From space to subsea

Generating knowledge to fuel a greener world

Shining a light on offshore environments

Balancing conflicting demand for land and sea

AT WORK FOR THE ENERGY SECTOR ISSUE 2

ENERGEIA

Brazil beckons for University of Aberdeen

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CONTENTS3 exploring offshore structures and marine life

4/5 From space to subsea

6/7 Generating knowledge to fuel a greener world

8/9 Field station research shines light on environmental impact of offshore development

10/11 Brazil beckons for university-industry teams

12/13 Balancing conflicting demand for land and sea

14/15 Greenhouse gas goes clean and green

16/17 masters course propels careers in the renewables sector

18/19 Taking the Aberdeen experience to mexico

19 Aberdeen geologist scoops prestigious US award

20 Challenge creates opportunity for engineering postgrad

21 World class executive education comes to Aberdeen

22 energy students to benefit from Universitys revamped learning spaces

22 engineering students race across the world for charity

23 energy giants back British Science Festival

Welcome to Energeia the University of Aberdeens magazine for the Energy Industry.

As an internationally-renowned research and teaching institution at the heart of Europes Oil Capital and with academic links all over the world, the University of Aberdeen is ideally placed to work with the energy industry on the challenges it faces. From major research on the environment of the

deepest oceans to the latest teaching on global economics, we thrive on developing solutions which will boost the sustainability and competitiveness of the energy sector. This was emphasised recently when Professor Alex Kemp, a foremost expert on the economics of the North Sea oil and gas industry, was presented with a lifetime achievement accolade at the SPE Offshore Achievement Awards.

Being international is at the core of everything we do. The University was ranked sixth in a recent survey of international scientific collaboration of 500 major universities across the world and we are also ranked as one of the top forty universities in the world for international outlook.

This is consistent with our aim is to be a partner of choice for the industry at a global level, by giving it the world-leading research, talented graduates, andhighly-skilled professional colleagues to unlock and exploit the opportunities that lie ahead. We look forward to exploring with you how we can bring our international reputation to help your organisation.

Professor Ian Diamond FBA FRSE AcSS

Principal and Vice-Chancellor

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ENERGEIA

Pictured: dr Toyonobu Fujii

Since the first installation went into the seabed, it has been apparent that varieties of commercially important fish are often attracted in large numbers to oil and gas platforms. Now research is underway to find out how and why fish are using these installations, as well as the impact these and offshore renewable structures could have on future fish population dynamics.

Oceanlab the University of Aberdeen research centre leading the world with its deep sea discoveries, subsea capabilities and expertise is conducting the study which suggests offshore man-made structures may provide refuge for a variety of commercially exploited fishes such as cod, haddock and saithe in the North Sea.

BP has just renewed its funding of the work being led by Dr Toyonobu Fujii who spends around a week every three months on the BP Miller platform in the North Sea in order to conduct seasonal fish sampling at varying depths, which he examines together with historical and current large-scale bottom trawl survey data.

We still dont know exactly why fish are drawn to these structures, yet there are currently no less than 500 offshore installations across the North Sea, which altogether would have substantial influence on the movement of fishes as a whole, says Dr Fujii.

Exploring offshore structures and

marine life

For more information: www.oceanlab.abdn.ac.uk

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It could be because marine organisms colonising the surface of these platforms create reef habitats which offer the fish better feeding opportunities, or possibly the complex structure of platforms provides places for them to shelter or hide from larger predators such as seals and sharks.

Whatever the reasons the knowledge we are building will provide valuable information about the patterns of seafloor habitat utilisation by marine fish populations and their movement, as well as the potential role of offshore artificial structures in explaining the dynamics of fish stocks for sustainable fisheries management purposes.

Oceanlab - internationally recognised for its pioneering subsea systems which can operate down to 11,000 metres or 36,000 feet has a long-standing relationship with BP as well as collaborations with many other companies in the offshore sector.

We developed and delivered the worlds first multi-sensor system to monitor the deep-sea environment for BP, says Professor Monty Priede, Director of Oceanlab.

These two eight metre platforms with cameras, sonars and samplers designed at Oceanlab sit on the ocean floor at 1,400m depth, off Angola, in BPs block 18. One is within 50 metres of a subsea wellhead and the second is five miles from any offshore activity.

These platforms known as DELOS Deep-ocean Environmental Long-term Observatory System are acting as environmental sentinels, giving advance warning of any effects on marine animals in unknown remote areas where science is unable to predict effects as the hydrocarbon industry moves into deeper and deeper waters.

The construction of DELOS which is part of a multi-decade international collaboration is just one example of a successful partnership Oceanlab enjoys with industry.

Oceanlab has one of the most comprehensive subsea proving and test suites in Europe, says Commercial Manager David Sproule.

We have large hangar space, a high pressure testing vessel for testing equipment and certificate testing to 7,000m depths, a vibration table, environment chamber and immersion and sea water tanks.

But Oceanlabs offshore sector partnerships are not just commercial.

We also host the North Sea Bird Club a University of Aberdeen and offshore industry collaboration which dates back to 1979 and is collating long-term data from offshore on birds and other wildlife, adds Professor Priede.

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www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

Could tiny, super cold atoms hold the key to finding the Earths remaining oil sources?

physicists at the University of Aberdeen are applying ground-breaking technology being used in space exploration, to the subsea industry.

dr Charles Wang, an astrophysicist who is leading the project that will result in the development of an innovative new subsea sensor, describes the potentially significant impact this work could have on the future of the oil and gas sector.

When we think of gravity, an image of Isaac Newton and an apple may be what most immediately springs to mind.

But to think of it only in this context would be wrong the measurement of gravity has actually been used as a vital tool for decades in the search for prospective oil, gas and natural minerals.

Dr Wang explains: The usual gravity we experience and understand is Earths gravity, but in reality every object is a source of gravity.

If you have a sensor with high enough sensitivity, it will pick up small gravitational changes which indicate the presence of an object. It is this technology which has been used for decades in the oil and gas industry to detect the existence of prospective oil fields.

From space to subseaBut so far this technology has been limited to work above the sea level with companies using gravity measurements as part of their airborne survey work.

What we are doing here at Aberdeen is developing a new sensor which will allow gravity measurements to be used, for the first time, in a subsea environment.

The development of the technology is being carried out in collaboration between the University, subsea specialist Fugro Subsea Services Ltd and Trident Underwater Engineering (Systems).

The project is part funded by the subsea strand of the Scottish Sensor Systems Centre (S3C), a Scottish Funding Council initiative supporting a collaboration between eight of Scotlands leading universities and industry to undertake joint industrial / academic projects into sensor systems.

S3C aims to deliver value across the whole sensor information stack in subsea and terrestrial markets, with the subsea strand bringing together research expertise from Aberdeen, Dundee and Robert Gordon Universities.

Dr Wang continues: Current gravitational sensor technology is too large and too power consuming to take underwater, and the equipment is not sensitive enough to operate in subsea conditions.

It makes perfect sense that the closer you are to the source of the prospective oil and gas, the more accurate you can be in detecting it.

If you have a sensor with high enough sensitivity, it will pick up small gravitational changes which indicate the presence of an object. It is this technology which has been used for decades in the oil and gas industry to detect the existence of prospective oil fields.

Pictured: dr Charles Wang4 www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

ENERGEIA

The European Space Agency launched a satellite called GOCE in 2009 which obtained the highest precision of gravity measurement yet to be achieved. The technology we are developing is expected to surpass this.

It is this exact same science that we are taking from space and applying subsea having seen the potential for the cold atom technology to be used subsea, and the massive consequences this could have in helping the industry find previously undetected hydrocarbons.

