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The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a PhD Fellowship in Modelling of CO2 storage in porous media at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering. The position is vacant from July 1, 2022.
This is a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree.
The hired candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in Science and Technology. The education includes relevant courses to about six months of study, a dissertation based on independent research, participation in national and international research environments, relevant academic communication, a trial lecture and public defence. Read more about the PhD education at UiS on our website.
The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively.
The workplace for the PhD candidate will be at the offices of NORCE in Stavanger, but short stays with one of the partners abroad can be anticipated.
The position is funded by the Research Council of Norway within the topic Groundbreaking research.
Research topic
The PhD Fellow will be affiliated with the research project “Mechanisms for CO2 storage in the presence of residual oil” funded by the Research Council of Norway. The research project aims to develop a better understanding and description of the mechanisms for CO2 storage in porous media that contain both water and residual oil. The project is a joint research initiative between NORCE and the University of Stavanger, with Imperial College London, Technical University of Madrid, and Oregon State University, as international partners.
CO2 storage in mature oil reservoirs is an attractive CCUS strategy because infrastructure exists, and the geology is known from the oil production phase. To produce the oil, one will often inject water, and then some of the oil will be trapped as disconnected ganglia and droplets in the pore space. Therefore, a strategy for CO2 storage requires knowledge of how water and residual oil ganglia affect the flow pattern and storage mechanisms of CO2. CO2 invasion will also affect the behavior of the other liquids in the reservoir. For example, dissolution of CO2 in oil and water will change the fluid properties, give expansion of the oil volume, and change the wetting state of the rock. This project will develop advanced numerical models for three-phase flow at the pore scale to simulate how CO2 dissolution in the presence of water and fragmented oil affects the flow pattern, trapping and mobilization of fluid ganglia, capillary pressure, relative permeability, and hysteresis behavior during CO2/water invasion cycles in porous rocks. The three-phase models will be validated against a wide range of advanced CO2/oil/water experiments conducted by our international research partners. Based on data from the pore-scale simulations, the project will bring forth models for three-phase flow at the core scale that describe the effective flow behavior observed at the pore scale. This is a first necessary step towards reliable simulation of large-scale CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage) operations in mature oil reservoirs.
In collaboration with the project team, the PhD student is expected to contribute to the development of the pore scale models and perform simulations of three-phase flow on segmented 3-D images of porous rocks. This work will be based on extending existing models developed at NORCE, that utilize level set methods and lattice-Boltzmann methods. Data from the pore-scale simulations will be analyzed and characterized for the development and testing of (i) methods for upscaling hysteresis from pore to core scale, and (ii) models for three-phase flow at the core scale.
Qualification requirements
We are looking for applicants with a strong academic background who have completed a five-year master degree (3+2) within physics, applied mathematics, computational sciences, preferably acquired recently; or possess corresponding qualifications that could provide a basis for successfully completing a doctorate.
The PhD candidate should possess knowledge and experience within scientific programming using C/C++, Python, Matlab, and/or other programming languages.
To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Stavanger both the grade for your master’s thesis and the weighted average grade of your master’s degree must individually be equivalent to or better than a B grade. If you finish your education (masters degree) in the spring of 2022 you are also welcome to apply.
Applicants with an education from an institution with a different grade scale than A-F, and/or with other types of credits than sp/ECTS, must attach a confirmed conversion scale that shows how the grades can be compared with the Norwegian A-F scale and a Diploma Supplement or similar that explains the scope of the subject that are included in the education. You can use these conversion scales to calculate your points for admission.
