PhD Optimisation of Polymer Flooding Strategy During the Energy Transition

Project Description

As the energy transition continues, there will still be a demand for hydrocarbons – however, it is essential that these operations are conducted as efficiently as possible in order to minimise their output of CO2.

Recent polymer flooding efforts in the North Sea have demonstrated that polymer viscosified injection water can (a) increase the recovery factor of the field; (b) accelerate production and reduce time to decommissioning; and, (c) reduce water production (Johnson et al. 2023). This has been shown to result in a lower carbon footprint compared to water flooding alone (Skauge et al. 2024). Further uptake of this technology in Europe is relatively limited and operators are continuing with inefficient recovery mechanisms (i.e. waterflooding) that leave large volumes of unrecovered oil in the subsurface while generating a large volume of CO2 during treatment of produced water (Farajzadeh et al. 2022).

This PhD project aims to build the understanding of polymer enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and develop new strategies for field application that both maximise oil recovery and minimise water production (i.e. CO2 footprint). This will be assessed primarily through numerical simulation using a novel simulation method developed directly simulate immiscible viscous fingering that captures the complex recovery mechanisms that occur during polymer EOR (Beteta et al. 2025). Although this is primarily intended to be a modelling project, the work may be supplemented with Darcy scale visualised experiments if the successful candidate has a strong experimental background.

The successful candidate will be given opportunities to present at international conferences, at the Energy Research Norway Joint Industry Project and at Energi Simulation meetings. This project is directly funded by SNF, the world’s largest producer of polyacrylamide, and as such there will be the opportunity to interact directly with SNF and visit their site in France.

Supervisory Team:

Principal Supervisor: Dr Alan Beteta

Second supervisor: Professor Ken Sorbie

How to Apply

1. To apply you must complete our online application form.
2. Please select PhD Petroleum Engineering as the programme and include the full project title, reference number (EGIS2026-AB) and supervisor name on your application form. Ensure that all fields marked as ‘required’ are complete.
3. Once have entered your personal details, click submit. You will be asked to upload your supporting documents. You must complete the section marked project proposal; provide a supporting statement (1-2 A4 pages) documenting your reasons for applying to this particular project, outlining your suitability and how you would approach the project. You must also upload your CV, a copy of your degree certificate and relevant transcripts and an academic reference in the relevant section of the application form.
4. If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability. The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 6.0.If you do not have IELTS 6.5, we offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement for this programme prior to commencing your studies. For more information about your application and our English Language requirements, please see Section 10 of our page on English Language Requirements as part of your application.

Enquiries:

Please contact Dr Alan Beteta (a.beteta@hw.ac.uk) for further information or an informal discussion.

Please contact egis-pgr-apps@hw.ac.uk for technical support with your application.

Timeline:

The closing date for applications is 24 April 2026. However, we reserve the right to close the application process early if a suitable candidate is identified.

Applicants will ideally be available to start in May 2026 but must be available to start by September 2026 at the latest.

References:

Beteta, A., Sorbie, K., Skauge, A., Skauge, T.: Viscous crossflow as the mechanism for polymer enhanced oil recovery in viscous oils: Evidence of crossflow between bypassed oil and viscous fingers. Geoenergy Science and Engineering 253, 213968 (2025). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoen.2025.213968

Farajzadeh, R., Glasbergen, G., Karpan, V., Mjeni, R., Boersma, D.M., Eftekhari, A.A., Casquera Garcia, A., Bruining, J.: Improved oil recovery techniques and their role in energy efficiency and reducing CO2 footprint of oil production. Journal of Cleaner Production 369 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133308

Johnson, G., Neal, A., Lugo, N., Farthing, D., Fordham, A.: Creating New Economic Reserves Using Enhanced Oil Recovery Within a Mature Offshore Field. Presented at the SPE Offshore Europe Conference & Exhibition, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, 5-8 September, 2023. SPE 215559. https://doi.org/10.2118/215559-MS

Skauge, T., Skauge, A., Lugo, N., Johnson, G.: How Polymer Flooding Reduces CO2 Emissions and Energy Consumption – An Exergy Return On Exergy Investment Case Study. Presented at the SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference, USA, 22-25 April, 2024. SPE-218231. https://doi.org/10.2118/218231-ms