The sensor will also have the potential to be used in subsea pipeline inspection work an area of critical importance given the sectors ageing pipelines.

Dr Wang continues: Currently magnetism is used when inspecting subsea pipelines for faults.

But the technology means that most inspections are not as thorough as they could be because magnetic inspection is affected

It is this exact same science that we are taking from space and applying subsea having seen the potential for the cold atom technology to be used subsea, and the massive consequences this could have in helping the industry find previously undetected hydrocarbons.

What we are developing is a new type of compact sensor that requires low power, and can be used in deep waters, to detect new sources in a way that is more sensitive, accurate and therefore cost effective.

The key behind our research is the use of atoms like Rubidium.

When we cool these atoms to a super cold temperature and trap them in an atom cloud, it acts like a highly precise laser that can measure gravity in a way that is much more accurate than a normal optical laser could achieve.

No mechanical parts are involved in the process so it is much simpler and more reliable.

We actually developed this technology, known as a cold atom trap, for an entirely different purpose to measure gravity in space.

The cold atom trap was created through a research project we are undertaking with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Science and the Science and Technology Facilities Council. The project had a similar emphasis to improve on technology currently available but in this case to better the gravitational technology being employed in space.

Sensing gravity in space allows us to probe the subsurface formation structure in the Earths crust and this can help us in our understanding of climate change and in analysing geological problems such as earthquakes by tracking continental plate movement and detecting fault lines.

by other subsea activities that generate noise, making readings less accurate.

Our sensor would make it possible to use gravity measurements to detect faults for the first time at subsea levels.

Gravitational signals would better reflect where the changes in the condition of the pipeline occur, and it is also a non-intrusive method whereby 3D imaging of the interior of the pipe can be performed without having to do invasive work. The benefits to the industry are clear a higher level of accuracy is achieved in a more cost effective way.

To date Dr Wang and his team have modelled and simulated a gravity survey which could be applied subsea to understand the characteristics their sensor will need to have.

They are now working on developing the cold atom trap into a functioning prototype of the sensor which they believe will be ready to trial next year.

Dr Wang says: Our aim is to have a sensor which is being deployed subsea by companies for oil detection and pipe fault inspection within the next few years. I think thats an aim that we are entirely on track to achieve.

For more information contact: Dr Charles Wang, c.wang@abdn.ac.uk

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Pictured: Professor Paul mitchell

Frontier science in a chemistry lab on the Aberdeen campus, a multimillion Euro testbed offshore wind development, the impact of new technology on the mammalian communities of the North Sea and the commuters on the bus between peterhead and Aberdeen The glue which binds them and more together is research underway across the University of Aberdeen. Energeia asked professor paul Mitchell to tell us more:

Whats the role of a university as we move to a more sustainable energy future?

The expertise, experience, and networks of a university are absolutely vital in addressing this major challenge. Most obviously, universities inject new science and new research which tests and improves engineering and technology. Another role is to examine the economic, legal and social impact of these developments on our environment and society including their acceptability by our communities, which is vital in achieving changes in policy and behaviour.

In terms of the breadth of our research activity, no other university has a wider portfolio of topics related to renewable energy than the University of Aberdeen.

Particular strengths are in biomass and bioenergy, from sustainable land use to catalytic processes for the production of transportation fuels. We are at the forefront of research in fuel cells and hydrogen technologies for a range of applications, in marine energy including the development of a wave energy generator, and how water movement and sediment

transport is affected by offshore windfarms. Our engineers are also looking at development of high-voltage DC technological solutions to reduce the costs and increase efficiency of the transmission of electricity generated in offshore wind farms to shore.

We have a strong focus on environmental science, much of which is centred on the environmental impact of the energy industries, the impact of global climate change on soils and ecosystems and options for mitigation. And we also have health scientists looking at the effects of atmospheric pollution on health.

How will University of Aberdeen researchers engage with the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre?

Our activities in offshore wind focus on the engineering and environmental aspects. Our civil, electrical and mechanical engineers are engaged in the development of technologies including the integrity of offshore structures and foundations, cable laying techniques, and sediment transport systems including the impacts of scour on offshore structures. Our environmental scientists have a world leading reputation in marine science and monitoring the impact of marine energy developments and hence are able to advise developers on the most environmentally benign deployment strategies.

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre off Aberdeen will provide a world class demonstration and test facility enabling the research community to better understand the processes and speed the development of innovative solutions for the next generation of marine energy technologies. What excites us as academics is that this will be a giant laboratory, offering opportunities to work with the developers

Generating knowledge to fuel a greener world

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ENERGEIA

and supply chain companies to test new engineering and technologies in a real-time offshore environment, with our research findings available to the wider European industry.

What about the human and societal aspects of renewables?

This is of huge interest to us. After all, there is little point in developing cars run on electricity if the public are not going to buy them! As part of its work in looking at alternative means of transport, our Centre for Transport Research is researching the public acceptability of electric cars and what the market would be.

We have economists looking at economic issues concerning the transition to sustainable energies, and experts in law who are providing specialist advice and training on emerging issues concerning renewable energy developments.

And of course its not all about humans. Offshore wind developments are taking place off the Scottish coast in areas which are home to important communities of marine mammals. Our strength in marine biology including our Oceanlab and Cromarty Lighthouse facilities makes us ideally positioned to look closely at the impact on our marine ecosystems.

How is all this expertise and knowledge feeding into industry and government decisions as we go forward?

In academia, partnerships such as the Northern Research Partnership for engineering and related disciplines (the universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, and Robert Gordon University), and the twelve Scottish universities who are members of the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) ensure that we all pull together, with funding from the Scottish Government through the Scottish Funding Council, to further Scotlands aims to be a world leader in renewable energy. The ETP is the largest power and energy research partnership in Europe, and promotes greater levels of collaboration between universities and industry to deliver unparalleled energy research, development and demonstration capability across a spectrum of energy technologies.

Working closely with the ETP, Scottish Enterprise and the Highland and Islands Enterprise among others is RenewNet, a partnership between five Scottish universities including Aberdeen, which provides SMEs with expertise in the area of power engineering, helping them build capacity to deliver to the renewable sector and also to clients requiring subsea power connections. Academic personnel work free of charge in the SME alongside company staff for up to three months, transferring skills and guidance on levering further funding for R&D. RenewNet is funded by the Scottish Funding Council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Much energy-related research activity is funded through industry. The University is a founder member of the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG), established to promote the development of renewable energy skills and technology in north-east Scotland, and for which our R&D has led to a number of significant spinout companies servicing the energy and low carbon industries.

Were also heavily involved in Energetica, the ambitious plan to create a new-generation energy corridor stretching from Aberdeen to Peterhead.

We aim to create a world-class showcase that will attract innovative energy businesses and highly skilled people. One particularly exciting plan is to use the power of the wind generated by the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre to split water and produce hydrogen which can be used to power buses to run through the Energetica green energy corridor.

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC), which is hosted on our campus, engages with institutions, networks and technology platforms, influencing the future policy agenda and identifying niche opportunities for collaboration across different industry sectors. SEGECs principal remit is to facilitate innovative, collaborative, low-carbon, infrastructure projects which deliver real benefits for Scotland, the UK and Europe.

These partnerships are also a route to wider collaborations across the globe, both with industry and with academic partners. We are now linked on this topic with leading US centres of excellence such as MIT, and with major universities in China and India including a new agreement for teaching and research with Indias specialist energy university UPES.

Are we on course to produce the next generation to lead and run this industry?

