Aberdeen

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