New UW Laboratory to Address Pressing Challenges in Energy Industry

A new Multidisciplinary Advanced Stimulation Laboratory (MASL) has opened at the University of Wyoming, and it will enable advances in understanding subsurface processes through integrated geomechanics, fluid dynamics and advanced reservoir characterization.

UW recently welcomed dignitaries and energy industry representatives from across the nation to the grand opening of the state-of-the-art lab as part of the university's Energy Day celebration Oct. 10. The event was marked with a ribbon-cutting, reception and open house, as well as a tour of the facilities to visit with current graduate students and faculty who will use the lab to conduct research into some of the most pressing challenges in the energy industry today.

The MASL is led by UW's Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, in partnership with the School of Energy Resources. The new facility, located in the Science Initiative Building, is equipped with cutting-edge equipment.

"Our research aims to improve oil recovery from unconventional reservoirs, including those in Wyoming," says Soheil Saraji, an associate professor of energy and petroleum engineering and the Richard and Marilyn Lynch Chair in the Subsurface Energy and Digital Innovation Center. "By advancing stimulation technologies and better understanding of subsurface processes, MASL can help unlock Wyoming's resources and make them more economically viable for industry development."

Accomplishing this mission, however, requires expertise from across disciplines, which is why the term "multidisciplinary" is built into the name of the lab. Saraji is excited to collaborate with faculty, students and industry professionals across a variety of fields, including geology, geophysics, petroleum engineering, chemical engineering and computing as they work on common goals.

The lab will make this kind of integrated research possible in a way it has not been in the past, with target objectives of optimizing hydraulic fracturing fluids and proppant materials; studying the mechanical behavior of reservoir rocks under subsurface conditions; and improving data analysis and predictions across scales, from macro to micro, using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Currently, 16 doctoral students and one undergraduate student work in the lab under the guidance of lab directors Saraji; Vamegh Rasouli, a professor and head of the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, and the LeNorman Endowed Leadership Chair of Petroleum Engineering; and Tim Fischer, oil and gas program manager in the School of Energy Resources.

Not only will the students gain invaluable experience in fields critical to both Wyoming's economy and the national economy, including oil and gas recovery, carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy and rare earth elements; they also will have opportunities to interact directly with industry stakeholders.

"This close engagement allows our students to work on real-world problems, significantly strengthening their technical skills and career prospects," Saraji says.

The new capabilities provided by the MASL will raise the profile of UW's reputation as a leader in the field of energy research and help to attract new talent to the university, as well as to create new opportunities for industry partnerships. Ultimately, the goal of the laboratory is to create real-world solutions for a safer, cleaner and more robust domestic energy sector.