Chevron Canada Limited, the Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC) and Memorial University of Newfoundland have announced a $1 million partnership to create the Chevron Chair in Petroleum Engineering at Memorial.

Under the arrangement, Chevron Canada and RDC will each invest $500,000 over the next five years in collaboration with Memorial University.  Chevron Canada’s contribution will establish the chair position, while RDC’s investment will support building research capacity in the priority area of petroleum engineering through its Collaborative R&D program.

This partnership follows from the announcement earlier this year that Chevron Corporation had selected Memorial University to join its University Partnership Program (UPP), which provides support for higher education at more than 90 schools worldwide. Memorial University is currently the only Canadian university in the Chevron UPP.

“I am delighted to make this announcement on behalf of Chevron given the importance our company attaches to both partnerships and research and development,” said Mark MacLeod, vice-president (Atlantic Canada), Chevron Canada. “I am confident the new Chevron Chair in Petroleum Engineering will strengthen the capacity for petroleum engineering research and academic programs at Memorial University.”

“Support for industry-relevant research and development is key to growing Newfoundland and Labrador’s petroleum industry,” said Glenn Janes, chief executive officer, RDC. “This new, exciting and collaborative partnership will lead to a better understanding of petroleum research and address industry challenges.”

“The new Chevron Chair in Petroleum Engineering will significantly enhance our research capacity in an area of strategic importance to Memorial and the province,” said Dr. Christopher Loomis, vice-president (research), Memorial University. “Our students will benefit especially from the expertise and facilities made possible by this partnership with Chevron Canada and RDC, providing them with the theoretical and practical base they need to succeed.”

The Chevron Chair in Petroleum Engineering will become an integral part of an established group of researchers and educators in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. The chair will establish, promote and focus his or her teaching and research program on petroleum engineering.  The near-term goal of the chair position will be to develop the petroleum engineering capability within the current undergraduate programs.

The chair and associated research program will focus on one or more of the following areas: reservoir engineering, numerical simulation of reservoirs, complex well performance modeling and/or advanced well design and construction.

The recruitment process for the new chair will start immediately with the goal to have a chair in place by mid-2011.