PhD Fellowship in Application of Expanding Alloys for Plugging of Wells
Job description
The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a PhD Fellowship in Application of Expanding Alloys for Plugging of Wells at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Energy and Petroleum Technology. The position is vacant from 01.01.2025 and the starting date is no later than 15.04.2025.
This is a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree.
The hired candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in Science and Technology. The education includes relevant courses amounting to about six months of study, a dissertation based on independent research, participation in national and international research environments, relevant academic communication, a trial lecture and public defence. Read more about the PhD education at UiS on our website.
The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively, or four years with both research and other career-promoting work. This will be clarified in the recruitment process.
The position is associated with the Centre for research-based innovation SWIPA – Subsurface Well Integrity Plugging and Abandonment (www.swipa.no). The centre is financed by the Research Council of Norway and operating companies AkerBP, Equinor and Wintershall DEA, with more than 20 participating industrial and service companies. SINTEF, NORCE, IFE, NTNU and the University of Stavanger are research partners in SFI SWIPA (The Centres for Research-based Innovation scheme).
Research topic
The PhD Fellow will be affiliated with a research project where we will study the suitability of easily fusible alloys as a material to achieve zonal isolation in wells. Relevant alloys for well applications typically consist of bismuth and tin, with advantageous properties such as a relatively low melting point, as well as measurable volumetric expansion when transitioning from the liquid phase to the solid state. This allows the alloy to be melted in the well by adding heat either electrically or chemically (e.g. using thermite); in liquid form, the material will flow almost like water and can penetrate small leakage channels or fill the cross-section of the well, before it cools over time and solidifies again. Volumetric expansion upon transition to the solid state and the absence of porosity mean that with easily fusible alloys a very low permeability barrier and effective zonal isolation can be achieved even over short lengths. These are attractive properties of the material that can offer easier and more cost-effective repair or plugging of wells.
Research questions related to well plugging as an application, with high relevance for this project include:
Central to this project will therefore be to study the sealing properties of bismuth-tin plugs under relevant test conditions, and to identify size effects by designing and using a scalable test setup for dimensions right up to standard casing. The project will be carried out at the University of Stavanger and at NORCE/Ullrigg Test Centre, and benefit from the technical expertise and experience of these institutions.
Possible tasks in the project include:
Depending on the progress of the project and the candidate's interest, the use of bismuth-tin alloys as a repair material can also be studied. This would be particularly relevant for the remediation of leakage paths behind casing and gas migration along wells. This study would focus on displacement efficiency, penetration length and permeability reduction in small crack-like geometries.
The project's ambition is to generate results of both academic and industrial relevance, in close communication with our industrial and research partners in SFI SWIPA. The project will utilize state-of-the-art laboratory and test infrastructure to address research questions such as those outlined above, and will benefit by the considerable expertise provided by the SWIPA partners.
Project proposal
As an applicant, you must prepare a preliminary project proposal for a doctoral project within the subject area, which explains the problem, relevance, theoretical and methodological approach. Your preliminary project proposal will be included in the application assessment.
During the first three months of the employment period, the project proposal and progress plan will be further developed in cooperation with your supervisors and completed for the final plan for the PhD-project. A project proposal template can be found here.
The proposal must be a maximum of one page.
Qualification requirements
We are looking for applicants with a strong academic background who have completed a five-year master degree within materials technology, mechanics, experimental physics, marine and offshore technology, preferably acquired recently; or who possess corresponding qualifications that could provide a basis for successfully completing a doctorate.
To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Stavanger both the grade for your master’s thesis and the weighted average grade of your master’s degree must individually be equivalent to or better than a B grade.
Applicants with an education from an institution with a different grade scale than A-F, and/or with other types of credits than sp/ECTS, must attach a confirmed conversion scale that shows how the grades can be compared with the Norwegian A-F scale and a Diploma Supplement or similar that explains the scope of the subjects that are included in the education. You can use these conversion scales to calculate your points for admission.
Emphasis is also placed on your:
Requirements for competence in English
A good proficiency in English is required for anyone attending the PhD program. International applicants must document this with a valid test certificate from one of the following tests:
The following applicants are exempt from the above requirements:
We offer
Diversity
Diversity is a resource in the working and learning environment at UiS. When we have different backgrounds and experiences, we can approach challenges from multiple perspectives and find better solutions.