The University was founded 500 years ago specifically to produce the professionals that were needed in this area at that time specifically the doctors, lawyers and clerics. Today, with all our experience in teaching and professional development coupled with our research activity, calibre of academics, connections and intimate knowledge of industry needs we are ideally placed for this challenge.

Our engineering undergraduate programmes are addressing the skills required in the renewables sector through the introduction of new programmes such as MEng in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering with Energy Studies, and for postgraduate study we have a strong portfolio of taught MSc programmes addressing the needs of the energy industries.

With our close links with industry, many students find placements which frequently lead to future employment. For example, graduates of our increasingly successful Renewable Energy MSc are very successful in finding key positions in the emerging sector very often in the renewables divisions of the large multinational oil and gas companies. Key to this success is the understanding of the ways in which the oil and gas sector can contribute to the deployment of offshore renewables. And of course our opportunities go much wider than engineering, including our portfolio of business courses and the new Henley-Aberdeen Partnership for executive development.

What is your message to others in the industry?

My message is a simple one get in touch. Whether you have a technical problem that needs researching, or if you are looking to develop your own career or the professionals skills of your workforce, or are interested in discussing scholarships, academic Chairs or any kind of partnership or involvement with the University, we are always delighted to hear from you.

We can bring the brightest minds in the business together around your challenge, and help give you the competitive edge of highly trained staff for today and tomorrow. In all ways, we are your partner of choice.

We can bring the brightest minds in the business together around your challenge, and help give you the competitive edge of highly trained staff for today and tomorrow. In all ways, we are your partner of choice.

For more information contact: Professor Paul Mitchell, c.p.mitchell@abdn.ac.uk

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www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

Pictured: dr Kate Brookes

Situated on the tip of the Black Isle, the University of Aberdeens Cromarty Lighthouse Field Station is uniquely positioned to offer an insight into how environmental changes influence the behaviour and population dynamics of marine mammals.

Dr Kate Brookes explains how the centre is at the forefront of work to assess and mitigate the impact of offshore development on our wildlife.

The Moray Firth is one of the most important areas of the UK coastline for both marine mammals and seabirds. It contains Special Areas of Conservation for both bottlenose dolphins and harbour seals as well as Special Protection Areas for seabirds and wintering wildfowl, she says.

As such it provides a unique opportunity to study how human activity impacts on wildlife. This enables us to build up an understanding that can be used when considering developments not only here but elsewhere in UK waters and further afield.

Research on the Moray Firths bottlenose dolphin and harbour seal populations has been conducted from the Cromarty Lighthouse Field Station for more than 20 years. Recently, knowledge developed through this research programme has been increasingly used to support decision making for offshore energy developments.

Dr Brookes initial work in the area involved studies of seabirds as part of the Beatrice Demonstrator project, a 41 million scheme which saw two 5MW wind turbines installed adjacent to the Beatrice oil field, 25 km off the east coast of Scotland.

She says: This pioneering engineering project involved the construction of the worlds first deep water offshore wind turbines in the Outer Moray Firth. My work assessed whether radar could be used to study impacts on birds, while other members of our team developed acoustic techniques for assessing potential impacts on marine mammals.

Dr Brookes current work has involved further application of these acoustic techniques, and now focuses on the potential impacts of underwater noise on marine mammals.

These studies have involved aerial surveys for estimating how many cetaceans, such as whales, dolphins and porpoises, occur in the Moray Firth and the long-term deployment of acoustic loggers, which record echolocation clicks made by dolphins and porpoises, to study changes in their use of different areas through the seasons or in response to disturbance.

This work has been funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and other industry partners to assess whether protected populations of porpoises and dolphins are displaced during oil

The Moray Firth is one of the most important areas of the UK coastline for both marine mammals and seabirds. It contains Special Areas of Conservation for both bottlenose dolphins and harbour seals as well as Special Protection Areas for seabirds and wintering wildfowl.

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ENERGEIA

Field station research shines light on environmental impact of offshore development

and gas seismic surveys. Initial phases of the project gathered data to characterise the populations using offshore areas, and intensive monitoring of these animals was then carried out during a commercial seismic survey in 2011.

Analysis of the findings from last years impact studies is still underway. But, in the meantime, results of the offshore surveys have provided key data for the environmental assessments required by offshore windfarm companies working in the Moray Firth.

Several of the team that we worked with on the Beatrice Demonstrator Project are now leading major developments in the Moray Firth. Dr Brookes adds.

This has helped us further develop our links with industry and the regulators to make sure that environmental impact assessments are based upon the best available knowledge. Working together in the early stages of these projects has also allowed us to explore how design and installation techniques can be modified to minimise any potential impacts.

The University established the Lighthouse Field Station in Cromarty in 1990 to support its research programme on marine mammals in the Moray Firth and provide a base for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in marine ecology and resource management.

The Field Station is located in the Lighthouse Keepers Cottage and Old Buoy Store, overlooking Cromarty harbour on the tip of the Black Isle.

The Cromarty Lighthouse was built by Alan Stevenson to guide ships in from the Moray Firth to the Cromarty Firth. It became operational in 1846, was automated in 1985 and finally decommissioned in 2005. The University of Aberdeen purchased the Lighthouse in 2009.

Research is conducted from the Lighthouse Field Station with the aim of understanding how natural and man-made environmental changes influence the behaviour and population dynamics of marine mammals and seabirds.

This work directly supports regional conservation and management programmes, and has developed best practice case studies that provide insights into marine resource management issues elsewhere in the world.

About Cromarty lighthouse Field Station

Further information on the Lighthouse Field Station can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/lighthouse

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Marine mammals use sound to communicate, to find food and to navigate their habitats, so disturbance from pile driving during wind farm construction has been a key issue of concern. With over 20 years of existing data from the region, we are in an ideal position to assess whether any observed changes in abundance, distribution or behaviour are caused by a particular event, such as pile driving for wind turbines, or are part of natural fluctuations or trends.

Dr Brookes says that the position of the Field Station now provides researchers with unique opportunities to monitor how these marine mammal populations respond to any large scale developments that do go ahead in the Moray Firth.

Being up here puts us right on the doorstep of the species we are studying. It means that we are able to do field work relatively easily that would be difficult to coordinate from elsewhere. To do this kind of work, often needs specialised fieldwork skills, so you need a team of people around you who are experienced and know what they are doing; thats what weve managed to develop up here.

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ISSUE 2

As the 2014 World Cup qualifiers begin, the words Brazil and teams are likely to be increasingly linked together and not solely in the context of the beautiful game. Because the largest country in South America famed for its prowess on the football pitch and its huge untapped natural resources is today the worlds sixth largest economy, and on an upwards trajectory as a major hydrocarbon province. Maximising its potential however will need another kind of team.

Wearing the captains armband is Brazilian premier Dilma Rousseff, whose government must strategically steer play towards the goal of a highly skilled home workforce for its energy industry. A creative midfield is available, in the form of the Brazilian universities and the new partnerships they are making with experienced peer institutions in the worlds established energy hubs. Critical to scoring the goal, however, will be the large multinational energy players who will fund the scholarships and learning opportunities that the universities are well placed to provide.

This team is indeed the thinking behind recent moves by the Brazilian government to grow the capacity and skills of its home workforce through bringing together the worlds best education providers with experienced global businesses keen to share in its rich potential in many forms of energy.

Its an opportunity the University of Aberdeen has been quick to seize. Today it is spearheading the UKs involvement in a new partnership programme which will see the first cohort of Brazilian postgraduate students arrive in Aberdeen this September.

Were fortunate to have been able to take a lead in working with the Brazilian government, universities and industry partners, to provide professional development for a new generation of Brazils energy professionals, says Ben Kneller, the professor of petroleum geology who is leading the Universitys involvement. Being at the heart of the North Sea industry puts Aberdeen in a unique position. Were looking forward to welcoming the first group of twenty Brazilian students who will complete their PhDs with us.

