Key information
- Funding
- Self-funded
- School
- Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Award
- PhD
- Delivery type
- Full-time, Part-time
- Start date
- September
The Centre for Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO2 Solutions (formerly the Hydrocarbon Recovery Mechanisms project) investigates various hydrocarbon recovery mechanisms to improve the current understanding of the pertinent reservoir processes and to produce information required for efficient planning and management of field production.
The Centre uses unique laboratory techniques to investigate, experimentally, reservoir fluid flow at various scales. High pressure flow visualisation at the pore level is performed in three high pressure micromodel rigs, resulting in more understanding of the reservoir processes as well as quantitative information. Four core test facilities operating at simulated reservoir conditions, including X-ray local saturation measurement capabilities, are used to produce field specific and generic data. Mechanistic and numerical modelling of flow through porous media, based on in-house experimental observation and measurements, are conducted to generalise research results.
Research projects
The research areas include flow of gas-condensate near the wellbore, well deliverability improvement, trapping of hydrocarbon by water and its subsequent remobilisation by depressurisation, water alternating gas (WAG) injection, miscible WAG and simultaneous injection of water and gas (SWAG) and recovery from naturally fractured reservoirs.
Entry requirements
Candidate criteria
Please contact the institute to discuss.
Funding information
| Status | Full Time | Part Time |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £5,151 | £2,575.50 |
| England / Wales / N Ireland | £5,151 | £2,575.50 |
| International | £26,604 | £13,302 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Additional information
Industrial sponsorship
Many of our past students have gained funding from industry sources, both those companies involved in oil exploration and production in their home countries or larger international companies that offer scholarship programs. For example:
- Nigerian Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)
- Bolahak, Kazakhstan
- Commonwealth Scholarships
- Chevening scholarships
- BP
- Chevron
- Shell
- ExxonMobil
There are also a number of Industrial sponsorships available every year to UK and EU students. All eligible applicants (generally EU/UK students) automatically have their CVs or applications sent to participating petroleum companies, who offer a limited number of sponsorships each year to our students, across all three courses. The number of sponsorships offered will vary depending on the companies’ needs and situations, and the quality of the student applicants and are given our after an interview event that takes place during the summer before the course starts.
We offer a number of competitive funded scholarships for research degrees. Full or partial support may be available for well-qualified candidates from UK research councils, research pools, charities or industry.
View our full range of scholarships.
Why Heriot-Watt
We have been producing career-ready graduates since 1821. With our roots as the world’s first Mechanics Institute, Heriot-Watt is a pioneering university with a global reach.
At Heriot-Watt, learning goes beyond the lecture theatre. We tackle real world challenges through extraordinary research – from climate change to protecting our oceans, to advancing life-saving medical breakthroughs and shaping the next generation of AI. We are also committed to developing forward-thinking design and sustainable business practices that impact industries worldwide. On our campuses you’ll find some of the world’s most advanced facilities, while our strong industry links set you up for career success. This is why almost 90% of our graduates are in employment or further education (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024).
