Research Associate - Pore-scale Shale Gas Modelling

Contract: Full-time (35 hours per week), fixed term up to 8 months 

The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society is one of the UK’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. We aim to attain excellence in the teaching of the core disciplines that contribute to a sustainable, resource and energy efficient society and are committed to undertaking high value, high impact research and knowledge transfer in topics of relevance to global challenges.

Detailed Description

Applications are invited for a Research Associate position for a period of up to 8 months, at the first instance from Jan 2023, or as soon as possible by mutual agreement, with a possibility for an extension. This position will be based in the Institute of Geoenergy Engineering, the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK, and funded by a UK Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) grant (gotw.nerc.ac.uk/list_full.asp?pcode=NE%2FR018022%2F1) as part of Challenge 2 of NERC UK Unconventional Programme (www.ukuh.org).

One objective of this project is to gain a better understanding of gas transport mechanisms within ultra-tight shale pore space on effective transport properties. To this end, unified pore-network fluid flow models will be developed for assessing the effects of a wide range mechanisms on gas transport. The mechanisms of concern are those closely related to gas interactions directly and/or indirectly with and near pore surfaces of variable chemical compositions in tightly confined pore geometry and connectivity of pore space. The developed models will be applied to a set of idealised and realistic pore-networks of shale rock models, to be reconstructed based on the characterisation of shale samples in this project, for estimating effective gas transport properties from pore scale to large scales.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

The successful appointee will be involved in and responsible for the following tasks: 1) develop pore-network fluid flow models and implement them in an open-source pore-network flow modelling environment; 2) reconstruct shale rock pore-scale models based on shale sample characterisation; and 3) perform pore-network simulations on the pore networks of reconstructed shale models and assess the effects of different mechanisms.

Education, Qualifications and Experience (i.e. Person Specification)

The successful candidate should hold a first degree in geosciences, engineering, or computer science and a PhD and MSc degree in a research area of fluid flow modelling in porous materials or in a closely related research area.

A full job description can be found on: enzj.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/job/2627/?utm_medium=jobshare

How to apply

Applications can be submitted until midnight on the 4^th of January 2023

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV that includes the list of publications.

Candidates can make informal enquiries about this position to Dr. Jingsheng Ma (Jingsheng.Ma@hw.ac.uk) or at 0131 451 8296

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

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