There is a chronic skills shortage in science and technology

Were fortunate to have been able to take a lead in working with the Brazilian government, universities and industry partners, to provide professional development for a new generation of Brazils energy professionals.

Pictured: Carolina danielski, a masters student at Universidade do vale do rio dos Sinos (UniSinoS) looking at outcrops of 300 million year old glacial deposits in Santa Catarina state.

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There is a chronic skills shortage in science and technology at postgraduate level in Brazil. In response, President Rousseff announced last March her governments intention to send upwards of 75,000 Brazilian graduates overseas to undertake higher degrees, with the Brazilian government paying their stipends, and industry contributing tuition fees.

For more information contact: Professor Ben Kneller, b.kneller@abdn.ac.uk

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at postgraduate level in Brazil. In response, President Rousseff announced last March her governments intention to send upwards of 75,000 Brazilian undergraduates and graduates to study overseas, with the Brazilian government paying their stipends. For some students industry will pay tuition fees and additional costs.

BG Group, a long-term player in Brazil, was quick to commit to funding up to 450 new scholarships for Brazilian PhD students to study outside of Brazil over the next five years, and this number is likely to be increased in the longer term. The first tranche is the 20 students coming to Aberdeen to work towards doctorates in petroleum geology, in partnership with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazils top petroleum geoscience institution.

The arrangement will be part of Brazils Science without Borders campaign, whereby students living costs are funded by the Brazilian Government agencies in higher education. Tuition fees and research costs are being provided by BG through Brazils Special Participation initiative a partnership between the Brazilian government, the industry partner, and a Brazilian university which can be linked to another university elsewhere in the world.

For the industry partner this is an opportunity born of obligation. All energy companies operating in Brazil are required to re-invest

1% of their production revenue from large oil and gas fields on R&D, and there is a similar requirement on power generation, transmission and distribution companies, water utilities and telecommunications firms. At least half this sum must be spent with Brazilian academic institutions though some can go to external partners and foreign academic visitors and the other half can be spent within the companys own research facilities or with external contractors which can include a foreign university.

industry to benefit from the strength of his own university. For him it is an obvious win-win relationship.

We have so much to offer, he says. If we look just at my own area, for example, Aberdeen has long been a centre of excellence for teaching and research in geosciences. We are simply very good at petroleum geology.

The University is well equipped with industry-standard hardware and software, and facilities including our unique exploration training centre and programme exploHUB, the seisLAB for subsurface research, the Halliburton Visualisation Suite, state-of-the-art petrophysics and chemistry labs and of course our outstanding new library and sports facilities.

And in addition to the quality of our courses, our students benefit from the experience of being surrounded by a mature, innovating energy industry, and immersed in the real-life challenges it faces today.

Science without Borders also provides the opportunity for Brazilian undergraduate or postgraduate students to spend a year at an overseas university as part of their course.

And the partnerships dont end at graduation. Aberdeen is involved in research partnerships with UFRGS and another leading geoscience university UNISINOS (the University of the Sinos Valley). Two Aberdeen researchers are

about to leave for UFRGS to work on seismic and hydrocarbon science projects, and a Brazilian colleague from UNISINOS will arrive in Aberdeen shortly.

For Ben Kneller the success of any team is all about relationships. To make this succeed requires investing in peer to peer contacts at the level of individual academics and research teams, says Ben. Yes, MoUs are important and give a helpful framework, but this is also about relationships on the ground, getting to know each other not only as organisations but as scientists and engineers and colleagues. Were making good progress certainly, but the potential is huge.

At the heart of this effort are the young people coming into the industry wherever they live and wherever they choose to develop their careers; they are the future of what must surely be the most internationalised industry in the world. We must work as a team with other universities, in Brazil, UK and elsewhere and most importantly with industry to give this new generation the very best global education, experience, outlook and opportunities for a successful career.

For Professor Kneller this is familiar territory. He has spent many months in Brazil over recent years, developing relationships with its universities, talking with the energy companies active in its sector, looking for opportunities for the relatively young Brazilian industry to benefit from the strength of his own university.

For Professor Kneller this is familiar territory. He has spent many months in Brazil over recent years, developing relationships with its universities, talking with the energy companies active in its sector, looking for opportunities for the relatively young Brazilian

Pictured: Professor Ben Kneller 11

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For more information: www.abdn.ac.uk/rural-law or rurallaw@abdn.ac.uk

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Our land has many different and often conflicting uses and a set of legal practices exist to regulate it. In recent years the same divergence has occurred in the way we use our seas with increased focus on offshore renewable energy projects.

At the University of Aberdeen the Rural law Research Group has been established to examine how we balance policy demands and the legal system. Two of its founders, Anne-Michelle Slater and Aylwin pillai, detail how the work of the centre is contributing to a better understanding of these issues both onshore and offshore.

Balancing conflicting demand for land and sea

Although a regulatory framework for dealing with how we use both our land and seas already exists, the picture is changing fast in terms of the policy that law draws upon, says Ms Slater, an expert on Marine Spatial Planning.

In recent years there has been a real shift towards the use of renewable energy as governments look for alternatives to oil and gas.

Initially much of the focus was on land and that has raised a host of different issues and controversies so offshore development has become increasingly favourable. However, that brings with it a new set of challenges.

The new marine spatial planning system goes out to 200 nautical miles and within that there are many competing uses for the sea from traditional industries like fishing to tourism or the energy industry.

There have always been individual laws covering fishing, navigation, oil spills and other specific areas but it has never really been looked at as a whole, so the idea behind marine planning is to bring together the consideration of the different uses of the sea.

Dr Aylwin Pillai, a specialist environmental lawyer, is leading work at the Centre in environmental law and land law.

and Sustainable Development which attracts students from around the world, adds Dr Pillai.

Weve found there is a clear demand for these courses from industry and those wanting to undertake Continuous Professional Development, including practicing solicitors.

These people do not need to take a whole masters programme but can come in typically one morning per week during term time and do a module at either honours or masters level over a semester."

The Rural Law Research Group also hold a biannual conference series.

We felt that there wasnt an appropriate forum to facilitate discussion of the policy and legal frameworks for issues such as sustainable agriculture, the role of renewable energy and the future of access to the countryside, says Dr Pillai.

That view was supported by the strong attendance we attracted with almost 100 people at our first event and for 2011 we had more than 150 participants.

Academics attended from as far afield as the USA, France, and Denmark and agencies such as SEPA and SNH were well represented. The conference was also attended by representatives of the Scottish Government and many of the Scottish law practitioners with an interest in aspects of rural law.

It was extremely beneficial to bring together delegates from such a broad spectrum and the debate has helped to move forward ideas relating to the role of embedded carbon in Scotland and the balance between tree planting and agriculture, including lively discussion on offshore and onshore renewable energy law and policy.

We are now looking to hold a workshop in Autumn 2012 to develop the theme of energy security for the 2013 event. The workshop will provide an opportunity for potential delegates and speakers to shape the programme for the two day event in September 2013.

The new marine spatial planning system goes out to 200 nautical miles and within that there are many competing uses for the sea from traditional industries like fishing to tourism or the energy industry.

She says: In Scotland, the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Scottish statutory framework for tackling climate change has brought about the introduction of a strategy for sustainable land use which is supposed to draw together the existing policies on land use with the common aim of contributing to tackling climate change.

One of the key ways that the Scottish government wants to deliver that aim is through the development of renewable energy, with increasing development onshore being required in the short to medium term to deliver the Scottish Governments ambitious policy goal to deliver on 100% renewable electricity by 2020.