In addition, knowledge and/or experience within one or more of the following topics will be beneficial:
- Computational fluid dynamics
- Pore-scale modelling of multiphase flow
- Numerical methods for partial differential equations
- High-performance computing and parallel programming, using e.g., MPI
Emphasis is also placed on your:
- motivation and potential for research within the field
- professional and personal skills for completing the doctoral degree within the timeframe
- ability to work independently and in a team, be innovative and creative
- ability to work structured and handle a heavy workload
- having a good command of both oral and written English
Requirements for competence in English
A good proficiency in English is required for anyone attending the PhD program. International applicants must document this by taking one of the following tests with the following results:
- TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based Test (IBT). Minimum result: 90
- IELTS – International English Language Testing Service. Minimum result: 6.5
- Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) og Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) from the University of Cambridge
- PTE Academic – Pearson Test of English Academic. Minimum result: 62
The following applicants are exempt from the above requirements:
- Applicants with one year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA
- Applicants with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma
- Applicants with a completed bachelor’s and / or master’s degrees taught in English in a EU/EEA country
We offer
- a PhD education in a large, exciting and socially important organisation
- an ambitious work community which is developing rapidly. We strive to include employees at all levels in strategic decisions and promote an informal atmosphere with a flat organisational structure.
- salary in accordance with the State Salary Scale, l.pl 17.515, code 1017, NOK 491 200 gross per year with salary development according to seniority in the position. A higher salary may be considered in special cases. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
- automatic membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which provides favourable insurance- and retirement benefits
- favourable membership terms at a gym and at the SIS sports club at campus
- employment with an Inclusive Workplace organisation which is committed to reducing sick leave, increasing the proportion of employees with reduced working capacity, and increasing the number of professionally active seniors
- “Hjem-jobb-hjem” discounted public transport to and from work
- as an employee in Norway, you will have access to an optimal health service, as well as good pensions, generous maternity/paternity leave, and a competitive salary. Nursery places are guaranteed and reasonably priced
- relocation programme
- language courses: On this page you can see which language courses you may be entitled to (look up “language courses” under employment conditions)
Diversity
University of Stavanger values independence, involvement and innovation. Diversity is respected and considered a resource in our work and learning environment. Universal design characterises physical and digital learning environments, and we strive to provide reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities.
You are encouraged to apply regardless of gender, disability or cultural background.
The university aims to recruit more women within the subject area. If several applicants are considered to have equal qualifications, female applicants will be given priority.
Contact information
More information on the position can be obtained from Head of Department Øystein Arild, tel: +47 4767 2710, e-mail: oystein.arild@uis.no, Professor Steinar Evje, tel: +47 5183 1741, e-mail: steinar.evje@uis.no, or Senior Researcher Johan Olav Helland, tel. +47 5187 5226, e-mail: jhel@norceresearch.no.
Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from HR advisor Margot A.Treen, tel: +47 51831419, e-mail: rekruttering@uis.no.
Application
To apply for this position please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Your application letter, relevant education and work experience as well as language skills must be registered here. In your application letter, you must state your research interests and motivation for the position.
The following documents must be uploaded as attachments to your application:
- CV with a full summary of your education and experience
- references, certificates/diplomas and other documentation that you consider relevant
- Diploma Supplement or similar and a confirmed conversion scale if this is required
- documentation on competence in English if this is required
- publications or other relevant research work
Applications are evaluated based on the information available in Jobbnorge at the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above and that you have attached the necessary documentation.
The documentation must be available in either a Scandinavian language or in English. If the total size of the attachments exceeds 30 MB, they must be compressed before upload.
Please note that information on applicants may be published even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the official list of applicants – see Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act. If your request is not granted, you will be notified.
UiS only considers applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge.
General information
The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to UiS.
Employment as PhD Fellow is regulated in “Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of post-doctoral research fellow and research fellow, research assistant and resident“.
Your qualifications for the position, based on documentation registered in Jobbnorge, will be assessed by an internal expert committee. Based on the committee’s statement, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview before any recommendations are made. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. More about the hiring process on our website.
The appointee will be based at the University of Stavanger, with the exception of a stay abroad at a relevant centre of research.
It is a prerequisite that you have a residence which enables you to be present at/available to the academic community during ordinary working hours.
The position has been announced in both Norwegian and English. In the case of differences of meaning between the texts, the Norwegian text takes precedence.
