News Releases

UWI partners with Government for Sustainable Energy and Industry Projects

For Release Upon Receipt - February 21, 2020

St. Augustine


TT$13 Million for Petroleum Studies Unit, Department of Chemical Engineering, and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering research

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St. Augustine Campus is looking forward to continuing its work with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago on research projects that could enhance the energy industry. This was the message from campus representatives on Thursday 6th February, 2020 when Permanent Secretary Ms. Penelope Bradshaw-Niles and Deputy Permanent Secretary Ms. Sandra Fraser of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) visited the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at The UWI St. Augustine Campus, to meet with researchers of MEEI funded projects.

These projects are being developed under a Funding Agreement between The UWI and MEEI signed in 2014 and have contributed TT$13 million towards the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Petroleum Geoscience Programme at The UWI. Major projects such as “The Effect of a Sequential CO2 Gas and Nanoparticle Stabilised CO2 Foam Injection on Oil Recovery” and “Heavy Oil and Oil Recovery from Trinidad Tar Sands by Radio Frequency Heating (RFH)” have been completed through this partnership.  

Professor of Practice, Petroleum Engineering and Coordinator, Petroleum Studies Unit at UWI St. Augustine, Professor Andrew Jupiter stated that he was very pleased with the positive response by the Ministry. “The UWI will be continuing its partnership with the MEEI to develop programmes that the Ministry and industry have indicated are essential to the field of Energy,” said Professor Jupiter.

 

Research projects funded by the MEEI include:

·     The Effects of Fracture Damage and Anisotropy on Static and Dynamic Elastic Properties of Rocks

·  Research on Coastal Erosion Flooding, Coastal Structure Response to various loads, Coastal/Offshore Vulnerability, Probabilistic Design Development, and Offshore Hydrodynamics

·       Supercritical Fluid Extraction Work in the Department of Chemical Engineering

·       A New Technique in Sequence Stratigraphy for Deep Water Successions in Non-Glacial Times

·       Heavy Oil and Oil Recovery from Trinidad Tar Sands by Radio Frequency Heating (RFH)

 

Please find below some photos with accompanying captions from the visit by MEEI executives to The UWI St. Augustine Campus Faculty of Engineering

PHOTO 1: Welcome to UWI St. Augustine (L to R) –  Ms. Sandra Fraser, Deputy Permanent Secretary and Mrs. Penelope Bradshaw-Niles, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) greet Professor Andrew Jupiter (Professor of Practice), Coordinator, Petroleum Studies Unit, The UWI, St. Augustine Campus, with a warm handshake while accompanied by Professor Raffie Hosein (Head of Department and Professor of Petroleum Engineering), Coordinator, MSc Reservoir Engineering Programme at UWI St Augustine. 

PHOTO 2: Meeting with the Dean (L to R) – Professor Andrew Jupiter (Professor of Practice), Coordinator, Petroleum Studies Unit, The UWI, St. Augustine Campus and Professor Edwin Ikenna Ekwue, Dean, Faculty of Engineering at UWI St Augustine meet at the Dean’s Office with Mrs. Penelope Bradshaw-Niles, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI); Ms. Sandra Fraser, Deputy Permanent Secretary, MEEI; Professor Raffie Hosein (Head of Department and Professor of Petroleum Engineering), Coordinator, MSc Reservoir Engineering Programme, The UWI, St Augustine Campus. 

PHOTO 3: Chamber for Oil Extraction (L to R) – Professor Andrew Jupiter (Professor of Practice), Coordinator, Petroleum Studies Unit, The UWI, St Augustine Campus; Mrs. Penelope Bradshaw-Niles, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI); Ms. Sandra Fraser, Deputy Permanent Secretary, MEEI; and Mr. Larry Bachansingh, Chief Technician, Department of Chemical Engineering, The UWI, St. Augustine Campus, share a light-hearted moment with Professor Raffie Hosein (Head of Department and Professor of Petroleum Engineering), Coordinator, MSc Reservoir Engineering Programme at UWI St. Augustine as he explains the workings of the Chamber for Oil Extraction from Trinidad Tar Sand by Radiofrequency Heating. 

PHOTO 4: MEEI Funded Project (L to R): Professor Andrew Jupiter (Professor of Practice), Coordinator, Petroleum Studies Unit, The UWI, St Augustine Campus; Ms. Sandra Fraser, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI); Mrs. Penelope Bradshaw-Niles, Permanent Secretary, MEEI; and Professor Raffie Hosein (Head of Department and Professor of Petroleum Engineering), Coordinator, MSc Reservoir Engineering Programme at UWI St. Augustine; engage Dr. Deborah Villarroel-Lamb, Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering on her work with a wave generator. 

PHOTO 5: Serious Chat (L to R): Dr. Keeran Ward, Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, The UWI, St. Augustine Campus; Professor Raffie Hosein (Head of Department and Professor of Petroleum Engineering), Coordinator, MSc Reservoir Engineering Programme, UWI St. Augustine and Professor Andrew Jupiter (Professor of Practice), Coordinator, Petroleum Studies Unit, UWI St. Augustine; discuss the department’s developments and future plans with Ms. Sandra Fraser, Deputy Permanent Secretary and Mrs. Penelope Bradshaw-Niles, Permanent Secretary, MEEI. 

 

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