The extent to which onshore renewable energy projects contribute to this aim has to be balanced against the local impact on landscape, habitats and protected species.

The longer term future of renewable energy will depend on new types of offshore development such as wave and tidal, which have implications onshore as well as offshore.

Establishing a dedicated Rural Law Research Group at Aberdeen has enabled many of these diverse issues to be considered collectively within an academic forum for the first time.

The Rural Law Research Group is leading the way in the provision of legal training, providing unique courses on renewable energy law and maritime spatial planning to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. This is also now being developed for industry professionals.

The group has expanded to take on new staff members with their own specialist knowledge and as a result we are able to offer a master's programme in Climate Change Law

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12 www.abdn.ac.uk/energyPictured: (left to right) Anne-michelle Slater and Aylwin Pillai

The Rural Law Research Group is leading the way in the provision of legal training, providing unique courses on renewable energy law and maritime spatial planning to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. This is also now being developed for industry professionals.

13www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

ISSUE 2

Greenhouse gas goes clean and green

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14 www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

could reduce the need for that by using CO as a feedstock in place of CO, converting it via catalytic hydrogenation into a liquid hydrocarbon syncrude that could be readily transported and later upgraded to produce a fuel. However, this CO reaction is more hydrogen-demanding than CO hydrogenation, and as our main source of hydrogen for this reaction is methane (via steam reforming), this led us to discussions involving combining both processes. A further advantage of combining the two steps is to make use of the heat liberated in the CO hydrogenation step to drive the steam reforming reaction.

For IngenGTL, the Universitys state-of-the-art catalysis lab is an obvious piece of the jigsaw. Richard Hyman explains: The University is a perfect fit. We have all the components: Ingens experience in process engineering, the benefits of our base in Aberdeen, the pump priming from the Scottish Government and of course Jims work at the forefront of catalysis chemistry.

While our initial focus is the oil and gas sector, our vision for the future is that this conversion technology will also be applicable in the renewable energy sector for the production of second generation synthetic biofuels.

This is highly technical science, and we have a world-leading facility and expertise at the University of Aberdeen. For us, this is a long-term collaboration in R&D.

the gas-to-liquid spinout, and established its operation in Aberdeen, at the heart of the North Sea sector and increasingly serving the global industry.

The methane in natural gas is a potent greenhouse agent, more deadly than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere. It has ample natural and human-caused sources from coal mining and oil and gas production to wetlands, wildfires, permafrost, landfills, farming and wastewater treatment.

However, being high in hydrogen and low in carbon, methane is potentially a good source for producing transportation fuels. Converting the hydrocarbon gas into a liquid fuel results in the capturing of the hydrocarbon to be further used as a liquid energy source. Flaring, on the contrary,

Having seen the market potential, IngenGTL knew that it needed to develop a highly efficient and active catalyst which enabled process intensification in high through-put, low volume reactors, combined with proven off-the-shelf plant and processing enabling the deployment of small-scale units able to be moved around as fields become depleted.

The company is now working on projects for the commercial deployment of a modular, portable unit to efficiently mobilise stranded methane by using it as a feedstock for conversion into transportable liquid hydrocarbon for use as clean, synthetic fuel.

The R&D has been supported by the Scottish Government through the Scottish Funding Councils Innovation Voucher Scheme, which is designed to

Pictured: Professor Jim Anderson

Scientists Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch, working away in their 1920s laboratory at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin on novel catalytic reactions with synthesis gas, (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) were well aware of the potential of their gas-to-liquid (GTl) process to generate fuel for a growing industrial powerhouse.

What would intrigue them today would be the significance of their groundbreaking science for a 21st century planet, hungry for energy but increasingly mindful of its finite resources and the longer term consequences of climate change.

Yet clever chemistry, innovative thinking, and long experience in process engineering for the hydrocarbon industry have made the German chemists discovery one of the most exciting opportunities now facing the energy sector synthetic fuels from natural gas and biomass.

A year ago, catalysis expert Professor Jim Anderson at the University of Aberdeen was approached with an exciting proposition. It came from Richard Hyman, technical director of IngenGTL Ltd, an SME spun out from Ingen-Ideas Ltd, an independent oil and gas engineering consultancy with experience and expertise gained in the offshore North Sea oil and gas industry. An opportunity was seen to apply the technology of large scale plants operated by energy group Sasol in South Africa to produce petrol and diesel profitably from coal and natural gas usingFischer-Tropsch chemistry.

The company identified the potential to apply a similar scaled-down process plant in the oil and gas industry, created

The methane in natural gas is a potent greenhouse agent, more deadly than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere. It has ample natural and human-caused sources from coal mining and oil and gas production to wetlands, wildfires, permafrost, landfills, farming and wastewater treatment.

is a wasteful process, effectively squandering a valuable natural resource, and resulting in carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere without any direct energy benefit being realised from its combustion.

For the energy industry the problem is not one of availability but access and transportation. Almost half of the worlds proven reserve of methane is stranded blocked by terrain, lack of suitable infrastructure, and the economics of conversion and transport. It occurs in these stranded locations all over the planet, especially in eastern Europe, northern China, Australia, and in the huge reserves of shale gas in the United States. A compact kit and high-gain gas-to-liquid process is therefore needed, sufficiently portable to be used in challenging locations.

build relationships between SMEs and Higher Education Institutes in Scotland and lead to new products, services and processes that will benefit the business, the institution and the Scottish economy.

An expert in surface chemistry and catalysis with many years experience researching how to influence selectivity of chemical reactions over solid catalyst surfaces, Jim Anderson is very clear about the benefits of this partnership for the University: This is a very interesting project for us, he says. The opportunity to do basic science that it is contributing to the development of a technology which will be implemented within a few years is unique. Our initial discussions with Ingen had been about alternatives to CO sequestration, and how we

For more information contact: Professor Jim Anderson, j.anderson@abdn.ac.uk

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15www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

ISSUE 2

Pictured: Cara Gelati

Masters course propels careers in the renewables sectorThe potential of renewable energy has come to the fore in the last decade but for more than 40 years a masters course at the University of Aberdeen has been a must for those wanting to progress in environmental management.

Graduate Cara Gelati describes how the MSc in Sustainable Rural development acted as a launch pad for her own career in the renewable energy sector.

Cara (27) is a rural surveyor working for Peter Graham and Associates, where she manages a large estate in Moray one day per week and works as a renewable energy consultant the rest of the week under Coneloch Renewables, a new sister company of Peter Graham and Associates.

Describing herself as a rural girl and a bit of a tree hugger, Cara says she always wanted a career in environmental work but after completing a degree in Zoology found it difficult to break into the field.

I really enjoyed my undergraduate degree and I took it initially with a plan to switch into veterinary medicine but I found I was drawn more towards conservation work.

After completing the course I spent a year working as a science technician in a secondary school but was determined to make it in an area I was passionate about.

Cara says she was sold on the MSc in Sustainable Rural Development because of its vocational nature.

Course leader and human geography lecturer Antonio Ioris explains: 'The MSc aims to develop a critical appreciation of the theory and practice of environmental management and rural policymaking connecting the UK and Europe with the wider world.

The ultimate aim of the programme is to train people to be mediators between different areas of environmental management.

It can be very difficult to find a professional who is able to link good science with good policymaking and also deal with the public.

The MSc brings together all of these issues

and as a result our graduates have an excellent record in securing employment in a wide range of public and private sector organisations in both the UK and overseas.

When Cara graduated from the MSc in Sustainable Rural Development in September 2007 she secured a position with the RSPB and for three years she facilitated the management and acquisition of nature reserves from Shetland to Fife.

