Multiple fully-funded PhD graduate assistantships, starting immediately or in fall 2015, are available in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States of America. We seek highly-motivated PhD candidates to conduct research on geochemistry in porous media (carbonate, sandstone and shale) and nano-confinement phenomena. The project is strongly related to enhanced oil recovery. For instance, the geochemical processes, such as mineral dissolution and precipitation during enhanced oil recovery will alter pore space and affect recovery efficiency. This project is supported by one of the four energy research clusters initiated recently at the university. This is a collaborative project between Dr. Mengqiang Zhu in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Engineering and Dr. Piri in the Petroleum Engineering at the University of Wyoming.
The research will utilize a broad range of advanced analytical techniques to characterize geochemical and mineralogical processes of porous media at the pore-scale, including 3-D micro and nano X-ray computed tomography, small angle neutron and X-ray scattering, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, etc. The information for some of the equipment is available at http://piriresearchgroup.com/facilities/.
The ideal candidates will have a MS degree in geochemistry, chemistry, mineralogy, chemical and petroleum engineering, or environmental engineering with a strong background and interest in chemical and mineralogical processes. To apply go online or for pre-application evaluation you may email CV, unofficial GPA and GRE/TOEFL scores, and contact information for three references to mzhu6@uwyo.edu. We will start reviewing applications immediately once received. For more information, please contact Dr. Mengqiang Zhu, Assistant Professor in Soils and Environmental Biogeochemistry at mzhu6@uwyo.edu and 307-766-5523. |