Curtin University’s research and education programs in soft rock and petroleum geology are set to be greatly enhanced following the appointment of Professor Chris Elders from Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom, as the inaugural Chevron Professor of Petroleum Geology.
Professor Elders will lead Curtin’s research and education programs in the soft rock and petroleum geology field under a funding arrangement from Chevron’s global University Partnership Program (UPP) that will see $1 million invested over three years.
Professor Graeme Wright, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Development said he was looking forward to seeing the research and education activities benefit both students and industry.
“Curtin has co-invested with Chevron to appoint Professor Elders in an area of applied geology that is critically important to Australia’s petroleum exploration future,” Professor Wright said.
“Continually improving our knowledge of sedimentary basins, leads to a better understanding of petroleum producing systems and structures within the earth.
“Professor Elders has both an industry and research perspective of these geological systems and has studied the Northwest Shelf and Bonaparte Basins in Western Australia’s north.”
Chevron Australia Managing Director Roy Krzywosinski said the company was delighted a Chair has been appointed through its University Partnership Program (UPP) to enhance petroleum geology capabilities at Curtin University.
“The new partnership will bring together the various disciplines within petroleum geology and help increase capability, student numbers and research in the area,” Mr Krzywosinski said.
“Importantly, the partnership will help build a centre of excellence in petroleum geology in Western Australia benefiting the Chevron-operated Gorgon and Wheatstone Projects and the broader energy industry in Australia.”
Professor Wright said his direct experience and wider expertise will enhance Curtin’s existing quality research, bringing world-leading knowledge and skills in regional geology, basin analysis, structural geology, reservoir geoscience, seismic interpretation, petroleum systems, field development and more.
“Better research, means better teaching, which produces better graduates,” Professor Wright said
After graduating from the University of Oxford, Professor Elders worked as an exploration geologist for the Shell group of companies for five years. Since 1993 he has worked at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he directed the Master of Science program in Petroleum Geosciences before holding the position of Professor of Petroleum Geoscience.
Chevron’s UPP was developed in conjunction with leading universities around the world to establish new research and technology programs, foster academic excellence, grow research capacity, build key relationships and provide student scholarships.
Curtin and The University of Western Australia are the only Australian universities to be part of the program. Other leading universities within Chevron’s UPP include Stanford University, Texas A&M University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, Imperial College in London, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia.
Professor Elders will commence the appointment in early October 2013.
