Aramco inaugurates the Beijing Research Center (BRC), marking another milestone in the company's journey toward becoming a global industry leader in research and technology. The research facility is part of a network of centers and technology offices that are expanding Saudi Aramco's global reach in North America, Europe, and Asia.
The company has taken another stride toward becoming a global leader in technology, and research and development with the opening of a research center in China last week.
HE Ali I. Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, officially opened the state-of-the-art 4,400 sq. meter Beijing Research Center, making it the latest addition to Saudi Aramco's global research and development network. It will be managed and operated by Aramco's office in Beijing.
The inauguration ceremony was led by Al-Naimi; Yahya Al-Zaid, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to China; Amin H. Nasser, acting president and CEO of Saudi Aramco; Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter, chief technology officer; Ahmed A. Al-Subaey, executive director for Marketing, Supply, and Joint Ventures Coordination; and Ibrahim Q. Al-Buainain, president of Aramco Asia.
The inauguration ushers in a new era of collaboration between the two countries, founded on a commitment to knowledge, research, and innovation, Al-Naimi said in keynote remarks at the opening attended by government officials from Saudi Arabia and China as well as business partners.
“Saudi Arabia recognizes that the participation of its leading companies in China's innovation system today brings great potential for mutual benefit tomorrow. It is a part of our plan to engage in global innovation in regions that have complementary expertise and capacities. So, this center represents an important step forward in the relationship between our two nations,” Al-Naimi said.
Aramco's global research program encompasses facilities in Houston, Detroit, and Boston in North America, as well as European facilities in Aberdeen, Paris, and Delft in the Netherlands.
The Beijing center extends the company's research network in Asia, joining the CO2 Management Center at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea.
These facilities complement Saudi Aramco's activities at its headquarters in Dhahran and another key Saudi research center in Thuwal at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
The interconnected facilities are known as global research centers and are closely aligned with Saudi Aramco's EXPEC Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC) and the company's Research and Development Center (R&DC).
Nasser participated in a panel session at a Beijing hotel, making a presentation titled: “Energy and Sustainability Challenges in China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Potential and Mechanisms for Future Cooperation,” where he said the Beijing Research Center would deliver “step changes” in Aramco's global research capabilities.
Describing Beijing as a “front-runner” in terms of China's strength in upstream expertise, reservoir engineering, geophysics, and geology, Nasser said: “This research facility will add momentum as we produce fit-for-purpose innovation and technologies tied to our objectives and business needs. These areas are crucial to Saudi Aramco's strategic goals in discovery, recovery, sustainability, and reliability, and therefore, they are the center's main research thrust. Another key enabler is that China has a world-renowned expertise in chemical and enhanced oil recovery.”
Al-Buainain then outlined the reasons why Saudi Aramco chose Beijing as a location for a global research center.
“One of the overarching objectives of BRC is to position Saudi Aramco as a technology and innovation leader in this vibrant economy in China and all over the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “We view the BRC as the nucleus of technology and innovation development, and will bring about desired results, such as the development of cutting-edge technologies, not only in the upstream field, but also in the downstream sector, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. We will work to leverage BRC as a technology and innovation platform in the community in which we operate, through joint development programs with top tier universities and academic institutes and through the building of relationships with academic and industrial partners.”
BRC director Khalid O. Rufaii added: “One of the main objectives of the center is to create science and develop technology that fundamentally changes and improves how we explore for oil and gas, extend reserves, and manage reservoirs.
Links to full speeches delivered at the inauguration:
Speech by HE Ali I. Al-Naimi
Speech by Amin H. Nasser
Beijing inauguration marks a 'new milestone' in advanced research
The official inauguration of Aramco's Beijing Research Center is the latest development in the company's efforts to widen its focus on innovation and technology globally.
It also marks a milestone in Saudi-China relations and collaboration in the energy field. The goal of the Global Research Centers is for Aramco to achieve a competitive edge in the fields of research and development and technology in the energy industry.
Amin H. Nasser, acting president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, at an energy sustainability forum ahead of the Beijing inauguration emphasized the company's efforts to become a global technology leader while in tandem increasing energy efficiency and boosting environmental stewardship.
Aramco's office in Beijing organized the forum in partnership with the Beijing Energy Club, under the theme “Energy and Sustainability: A Saudi Perspective.” The event highlighted the growing collaboration potential between Saudi Arabia and China.
HE Ali I. Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, was the keynote speaker at the forum which was attended by officials and industry executives from China and Saudi Arabia.
“Technology is the top enabler of more abundant, cleaner energy through more oil and gas finds, higher recoveries, downstream innovation, and cleaner end-use. We have intensified our efforts by establishing research and development hubs around the world to access ideas, talent, and particular strengths, to which we proudly add Beijing for its oil recovery and discovery innovation leadership,” Nasser said at the forum.
