​​​​Beginning its second full year of operation at KAUST, ANPERC looks to the start of the 2016-17 academic year with a full slate of exciting events and activities. One of these milestones will be the completion of the center's cutting-edge laboratory. 

The photos and video below provide a glimpse of the place where ANPERC faculty, students, and scientists will conduct experiments and research to produce unprecedented scientific knowledge of complex processes in geologic formations, benefiting the progress of many intersecting engineering and science fields, the energy industry and the global economy. 

Comprising 3,200 square meters of lab space and 600 square meters of student and faculty office space in Al-Kindi building, the ANPERC labs should be completed by the end of September. Equipment procurement and installation will continue through the remainder of the academic year, although some experiments are expected to begin as early as October.

"The DNA of knowledge creation involves the interwoven tools of experimentation, analysis and simulation, always guided by deep physical understanding," said Associate Center Director and Professor Carlos Santamarina. "The exceptional experimental facilities in our new lab at UEPRC will empower us to maximize the benefits of this synergism."

One of the unique features of ANPERC's lab is the massive high-bay lab. At 680 square meters, the high bay lab includes a two-ton crane and room for flow assurance apparatus, large drilling and completions experiments, and a 40 square meter cold room.

ANPERC's new labs reflect a substantial commitment by KAUST's leadership to develop a petroleum engineering and geoscience research center that will inspire discoveries to address global energy challenges while educating the future scientific and engineering leaders. ​

"In this era of ever-more complicated theories and computer models of flow in oil and gas reservoirs, experiment is an essential tool in the verification of the key elements of these theories," said Prof. Tad Patzek, ANPERC Center Director.  "The new ANPERC labs are custom-designed to fulfill their mission of revealing ground truth in several research areas of crucial importance to achieving higher ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons with lesser environmental impacts."​

Our growing team at ANPERC, which includes Research Scientists like Dr. Thomas Finkbeiner, pictured below with Patzek, wishes to thank KAUST's leadership and Engineering & Project Management organizations for helping us create this amazing new facility. 

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​Below is a short video of the ANPERC Lab progress. ​​​