Careers at CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering
Petroleum Engineering
The Petroleum Engineering Program delivers capability to research in oil and gas exploration and production to maximise our petroleum resources and secure Australia’s energy future.
The capabilities are also applied in research and development of geothermal energy and the geological storage of carbon dioxide.
The program comprises four capability groups.
Reservoir engineering
SIMEDWin simulates enhanced coal seam methane production.
The Reservoir Engineering Group uses site characterisation, simulation technologies, and mathematical and numerical modelling to understand gas storage and migration processes in conventional petroleum reservoirs.
The research is applied to petroleum exploration and recovery as well as the geological storage of carbon dioxide.
The group also uses novel numerical modelling to improve the management of gas production from coal seam reservoirs.
Learn more about our reservoir simulation tools: SIMEDWin: gas in coal reservoir simulator brochure.
Geomechanics
The Geomechanics Group is conducting research in drilling mechanics and hydraulic fracturing.
Hydraulic fracturing experiments in transparent materials enable full-field width measurement using a novel CSIRO-developed method.
The hydraulic fracture mechanics research involves work ranging from theoretical developments to laboratory and field experimentation. The results produced are applied to hydraulic fracturing in mining, geothermal, carbon dioxide storage, conventional petroleum and unconventional gas areas.
The drilling mechanics work develops mathematical models that are verified by detailed scaled laboratory measurements to ultimately improve drilling performance at the well site.
Wellbore stability and sand production problems are also being studied.
Read more about our hydraulic fracturing capability in: Petroleum engineering: Hydraulic fracturing brochure.
Wells and Subsea technologies
Artist interpretation of sea-bed oil and gas operations.
The Wells and Subsea Technologies Group uses oil and gas thermodynamics, simulation and modelling in fluid dynamics to improve well completions design, hydrates management and water control.
It directs research to develop and implement high impact technology in the form of processes, tools and services for completions, production, subsea systems and flow assurance to maximise oil and gas recovery.
Read An overview of the Wells And Subsea Technologies Group program.
Gas processing and conversion
The Gas Processing and Conversion Group undertakes chemical and process engineering research directed at conversion of gas to liquid transport fuels and to other useful chemicals.
There is also a focus on increasing the economically feasibility of both converting natural gas to synthetic fuels and the purification of gas from natural gas reserves.
Learn more about research into Gas Processing and Conversion: fuel for Australia's future.
Read more about Securing Australia's energy future with petroleum engineering.
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