In June 2010 she joined Peter Graham and Associates and has focused her environmental expertise on facilitating the development of renewable energy generation projects for clients. She is also involved in estate management which requires her to provide strategic land management advice on areas including policy, legislation, economics and accounting as well as proactively investigating and delivering suitable development opportunities for her clients.

She says that in recent years demand for energy generation projects has increased, particularly with the introduction of the Feed in Tariff, a Government backed financial incentive to renewable energy generation, and Cara is now part of a team offering specialist advice on renewable projects.

We have just launched Coneloch Renewables which will deal specifically with all renewable projects for our clients. Hydro power is our main focus but we also advise on wind turbines, biomass, heat pumps and solar installations.

At Coneloch Renewables we undertake everything from concept to commissioning, including feasibility studies, planning applications, design, installation project management and co-ordination of on-going monitoring and maintenance.

We have just commissioned the first hydro scheme in Moray. It was the first time planners, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Moray have dealt with a hydro power application and so it required us to thoroughly engage and take them with us on the journey. As a result, we very successfully obtained all necessary consents within the minimal possible time.

Cara credits the MSc in Sustainable Rural Development for securing her a career which allows her to combine her many different interests and enables her to stay in northern Scotland.

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16 www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

For further information contact: Dr Antonio Ioris, a.ioris@abdn.ac.uki

The University of Aberdeen is committed to reducing its own energy consumption and in the last year achieved a 0.6% reduction in overall carbon emissions.

The new 57million library utilises energy-saving technology including a facade with optimised thermal properties, a rainwater harvesting system, and a Free Form twisting open atrium and roof lights to maximise daylight.

The roof of the striking new building is home to a photovoltaic system with an array of monocrystalline solar collectors which have a predicted electrical output of 15,000 kWh/year and should save 8500 kg per year.

The electrical power generated by the PV will be utilised within the library.

The building also makes use of a campus-wide heating system, incorporating a gas-fired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit providing both heating and cooling to the library.

This represents an energy saving compared with conventional electricity production since no heat energy is wasted.

In the last year the University has made other commitments to improving its environmental performance including:

Theintroductionofaremotemeteringdisplaysystemthatshowswhere energy consumption is decreasing, and increasing at the University

AnincreaseinthenumberofpeoplecyclingtotheUniversitya50% increase in staff and a 250% increase in students choosing to cycle

Some514tonnesofwastebeingdivertedfromgoingtolandfilloverthe course of the year by either recycling it, or re-using it

AshuttlebusserviceprovidedforstaffandstudentsbetweenHillhead halls of residence, Old Aberdeen and Foresterhill campuses

Volunteeringevents,workshopsandexhibitionsincludingtheHardRain photography exhibition to raise awareness of sustainability and social responsibility across the University community

Steve Cannon, Secretary to the University said: The University of Aberdeen is committed to constant improvement in its environmental performance as part of its wider commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

Saving energy on campus

It definitely is a very multi-disciplinary degree, which well equips graduates for the minefield which is the real world! she adds.

My masters degree has allowed me to combine being environmentally minded with an understanding of economics and the legislative and policy framework within which we all have to operate, which I think has made me quite employable.

I absolutely love my job. It provides a great mix of indoor and outdoor work, computer modelling and wellie stomping combined with problem solving, which I really enjoy.

It also brings me into contact with a wide range of different people and organisations from home owners, farmers and Estate owners, to planners, statutory consultees like Scottish Natural Heritage, SEPA, Forestry Commission Scotland and Historic Scotland to mention but a few, and other professionals from accountants to ecologists.

I work across Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire areas which are leaders in renewable technology. While the Highlands may be the hub for hydro, Aberdeenshire has captured a huge wind resource and Moray is now leading the growth in biofuel opportunities.

In energy, be it renewable or oil and gas, Scotland is definitely the place to be.

Dr Ioris says Caras experience underlines why the programme has stood the test of time and continues to deliver graduates with the skills needed to work in environmental management.

We may be one of the UKs oldest MSc programmes in Sustainable Rural development but that does not mean we have stood still, he adds.

The course reflects the changing international context of environmental governance, for example looking at the negotiations following the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, and issues related to the increasingly international mobility of labour.

The programme also exploits the expertise in other disciplines and research groups at the University. These include the Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability, the Centre for Sustainable International Development, the Centre for Transport Research and the rural digital economy research hub, dot.rural.

The one-year programme at Aberdeen consists of courses on environmental policymaking, the theories and practices of international development, land and environmental economics, and contemporary environmental issues.

The MSc also allows students to undertake elective modules in a wide range of fields such as ecology and society, climate change, biological conservation in the tropics, current issues and applications of the geospatial technologies and comparative international planning.

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ISSUE 2

Choosing to study oil and gas opened up the door to the world for me says liliana Vargas-Meleza.

The 30 year-old, who was born and raised in Mexico City, is in her first year of a postgraduate degree in Geology at the University of Aberdeen.

It was her decision to further her career as a geophysicist that inspired her to travel thousands of miles across the globe from her hometown to the hydrocarbon capital of Europe.

For me Aberdeen really appealed when I decided I wanted to continue my education to enhance my career prospects in the oil and gas industry, explains Liliana.

Mexicos economy is highly dependent at present on the hydrocarbon industry, and there is an urgent need for new expertise in the profession to help tackle challenges the sector is facing.

Taking the Aberdeen experience to Mexico

It was for this reason I chose to broaden my expertise by studying geology at higher education level. I felt this field would offer the greatest opportunity for professional development and opportunities, and this has certainly transpired to be the case.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Geophysical Engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Liliana went on to undertake a Masters in Applied Geophysics as a joint degree, which allowed her to study across three institutions in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.

A few years spent working for the Mexican Petroleum Institute (IMP), a large public research centre in Mexico City, opened the door of opportunity which took Liliana to the Granite City.

The focus of IMP is scientific research activity to develop the countrys expertise and knowledge in oil and gas.

I thrived on the research aspect of my work there. So when my employers offered to fully

fund my postgraduate education, through support from the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT), I had no doubt I should pursue the opportunity, and no doubt that the University of Aberdeen was an exceptional place to undertake my studies.

Aberdeen is renowned as the hydrocarbon capital of Europe and the University itself is strategically placed within the heart of the oil and gas industry.

I knew coming to Aberdeen would offer the chance to be taught by some of the most experienced scientists working in this field of academia, and the potential to forge key contacts from within industry due to the strong relationship the institution has with companies from across the sector.

a key factor in my decision to come here was the fact that the majority of the research undertaken at the University is directly focused on the actual needs of the industry,

18 www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

ENERGEIA

Exposure to the kind of international research group which exists in Aberdeen is incredibly valuable in terms of the opportunity it offers to enhance your own skills and expertise.

Scotlands rich culture also drew me here - for me studying overseas is not just about my professional development but also my development as a person.

Aberdeen has lived up to my expectations in this sense. Ive fallen in love with the character of the campus, its historical buildings and old high street, the librarys captivating special collections, the lovely gardens, walks and the beach.

Also a key factor in my decision to come here was the fact that the majority of the research undertaken at the University is directly focused on the actual needs of the industry, and this is exactly the purpose of my own postgraduate studies.

Lilianas postgraduate research aims to solve a problem key to hydrocarbon exploration activity in her homeland.

She explains: Large salt beds cover potentially important hydrocarbon resources in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The presence of salt makes it impossible to obtain accurate seismic images of the subsurface, hampering the precise analysis of where hydrocarbon reserves may be found.

