Petroleum
We combine a deep-rooted expertise in exploration and development with a forward-looking focus on carbon management and energy storage. By mastering the interaction of geomechanics and data analytics, our researchers are building the resilient, innovative, and responsible energy systems that will power the next century.
Shape the future of global energy in a program that defines the cutting edge of subsurface science. Our research transcends traditional boundaries, integrating geology, physics, and advanced data analytics to master complex energy systems—from optimized oil and gas production to advance carbon capture and hydrogen storage. By joining our community, you will bridge the gap between fundamental engineering and real-world impact, graduating with the expertise to lead responsible, innovative, and sustainable energy developments in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Possible Careers
- Academia and education
- Consulting and project management
- Drilling engineering
- Energy transition and sustainability
- Finance
- Midstream and pipeline engineering
- Petrophysics and geoscience
- Production engineering
- Research and development
- Reservoir engineering
- Upstream exploration and production
Areas of Specialization
Petroleum engineering research spans a broad range of subsurface energy challenges, from conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon recovery to carbon management, hydrogen storage, geomechanics, and data-driven reservoir analysis. Our program combines strengths in enhanced oil recovery, thermodynamics and phase behaviour, porous-media flow, flow assurance, drilling and well integrity, reservoir simulation, and subsurface data analytics. These directions reflect both the longstanding foundations of the program and its continued evolution toward emerging geo-energy systems. Through interdisciplinary research and strong industry engagement, our program advances practical and scientifically grounded solutions for responsible subsurface energy development.
Tight/Shale EOR
This area focuses on improving hydrocarbon recovery from low-permeability and fractured unconventional reservoirs. Research in this area includes gas flooding, huff-and-puff recovery, surfactant and chemical-enhanced oil recovery (EOR), wettability and pore-structure effects, fracture-flow behaviour, and fluid transport under confinement. Our research synergizes advanced laboratory testing with cutting-edge molecular and reservoir modeling to deliver smarter, more effective recovery solutions for the evolving tight oil and shale industry.
Heavy Oil and Bitumen Recovery
Research in this direction addresses the production of highly viscous hydrocarbons through thermal, solvent-assisted, chemical, and hybrid recovery methods. Current strengths include heavy-oil and bitumen recovery, optimization of EOR processes, interfacial behaviour, and reservoir-performance analysis under complex flow conditions. This work supports more efficient and lower-impact development of heavy-oil resources, with strong relevance to Alberta’s energy landscape.
Subsurface Data Analytics and Reservoir Simulation
This area focuses on using numerical simulation, machine learning, AI, and data-driven workflows to better understand and manage subsurface flow systems. Research includes reservoir characterization, history matching, dynamic optimization, proxy modelling, uncertainty analysis, and the integration of physics-based and statistical methods. The goal is to improve forecasting and decision-making in complex subsurface environments by combining engineering insight with modern data analytics.
Hydrogen and CCUS
This direction addresses the storage and behaviour of hydrogen and carbon dioxide in subsurface formations. Research includes storage performance, injectivity, fluid transport, phase behaviour, geologic containment, and the coupling of thermodynamics, porous-media flow, and reservoir-scale analysis. The area reflects our growing role in developing low-carbon geo-energy systems and supports subsurface solutions for decarbonization and energy transition.
Petroleum Geomechanics
Research in petroleum geomechanics examines how stress, deformation, failure, and rock-fluid interactions affect reservoir development and well performance. Key topics include petroleum rock mechanics, sand control, formation damage, well integrity, and geomechanical response during production and injection operations. This work supports safer and more reliable design of subsurface systems by linking rock behaviour to engineering practice.
Phase Behaviour
This area focuses on the thermodynamic and interfacial behaviour of fluids relevant to reservoirs and subsurface energy systems. Research strengths include equation-of-state modelling, fluid phase equilibria, phase transitions, adsorption, wetting, nucleation, and fluid behaviour in nanoporous media. These studies help connect molecular- and pore-scale understanding to practical problems in EOR, storage, and reservoir performance.
Gas Hydrates
Research in gas hydrates addresses hydrate formation, nucleation, stability, and associated flow-assurance challenges in pipelines and production systems. This area also connects to broader questions involving surfaces, interfaces, wetting, and multiphase transport. The work combines fundamental understanding with practical relevance to energy operations in hydrate-prone environments.
Well Construction, Cementing, and Integrity
This area focuses on well construction and long-term well integrity, with research on drilling and completion fluids, hole cleaning, fluid displacement, cement-sheath damage, and sealing performance in challenging wellbore environments. The work supports safer drilling, improved zonal isolation, and stronger long-term integrity of oil and gas, storage and abandoned wells.
Petroleum Industry Advisory Committee
The Petroleum Industry Advisory Committee (PIAC) is a group of engineering, business and community leaders who advise the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in setting and pursuing strategic priorities for the U of A's School of Petroleum Engineering. The PIAC provides recommendations that support high-quality education, experiential learning and collaborative research with industry partners. The PIAC is led by the chair of the committee, Dean Terrien.
- Matt Beazer
- Andrew Bennett
- Matt Bloom
- Greg Caldwell
- Chayan Chakrabarty
- Helen Chang
- Hassan Dehghanpour
- Terran Jesse
- Juliana Leung
- Huazhou (Andy) Li
- Robert Logan
- Mike Mackow
- Melanie Nahayosski
- Marty Proctor
- Darcy Spacy
- Dean Terrien
- Nicole Tetrault
- Fred Yurkiw