Under direction of Lab Manager, the ANPERC Flow Assurance & Drilling Lab Technician will help ANPERC faculty and research groups conduct standard as well as specialized experiments, measurements, and characterization in all aspects of flow assurance, drilling-related measurements, drilling fluids, and sensors. This Lab Technician will contribute to the development, documentation, and enforcement of a coherent, consistent, continuous, and safe experimental operation in upstream petroleum engineering research at KAUST. This Lab Technician will also help the affiliated ANPERC faculty and relevant research scientists to run experiments in our labs in compliance with all required HSSE procedures and existing data management structure.
Major Responsibilities:
Under direction of Lab Manager,
- Execute experimental methods to simulate reservoir conditions at elevated pressure and temperature conditions
- Assist in the execution of standard as well as specialized experiments in fluid and solid suspension mechanics related experiments.
- Apply flow concepts in porous media such as Darcy flow with Klinkenberg and Forchheimer corrections
- Perform SCAL steady state and unsteady state relative permeability measurements
- Perform research on rock mechanics testing and system sensor calibration inclusive of understanding stress/strain relationships
- Perform fluids preparations and measurement (viscosity, salinity, density,…etc.)
- Aid in the development of such experiments, applying relevant practical and theoretical knowledge in conducting measurements and recording results.
- Perform maintenance and support for high-pressure equipment ex. pumps, transducers, …etc.
- Maintain relevant equipment and materials, coordinate service or repair, and ensure a stock of consumable materials and supplies for the equipment.
- Ensure adherence to and compliance with HSSE procedures to maintain a safe operation environment at all times in the laboratory as well as sample preparation areas.
Other Responsibilities:
- Conduct/coordinate preventative maintenance on specialized equipment
- Develop and write SOPs for specialized equipment
- Coordinate with Lab Manager on lab safety training within the flow assurance and drilling physics, engineering and chemistry domain, including initial training for new users and more advanced training for experienced users.
Competencies:
- Possesses demonstrable expertise and independent working knowledge of a range of techniques relevant to flow assurance, drilling and sensing
- Can run drilling fluids and cementation-related experimentsCan design and fit mechanical components using machine tools and techniques
- Can monitor standard and specialized flow-loop and drilling equipment tests
- Understands lab methods, and the ability to contribute to method development and validation
- Can troubleshoot and conduct basic equipment repair as instructed by Lab Manager or other scientific staff or faculty
- Is skilled in creative problem-solving
- Can machine and prepare rock samples
- Can design and fit mechanical components using machine tools and techniques
Qualifications:
- Prefer the Bachelor of Science/Engineering with demonstrated relevant understanding, knowledge, experience or expertise in multiphase fluid flow and rheology, mechanics of drilling, and flow and drilling-related sensing methods.
- Prefer two or more years in a flow assurance, cementation, drilling research laboratory (academic or industry)
- Master of Science/Engineering would be beneficial
To apply, please submit your information on the KAUST careers page for this position here.