“In technology, we have more than a dozen domains, including upstream, downstream, chemicals, materials, and solar, where we want to build world-leading positions. We can identify many areas of mutual interest here, with a platform provided by the new Beijing Center and the proposed Sinopec research facility at Dhahran Techno Valley in Saudi Arabia. Increasing oil recovery also offers potential, based on Saudi Aramco's pioneering work and leadership in this area. We are pursuing advanced research and technology to boost recovery from our current rate of 50% to 70%. Increasing recovery is mutually beneficial as a primary component in guaranteeing energy security,” he added, pinpointing technological advancements as a key to long-term sustainability.
“Our scientists are exploring innovative technologies to increase production reliability, enhance cost efficiency, and minimize water consumption. In fact, we have several research projects tackling sea water and waterless fracturing, which reduces dependence on fresh water and conserves natural resources,” he said.
The opening of the Beijing Research Center marks the beginning of a closer partnership between Saudi Arabia and China, Nasser said.
“Right now, at Saudi Aramco alone, we have contracts with several Chinese companies split among drilling, seismic, and Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors. The total number of Chinese employees working under these contracts is around 6,500.
“It would be a pleasure to see a much bigger footprint in both the drilling and EPC market areas of the Kingdom. We're proud of the 1,100 Saudis currently enrolled in Chinese universities, and the growing representation of their Chinese counterparts at KAUST and other Saudi schools.”
Citing the famous Chinese proverb that one bee cannot produce honey; one grain of rice cannot produce a meal, Nasser said, “In that spirit of sincere cooperation, I believe that the complementary strengths, multiplied toward shared interests, can yield great mutual benefit in energy and sustainability.”
Links to full speeches delivered at the forum:
Speech by HE Ali I. Al-Naimi
Speech by Amin H. Nasser
Speech by Ahmed A. Al-Subaey
Meet the Beijing researchers
Four of the new Beijing researchers have expressed their confidence that the facility will deliver significant value to the company and boost its research and development capabilities.
Petroleum engineer Christina Guo, 27, has an MS degree in oil field applied chemistry and specializes in chemical synthesis. She joined the Beijing Research Center (BRC) in July 2012 and explains the work of the Reservoir Technology Team.
“The mission of the Reservoir Technology Team is focused on new chemicals development and formation evaluation for chemical enhanced oil recovery application in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia,” according to Guo.
She believes that the official inauguration of the Beijing Center heralds a new era of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China.
“Saudi Arabia is not only China's largest supplier of crude oil but also the biggest trading partner in western Asia. The BRC assists the company in engaging more closely with China to bring solutions to the industry.
“China is a leading place for chemical enhanced recovery technology. By collaborating with Chinese research institutions, it will accelerate BRC's efforts to build in-house synthesis capability, develop custom-made chemicals, and supply the chemicals to upstream industry in Saudi Aramco. Moreover, the BRC accelerates and expands the company's capabilities by bringing together top global talent, creating original research to address far-reaching challenges in the industry,” Guo says.
For 29-year-old research geophysicist, Jiarui Yang, Saudi Aramco has a wealth of mentors who share their knowledge and ideas.
Yang holds a B.S. degree in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University and a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from the same institution.
His work involves the development of seismic signal processing software for high resolution subsurface imaging in complex geological environments, both onshore and offshore.
According to Yang, the setting up of the BRC will give Saudi Aramco access to new ideas and technologies.
“Saudi Aramco can learn about some of the technology in use in the Chinese energy industry through collaboration. Saudi Aramco can also recruit young Chinese research talent and produce innovative technologies for upstream production in Saudi Arabia,” says Yang.
Yue Ma, a 30-year-old geophysicist holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics specializing in numerical optimization. She joined the BRC in July 2012.
“The mission of the Geophysics Technology Team focuses on automation in seismic data processing and interpretation via advanced software development. One of my research projects is super-resolution seismic imaging.
“The concept of this technology comes from a mathematical theory called compressive sensing, which is a paradigm shift for digital data acquisition and processing,” Ma explains.
She says that EXPEC ARC's target is to develop the specialized technologies necessary to achieve its upstream objectives of increasing discovery of oil resources and increasing reservoir recovery from 50% to 70% in major producing fields.
The opening of the BRC expands Saudi Aramco's capabilities by bringing together top global talent and carrying out original research to address the far-reaching challenges of the industry, Ma adds.
Petroleum engineer, Emma Wu (27) also believes that the BRC will significantly boost the company's already impressive research and development capacities.
Wu holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and Technology from Tsinghua University and joined the BRC upon graduating. “China has the richest experience in chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery,” Wu says, “Using the BRC as a bridge, Saudi Aramco can incorporate that experience and utilize it in a more efficient and beneficial way.”