The issue is a major one for the industry, blocking the potential of finding new reservoirs to add to reserves.

The very same issues exist in the central North Sea, where several hydrocarbon reservoirs are located near salt bodies , and a vast amount of research activity has already taken place to overcome this problem.

Here in Aberdeen I have had the unique opportunity to work with Professor Ian Alsop, a leading expert in salt tectonics, and glean from his experience in the phenomenon.

I have spent the first year of my postgraduate degree designing the various stages of my research project and will embark on field work in the summer of 2012, when I will travel with colleagues to Nova Scotia to one of the worlds well-exposed salt bodies.

We will take rock samples and measure the geometry of this salt body which is located on a clifftop and approximately 1km wide and the adjacent rocks, to understand how we can improve the resolution of seismic images of such complex geological environments.

My hope is that the work I am undertaking in Aberdeen and the expertise I am being exposed to, will go some way towards helping the Mexican oil and gas industry overcome the challenge salt poses, and add to the development of this sector which is so economically crucial for my homeland.

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) has awarded Andrew Hurst, Professor of Production Geoscience at the University of Aberdeen, the 2012 Grover E Murray Distinguished Educator Award, in recognition of his distinguished and outstanding contributions to geological education.

The award honours those who have achieved distinction in teaching students, managing educational programmes and contributing to the education of the public in the field of geology.

Announcing the award, Paul Weimer, AAPG President said: There are a number of aspects of Professor Hursts file that makes this award unique. Most importantly, the fact that a primarily American-based association recognises the significant contributions of a UK educator speaks volumes for the long term contributions of Professor Hurst and the University of Aberdeen.

Andrew Hursts career in geology spans more than 30 years, during which time he has co-authored more than 130 papers and co-edited five major special publications for the industry. He is the founding editor of the journal,Petroleum Geosciencesand served on the AAPG Publication Committee from 2005 to 2008.

Professor Hurst is currently leading a project publication called Outcrops that have changed the way we practise petroleum geology to celebrate the AAPGs 100thAnniversary.

He is an adviser to exploHUB the Universitys unique training programme for the next generation of hydrocarbon explorers, and the founder and chairman of Fabric of the Land, the annual exhibition that aims to bridge the gap between science and art, and is now attracting interest across the world.

Professor Hurst said: This is a huge and surprising honour for one who has a substantial debt to many ever-supportive and patient academic colleagues. To receive any award is flattering, and to receive this award for doing a job that I love is great.

If one cannot inspire students about a science as wonderful as geology, what a failure that would be.

Aberdeen geologist scoops prestigious US award

For more information about studying Geology at the University of Aberdeen visit www.abdn.ac.uk/geology

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Pictured left: Liliana vargas-meleza Pictured above: Professor Andrew Hurst 19

ISSUE 2

www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

The decision to pursue his education in engineering at the University of Aberdeen was one Mahesa Bhawanin has never regretted for an instant. A summer spent working on one of the great hopes in mitigating global climate change has brought him together with the worlds best and brightest young minds.

Reducing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a key factor influencing global warming and climate change. And Mahesa Bhawanin, who hails from Malaysia and is now studying for his doctorate in engineering at the University of Aberdeen, can count himself already something of an expert.

Mahesa (25) studied Civil Engineering at the University of Technology of Malaysia and graduated with a Diploma in Civil Engineering (1st Class). Moving to Aberdeen, he gained a BEng in Engineering (Civil & Environmental) before beginning his postgrad studies.

Last summer, opportunity knocked when Mahesa was chosen to be among a group of 19 young researchers and engineers brought to the University of Southampton for nine weeks from countries as far afield as China, Australia, Korea and the US. The aim was to collaborate on finding potential solutions to the technical and socio-political challenges currently slowing the global expansion of carbon capture and storage (CCS) activities.

The collegium, funded by The Lloyds Register Educational Trust (The LRET), was designed to facilitate international collaboration amongst the engineers of the future, and encourage closer co-operation between centres of research excellence worldwide in tackling engineering challenges of huge global significance.

Challenge creates opportunity for

engineering postgrad

For more information on The LreT Collegium email: lret@lr.org

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The University of Aberdeens involvement is part of a partnership with LRET which has created a 1.2 million Safety and Reliability Engineering Centre at the University, with new teaching and research staff and student scholarships.

Mahesa describes the experience as unique and unforgettable: I thoroughly enjoyed it, he says. It allowed me to meet some of the worlds best young engineers. I am sure the bonds that we made last summer will remain and grow, and hopefully we will be able to collaborate internationally and strengthen the academic ties between our various institutions.

Back in Aberdeen, Mahesa is continuing to enjoy life as he works towards his PhD in Coastal Engineering, investigating experimentally sediment transport rates under irregular oscillatory flows. The results from his project will be useful to predict sand transport under waves with specific application to the near-shore zone.

I feel that Aberdeen has provided me with the perfect environment to study, with a vibrant community of academics and students alike, he says. We have a large international community here, and the student-centred developments such as the new library and the Aberdeen Sports Village are very welcoming and a definite attraction.

The feeling of heritage of a university much older than most countries is practically wedged in every block of granite and stone the product of a long tradition of success which I am personally proud to be a part of.

I enjoy the learning experience and I have always enjoyed teaching which was what brought me into academia in the first place, coupled with my deep interest in all things fluid.

The staff at Aberdeen are very dynamic and engaging, especially at the School of Engineering which provides a very nurturing environment for creative new ideas and concepts. I will forever be indebted to my supervisor, Professor Tom ODonoghue, for allowing me the chance to pursue my ambitions.

My hope is that I will be able to continue on this path indefinitely, learning and teaching about what I love most water.

The fledgling engineers were tasked with addressing some of the biggest challenges currently facing the CCS industry, and presenting their findings to a panel of leading academics and industrialists. Their subjects included examinations of the potential to inject liquid CO into the deepest ocean pockets off Chinas coast, design options for floating thermal power (gas to wire) infrastructure with a CCS injection systems, a Green Town pilot city to showcase existing air extraction techniques to remove CO and transport to offshore injection sites, and injecting CO into ageing or depleted oil and gas reservoirs using offshore wind energy to power electric CO injection machinery.

The aim was to collaborate on finding potential solutions to the technical and socio-political challenges currently slowing the global expansion of carbon capture and storage (CCS) activities.

Pictured: mahesa Bhawanin20 www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

ENERGEIA

but is even more important in tough economic conditions where drift is not an option.

This is on-going development for senior managers and decision makers who will come together to create a community of learning, sharing experience and best practice with peers and accessing the latest thinking on strategic issues.

We have put together a well-balanced programme of initial sessions and look forward to developing the programme with our partners over the next 18 months.

Paul Bennett, Director of the Henley Partnership said, We are delighted to be part of the Henley-Aberdeen Partnership. We are very much looking forward to working with new partnership members to create a vibrant learning community in Scotland centred around strategic leadership challenges.

We believe that we are the only programme in Scotland offering executive education of this kind,

organisations are becoming more aware of the need to cut their carbon footprint. We are able to provide HR Directors with a tailored training programme for their senior managers and decision makers. For firms in the energy sector this provides an opportunity to develop their next generation of leaders.

The first season of events got underway in March and included sessions with leading behavioural economist Roger Martin-Fagg, speechwriting expert Simon Lancaster, Nick Holley, an authority on human resources, business strategist Jeff Callander and Bernd Vogel an expert on organizational energy.

Professor Hutchison added: The Henley-Aberdeen Partnership is a great opportunity for organisations in Scotland to develop their pool of talented staff. Leadership development is essential in all organisations at all times,

The University of Aberdeen has joined forces with one of the worlds leading business schools to create a unique network which will deliver leadership development to those at the top of their organisations in Scotland.

