M-I SWACO joins Rice University in nanotech research program
M-I SWACO has signed an agreement with Rice University to fund a two-year joint research program to investigate the potential uses of nanotechnology in the oilfield and drilling fluids industry. Nanotechnology is the study of matter, their properties and chemistries, on the nanoscale. Nanoparticles are approximately 1 nanometer (nm) or one billionth (10-9) of a meter in length. By comparison, the smallest cellular life form is over 200 nm in length and a single strand of human DNA is 2 nm in diameter.
M-I SWACO will invest $460,000 over two years. The money will go toward the sponsorship of graduate and post-doctoral students, and collaborative research with Dr. James Tour, Rice’s Chao professor of chemistry, mechanical engineering, materials science and computer science who will lead the Rice team.
The M-I SWACO R&D group, led by Dr. Jim Friedheim, director of corporate fluids, will work closely with the students and professors to investigate the use of these unique materials in drilling and completion fluids.
“It is pure research at this point,” said James Bruton, M-I SWACO VP for research and engineering, “but the potential for applying nanotechnology to drilling and completions field is great. The opportunity to work with Rice University, the world leader in carbon nanotechnology research, sustains our continuing commitment to be a technology leader in the drilling and oilfield services industry.”
Rice University is a leading teaching and research university based in Houston, Texas.