Aramco inaugurates the Beijing Research Center (BRC), marking another milestone in the company's journey toward becoming a global industry leader in research and technology. The research facility is part of a network of centers and technology offices that are expanding Saudi Aramco's global reach in North America, Europe, and Asia.
The company has taken another stride toward becoming a global leader in technology, and research and development with the opening of a research center in China last week.
HE Ali I. Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, officially opened the state-of-the-art 4,400 sq. meter Beijing Research Center, making it the latest addition to Saudi Aramco's global research and development network. It will be managed and operated by Aramco's office in Beijing.
The inauguration ceremony was led by Al-Naimi; Yahya Al-Zaid, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to China; Amin H. Nasser, acting president and CEO of Saudi Aramco; Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter, chief technology officer; Ahmed A. Al-Subaey, executive director for Marketing, Supply, and Joint Ventures Coordination; and Ibrahim Q. Al-Buainain, president of Aramco Asia.
The inauguration ushers in a new era of collaboration between the two countries, founded on a commitment to knowledge, research, and innovation, Al-Naimi said in keynote remarks at the opening attended by government officials from Saudi Arabia and China as well as business partners.
“Saudi Arabia recognizes that the participation of its leading companies in China's innovation system today brings great potential for mutual benefit tomorrow. It is a part of our plan to engage in global innovation in regions that have complementary expertise and capacities. So, this center represents an important step forward in the relationship between our two nations,” Al-Naimi said.
Aramco's global research program encompasses facilities in Houston, Detroit, and Boston in North America, as well as European facilities in Aberdeen, Paris, and Delft in the Netherlands.
The Beijing center extends the company's research network in Asia, joining the CO2 Management Center at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea.
These facilities complement Saudi Aramco's activities at its headquarters in Dhahran and another key Saudi research center in Thuwal at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
The interconnected facilities are known as global research centers and are closely aligned with Saudi Aramco's EXPEC Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC) and the company's Research and Development Center (R&DC).
Nasser participated in a panel session at a Beijing hotel, making a presentation titled: “Energy and Sustainability Challenges in China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Potential and Mechanisms for Future Cooperation,” where he said the Beijing Research Center would deliver “step changes” in Aramco's global research capabilities.
Describing Beijing as a “front-runner” in terms of China's strength in upstream expertise, reservoir engineering, geophysics, and geology, Nasser said: “This research facility will add momentum as we produce fit-for-purpose innovation and technologies tied to our objectives and business needs. These areas are crucial to Saudi Aramco's strategic goals in discovery, recovery, sustainability, and reliability, and therefore, they are the center's main research thrust. Another key enabler is that China has a world-renowned expertise in chemical and enhanced oil recovery.”
Al-Buainain then outlined the reasons why Saudi Aramco chose Beijing as a location for a global research center.
“One of the overarching objectives of BRC is to position Saudi Aramco as a technology and innovation leader in this vibrant economy in China and all over the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “We view the BRC as the nucleus of technology and innovation development, and will bring about desired results, such as the development of cutting-edge technologies, not only in the upstream field, but also in the downstream sector, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. We will work to leverage BRC as a technology and innovation platform in the community in which we operate, through joint development programs with top tier universities and academic institutes and through the building of relationships with academic and industrial partners.”
BRC director Khalid O. Rufaii added: “One of the main objectives of the center is to create science and develop technology that fundamentally changes and improves how we explore for oil and gas, extend reserves, and manage reservoirs.
Links to full speeches delivered at the inauguration:
Speech by HE Ali I. Al-Naimi
Speech by Amin H. Nasser
Beijing inauguration marks a 'new milestone' in advanced research
The official inauguration of Aramco's Beijing Research Center is the latest development in the company's efforts to widen its focus on innovation and technology globally.
It also marks a milestone in Saudi-China relations and collaboration in the energy field. The goal of the Global Research Centers is for Aramco to achieve a competitive edge in the fields of research and development and technology in the energy industry.
Amin H. Nasser, acting president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, at an energy sustainability forum ahead of the Beijing inauguration emphasized the company's efforts to become a global technology leader while in tandem increasing energy efficiency and boosting environmental stewardship.
Aramco's office in Beijing organized the forum in partnership with the Beijing Energy Club, under the theme “Energy and Sustainability: A Saudi Perspective.” The event highlighted the growing collaboration potential between Saudi Arabia and China.
HE Ali I. Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, was the keynote speaker at the forum which was attended by officials and industry executives from China and Saudi Arabia.
“Technology is the top enabler of more abundant, cleaner energy through more oil and gas finds, higher recoveries, downstream innovation, and cleaner end-use. We have intensified our efforts by establishing research and development hubs around the world to access ideas, talent, and particular strengths, to which we proudly add Beijing for its oil recovery and discovery innovation leadership,” Nasser said at the forum.
