SLB software gift aids education, research and more at WVU’s Statler and Eberly colleges

Students at West Virginia University’s Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and Eberly College of Arts and Sciences are gaining hands-on experience using industry-leading software in their coursework, research and more thanks to in-kind gifts from SLB.

The energy technology leader’s donation gives WVU students and faculty access to seven software tools widely used in the oil and gas industry to explore and address challenges associated with energy exploration and production. SLB’s gifts provide software licenses and maintenance for the latest versions of Petrel*, Eclipse*, Intersect*, Techlog*, Pipesim*, Olga-Kinetix* and Mangrove*.

The software allows users to interpret subsurface data, visualize underground environments and model energy operations, among other possibilities. Students in the Statler College Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering use the software in several courses, as well as graduate-level research.

“We are beyond grateful for SLB’s continued support,” Pedro J. Mago, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Statler College, said. “This investment in our students, and thereby the future of the petroleum and natural gas industry, means that our engineering students will graduate with the most up-to-date skills and experience using state-of-the-art technology that enables them to make immediate impacts on the global oil and gas industry.”

Andrew Jenkins, a doctoral student in petroleum and natural gas engineering, is using Petrel and Eclipse in his research to support the U.S. Department of Energy’s Science-Informed Machine Learning for Accelerating Real-Time Decisions in Subsurface Applications (SMART) Initiative, a 10-year, multi-organizational effort to transform interactions within the subsurface and improve efficiency and effectiveness of field-scale carbon storage and unconventional oil and gas operations.

“This is the most widely used industry software for simulating reservoir behavior, especially when it comes to interpreting geology,” Jenkins said. “The fact that it’s so widely used, that’s incredibly important for both professors and students. Students are able to get hands-on experience with this software. Having that advantage of already knowing some of the ins and outs of it sets them apart from someone who wouldn’t have that same opportunity.”

At the Eberly College, Petrel also aids teaching and research activities within the Department of Geology and Geography. Students use the software in graduate-level classes focused on geomechanical modeling, subsurface interpretation and more, as well as thesis and dissertation projects.

“This cutting-edge technology is an invaluable resource as our faculty and students seek solutions to pressing global challenges such as CO2 capture and storage or evolving demands for energy,” Eberly College Dean Greg Dunaway said. “We are very appreciative of this very generous investment by SLB to help train and prepare the next generation of geoscientists.”

Graduate and undergraduate students also use Petrel to compete in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ Imperial Barrel Award program. The annual competition challenges student teams at schools nationwide to analyze and interpret subsurface data over the course of eight weeks and determine the best investment for oil and gas production. WVU teams have consistently won the top prizes in regional competition.

SLB made its first in-kind donation to WVU in 2001. Officials at the Eberly and Statler colleges said the company’s software donations have helped make WVU one of the nation’s top choices among students pursuing careers in geoscience and petroleum and natural gas engineering.

SLB’s gifts were made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.

^{*Mark of Schlumberger}