The Henley Partnership model is a unique and exclusive learning development network of organisations keen to be inspired and to develop their leadership. It offers a range of master classes, offered throughout the year, with the topics chosen by the partnership.

The partnership concept began in Henley in 1995 and now includes a network of organisations ranging from FTSE 100 companies to SMEs to those in the voluntary sector. The creation of the Henley-Aberdeen Partnership will see the same successful model implemented north of the border.

World class executive education comes to Aberdeen

Full details of the Henley-Aberdeen Partnership can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/henley-aberdeen

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Professor Norman Hutchison, who is leading the partnership for Aberdeen, says leadership development has never been more important in the corporate world but that many organisations are forced to look south for delivery.

We believe that we are the only programme in Scotland offering executive education of this kind, he added.

It combines the delivery of high quality executive education from a recognised global leader with world leading academics and researchers in areas such as economics, accountancy, finance, real estate and human resources.

This will all take place in Aberdeen and weve had a very enthusiastic response from companies keen to take advantage of this opportunity in Scotland, particularly as

Pictured: Professor norman Hutchison 21www.abdn.ac.uk/energy

ISSUE 2

Modern, flexible, high-quality spaces for an enhanced learning and research environment is the thinking behind the 13 million refurbishment of the University of Aberdeens Fraser Noble Building.

Completion in February 2012 of the 4 million revamp of the west wing marked the second phase of investment in the learning and research environment for engineering, physics and mathematics students and staff. A 9 million first phase, carried out in 2005-2007, refurbished laboratories on the lower first floor, and built a new wing for the Institute of Mathematics.

The latest renovation has created fully-modernised teaching and research facilities for staff and students, including electronic research laboratory facilities, a dedicated optics laboratory, high and low density IT facilities, and a large open plan Engineering Postgraduate Centre with study facilities for up to 70 postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers. The laser labs on the lower ground floor have also enjoyed a complete makeover.

Flexibility has been at the forefront of the thinking behind the design of the teaching and research spaces, says Professor Tom ODonoghue, Head of the School of Engineering. The teaching spaces have been designed to be inspiring, multi-functional rooms with the flexibility to suit different disciplines and different teaching methods, including collaborative groupwork. Were especially excited about the Engineering Postgraduate Centre, a spacious, open plan area with modern study booths for students and researchers, and with meeting rooms and a social space too.

The Fraser Noble building was opened as the Natural Philosophy Department in 1963 by Sir G P Thomson, former Professor of Natural Philosophy who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work at Aberdeen in the late 1920s. The building was named in recognition of the valuable services to the University of Sir Fraser Noble MBE, Principal and Vice Chancellor 1976-1981, who formally re-opened it after extensive refurbishment in November 1988.

Energy students to benefit from Universitys revamped learning spaces

Before embarking on careers in the oil and gas industry, four final year engineering students will team up as the Friengineers to travel 10,000 miles overland to Mongolia for cancer charity ClAN.

Putting their mechanical skills to the test, Lewis Houston (23), Fraser Galbraith (22), Jonathan Findlay (25), and Craig Morrison (22) will journey across deserts and mountains in a small 1.2 litre car in the Mongol Rally.

They are taking an arduous route where they will cross Europe to Azerbaijan, take a ferry across the Caspian Sea, then travel the old silk road through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia to cross the finish line in Ulaan Batar.

Lewis says: It is 10,000 miles without support. Its not easy but its a challenge we wanted to take on. There is a 1,000 mile stretch of desert without any settlements along the way and we will be travelling across one of the highest roads without tarmac in the world.

Fraser adds: Im a bit nervous about some things and I know that travelling these roads comes with risks but I feel mostly excitement. We just have to be sensible while were doing it.

We are raising money for a charity close to all our hearts and particularly to Craig as CLAN supported his grandfather when he was diagnosed with cancer. We know they do great work and are glad we are able to do something like this to raise funds.

In addition to raising money for CLAN, their efforts will support the Lotus Childrens Centre Charitable Trust in Mongolia and when the race is finished they will donate the car to a local good cause.

The Friengineers will return from their journey to take jobs around the world in the oil and gas industry.

We will need to make good time in the rally Jon has to be back in exactly six weeks to start his new job! Lewis adds.

Engineering students race across the world for charity

The engineers will share their journey at friengineers.blogspot.com and on Facebook.

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ENERGEIA

and which will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists.

Almost every year since 1831, when the British Science Association was founded as the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the Festival (previously known as the Annual Meeting) has taken place at a different location around the country. During that time, Aberdeen has hosted the Festival four times in 1859, 1885, 1934 and 1963.

The Festival has been the stage for many iconic moments in history such as the first use of the word scientist (in 1834) and the famous debate about Darwins controversial theory of evolution between Thomas Huxley and the Bishop of Oxford (in 1860).

Major energy sector multinationals have thrown their weight behind Europes largest celebration of science when it comes to Aberdeen in September 2012.

Organised by the British Science Association, the University of Aberdeen and Techfest-Setpoint, the British Science Festival brings more than 350 of the UKs top scientists, engineers and commentators together to discuss the latest developments in science and technology with the public.

Already signed up to take part in this showcase of UK science, which is being jointly supported by BP and Shell U.K. Limited, is author Bill Bryson, renowned for his bestselling science book A Short History of Nearly Everything and for winning the 2005 EU Descartes Prize for science communication.

Super-sceptic Richard Wiseman will also be joining the fray, debunking paranormal phenomena and taking a humorous sideswipe at the unexplained.

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to attend a wide variety of events from hands-on family days, to debates on current hot topics and unique opportunities to question the UKs top scientists.

During the Festival week, families, school groups, and people of all ages come together to take part in workshops, explore exciting hands-on exhibitions, marvel at miraculous science shows, discuss the latest breakthroughs and issues with renowned experts, enjoy fun quizzes, science comedy and drama and interact with science buskers on the streets.

Sir Roland Jackson, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, said: We are thrilled to be returning, on our fifth visit since our formation in1831, to Aberdeen; a diverse city with thriving cultural and educational institutions. This major national event couldnt take place without the support of organisations like BP and Shell, as well as the local delivery partners.

Pictured: Front - evan Walker (3); esme Humphries (8); Back - Tim Smith, vice President, Communications & external Affairs, BP north Sea (left) and Glen Cayley, vice President Technical, Shell U.K. Limited (right)

Energy giants back British Science Festival

Glen Cayley, Vice President Technical, Shell U.K. Limited, said: Shell are very excited that the British Science Festival is coming to Aberdeen and proud to have been able to play a part in bringing it here. We are sure that it will give a huge boost to science, technology, engineering and maths - subjects that are vital, not just to our industry, but to the whole country. Aberdeen is a centre of science excellence, so it is wonderful that the Festival will be here.

Tim Smith, Vice President, Communications & External Affairs, BP North Sea, said: The British Science Festival offers an unrivalled opportunity to showcase some of the scientific talent and ingenuity that we have both in Aberdeen and throughout Scotland. I am delighted that BP are supporting the return of this major festival to Aberdeen, after an absence of nearly 50 years, putting Scotland once again at the heart of scientific activity and debate.

Professor Ian Diamond, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, said: Aberdeen is an acknowledged leader in science, innovation and technology and the University of Aberdeen is at the forefront of this scientific community alongside the energy industry.

We are proud to be at the heart of the British Science Festival and are delighted that two industry leaders, BP and Shell, are backing what will be a fantastic event for Aberdeen

details of the British Science Festival, which runs from September 4-9 2012, are available at: www.abdn.ac.uk/2012

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