At UiS, we are committed to showing respect for each other's differences and accommodating employees with disabilities. We take into consideration your needs and your situation in various life phases.
If you find this position interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, disability, cultural background, or whether you have been out of the workforce for a period.
If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CV, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview. If you fall into any of these categories, feel free to indicate it when applying for the position.
Learn more about the criteria for being considered an applicant in these specific groups here.
The university aims to recruit more women within the subject area. If several applicants are considered to have equal qualifications, female applicants will be given priority.
Contact information
More information on the position (and project description) can be obtained from Associate Professor Jan Aage Aasen, e-mail jan.aasen@uis.no, Associate Professor Hans Joakim Skadsem, e-mail hans.j.skadsem@uis.no or Dr. Amir Taheri, e-mail amit@norceresearch.no.
Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from Sr. HR advisor Margot A. Treen, e-mail: rekruttering@uis.no.
Application
To apply for this position please follow the link "Apply for this job". Your application letter, relevant education and work experience as well as language skills must be registered here. In your application letter, you must state your research interests and motivation for the position.
The following documents must be uploaded as attachments to your application:
Applications are evaluated based on the information available in Jobbnorge at the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above and that you have attached the necessary documentation.
The documentation must be available in either a Scandinavian language or in English. If the total size of the attachments exceeds 30 MB, they must be compressed before upload.
Please note that information on applicants may be published even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the official list of applicants - see Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act. If your request is not granted, you will be notified.
UiS only considers applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge.
General information
The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. If your application is considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter legislation and if it is considered that you will not be able to start in the position within the date stated above, your application will be rejected without further assessment.
Employment as PhD Fellow is regulated in "Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of post-doctoral research fellow and research fellow, research assistant and resident".
Your qualifications for the position, based on documentation registered in Jobbnorge, will be assessed by an internal expert committee. Based on the committee's statement, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview before any recommendations are made. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. More about the hiring process on our website.
The appointee will be based at the University of Stavanger, with the exception of a stay abroad at a relevant centre of research.
It is a prerequisite that you have a residence which enables you to be present at/available to the academic community during ordinary working hours.
The position has been announced in both Norwegian and English. In the case of differences of meaning between the texts, the Norwegian text takes precedence.
UiS - challenge the well-known and explore the unknown
The University of Stavanger (UiS) has about 12,000 students and 2,200 employees. The university has high ambitions. We strive to have an innovative and international profile, and be a driving force in knowledge development and in the process of societal change. Our common direction is driven by consideration for green and sustainable change and equitable social development, through new ways of managing natural resources and facilitating better cities and local communities. Energy, health and welfare, learning for life are our focus areas.
In constant collaboration and dialogue with our surroundings, regionally, nationally and internationally, we enjoy an open and creative climate for education, research, innovation, dissemination and museum activities. Academic life at the University of Stavanger is organised into six faculties comprising various departments/schools and National Research Centres, as well as the Museum of Archaeology. We are a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities. The university is located in the most attractive region in the country with more than 300,000 inhabitants. The Stavanger region has a dynamic labour market and exciting cultural and leisure activities.
Together with our staff and students we will challenge the well-known and explore the unknown.
The Faculty of Science and Technology offers study programs at bachelor, master and doctoral level. The faculty has established close cooperation on research with NORCE (Norwegian Research Centre AS) and the regional industry. A number of master's and doctoral theses are made in collaboration with the industry. The faculty has established research collaborations with universities in the US and Europe, and has developed several academic environments that are at the forefront internationally.The faculty has about 2,800 students and approximately 500 employees at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Structural Engineering and Materials Science, Department of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Energy Resources and the Department of Safety, Economics and Planning.
Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering carries out research and offers study programs at all levels in Drilling Technology, Natural Gas Technology, Petroleum Engineering and Energy Technology. The department has established close research collaboration with relevant industry - especially in the petroleum and battery sector. The department focuses on internationalization, with the development of English study programs and high mobility among academic staff and students. There are currently 60 employees including research fellows and postdocs.
Questions about the position
Jan Aage Aasen
førsteamanuensis
Margot A. Treen
senior HR-rådgiver
Academic Europe, the European career network for Academics, Researchers and Scientists
