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BP is investing US$7m to establish a research group at the UK’s University of Surrey to study the fundamental science and recovery processes for heavy and viscous oils.

These hard-to-recover oils form a significant proportion of crude resources; extracting them more efficiently would open up new fields and allow oil companies to make more money from existing projects, where shortfalls in current processes mean that oil is discovered but left in the ground.

“The research will be used to help improve recovery and minimise the impact of heavy and viscous oil production globally,” says Chris West, of BP’s unconventional oil technology group.

The Centre for Petroleum and Surface Chemistry (BP-CPSC) will comprise academic and technical staff including post-doctoral fellows and post-graduate students located in their own facilities within Surrey’s chemistry department.

Spence Taylor, director of the new BP-CPSC at the University, says: “Our goal of improving all aspects of recovery will be centred on chemistry but will benefit from a broader multidisciplinary approach.”

“In addition, being affiliated to the Department of Chemistry, it is hoped that the Centre will also inspire the development of new undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes relating to petroleum chemistry.”