“In technology, we have more than a dozen domains, including upstream, downstream, chemicals, materials, and solar, where we want to build world-leading positions. We can identify many areas of mutual interest here, with a platform provided by the new Beijing Center and the proposed Sinopec research facility at Dhahran Techno Valley in Saudi Arabia. Increasing oil recovery also offers potential, based on Saudi Aramco's pioneering work and leadership in this area. We are pursuing advanced research and technology to boost recovery from our current rate of 50% to 70%. Increasing recovery is mutually beneficial as a primary component in guaranteeing energy security,” he added, pinpointing technological advancements as a key to long-term sustainability.
“Our scientists are exploring innovative technologies to increase production reliability, enhance cost efficiency, and minimize water consumption. In fact, we have several research projects tackling sea water and waterless fracturing, which reduces dependence on fresh water and conserves natural resources,” he said.
The opening of the Beijing Research Center marks the beginning of a closer partnership between Saudi Arabia and China, Nasser said.
“Right now, at Saudi Aramco alone, we have contracts with several Chinese companies split among drilling, seismic, and Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors. The total number of Chinese employees working under these contracts is around 6,500.
“It would be a pleasure to see a much bigger footprint in both the drilling and EPC market areas of the Kingdom. We're proud of the 1,100 Saudis currently enrolled in Chinese universities, and the growing representation of their Chinese counterparts at KAUST and other Saudi schools.”
Citing the famous Chinese proverb that one bee cannot produce honey; one grain of rice cannot produce a meal, Nasser said, “In that spirit of sincere cooperation, I believe that the complementary strengths, multiplied toward shared interests, can yield great mutual benefit in energy and sustainability.”
Links to full speeches delivered at the forum:
Speech by HE Ali I. Al-Naimi
Speech by Amin H. Nasser
Speech by Ahmed A. Al-Subaey
Meet the Beijing researchers
Four of the new Beijing researchers have expressed their confidence that the facility will deliver significant value to the company and boost its research and development capabilities.
Petroleum engineer Christina Guo, 27, has an MS degree in oil field applied chemistry and specializes in chemical synthesis. She joined the Beijing Research Center (BRC) in July 2012 and explains the work of the Reservoir Technology Team.
“The mission of the Reservoir Technology Team is focused on new chemicals development and formation evaluation for chemical enhanced oil recovery application in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia,” according to Guo.
She believes that the official inauguration of the Beijing Center heralds a new era of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China.
“Saudi Arabia is not only China's largest supplier of crude oil but also the biggest trading partner in western Asia. The BRC assists the company in engaging more closely with China to bring solutions to the industry.
“China is a leading place for chemical enhanced recovery technology. By collaborating with Chinese research institutions, it will accelerate BRC's efforts to build in-house synthesis capability, develop custom-made chemicals, and supply the chemicals to upstream industry in Saudi Aramco. Moreover, the BRC accelerates and expands the company's capabilities by bringing together top global talent, creating original research to address far-reaching challenges in the industry,” Guo says.
For 29-year-old research geophysicist, Jiarui Yang, Saudi Aramco has a wealth of mentors who share their knowledge and ideas.
Yang holds a B.S. degree in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University and a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from the same institution.
His work involves the development of seismic signal processing software for high resolution subsurface imaging in complex geological environments, both onshore and offshore.
According to Yang, the setting up of the BRC will give Saudi Aramco access to new ideas and technologies.
“Saudi Aramco can learn about some of the technology in use in the Chinese energy industry through collaboration. Saudi Aramco can also recruit young Chinese research talent and produce innovative technologies for upstream production in Saudi Arabia,” says Yang.
Yue Ma, a 30-year-old geophysicist holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics specializing in numerical optimization. She joined the BRC in July 2012.
“The mission of the Geophysics Technology Team focuses on automation in seismic data processing and interpretation via advanced software development. One of my research projects is super-resolution seismic imaging.
“The concept of this technology comes from a mathematical theory called compressive sensing, which is a paradigm shift for digital data acquisition and processing,” Ma explains.
She says that EXPEC ARC's target is to develop the specialized technologies necessary to achieve its upstream objectives of increasing discovery of oil resources and increasing reservoir recovery from 50% to 70% in major producing fields.
The opening of the BRC expands Saudi Aramco's capabilities by bringing together top global talent and carrying out original research to address the far-reaching challenges of the industry, Ma adds.
Petroleum engineer, Emma Wu (27) also believes that the BRC will significantly boost the company's already impressive research and development capacities.
Wu holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and Technology from Tsinghua University and joined the BRC upon graduating. “China has the richest experience in chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery,” Wu says, “Using the BRC as a bridge, Saudi Aramco can incorporate that experience and utilize it in a more efficient and beneficial way.”
