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UWA, Curtin, CSIRO sign R&D deal with Woodside

Three leading research institutions and Australia's largest publicly listed oil and gas company have signed an agreement to foster the creation of a world-class energy research center, based in Perth.

UWA, Curtin, CSIRO sign R&D deal with Woodside

The partnership between CSIRO, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology and Woodside Energy establishes "R2D3", which stands for "Research to Discover, Develop and Deploy Energy Solutions for a Sustainable Future".

Embraced by Woodside as a way to better direct more than A$25 million it expects to spend over the next five years on oil and gas research, the alliance will focus on research and development, training and competitive technical intelligence.

CSIRO Petroleum Chief Professor Beverley Ronalds said the three research institutions, who last year formed the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance (WA ERA), recognised the need to collaborate as companies such as Woodside sharpened focus on delivering high-value research and development for their businesses.

"Business today expects a strong emphasis by research institutions on deploying technology to realise returns on investment," Professor Ronalds said.

"And who knows what can be achieved when Australia's largest publicly listed oil and gas company joins forces with Australia's biggest scientific research agency, and the two leading Western Australian Universities."

Under the agreement, the partners will share in the administration costs of R2D3 which will be based at the Australian Resource Research Centre (ARRC) at Technology Park in Perth.

"When the $37 million ARRC was established by CSIRO, the Western Australian Government and Curtin in 2001, its major goal was to facilitate large collaborative research arrangements of this nature to deliver seamless, high-quality, internationally competitive research and development products to industry clients and partners."

R2D3 is expected to have a research budget in 2004 of up to A$5 million.

Research and development will centre on developing technology for the oil and gas industry, initially covering integrated reservoir characterisation and management to optimise recovery rates; and gas utilisation - including gas-to-liquids, small-scale LNG technologies and gas compression engineering to improve methods for extracting and transporting gas.

R2D3 will also focus on fundamental and specialist training for oil and gas engineers and technicians to deploy and operate the new technologies.

Professor Ronalds said other research centres from around Australia and other parts of the world, as well as other oil and gas companies, were expected to join R2D3.

Woodside's Chief Operating Officer, Keith Spence, said the joint venture would allow the company to better direct its research spending.

"It will also result in Western Australia emerging as a key centre of Australian, regional and if not world, research into cutting-edge oil and gas technologies," Spence said.

Professor Mark Bush, Dean of UWA's Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, said the agreement marked a significant step forward for the State.

"This agreement builds on the individual research strength of each institution to create the critical mass required to advance the potential of one of Western Australia's most vital resource industries," Professor Bush said.

"UWA believes that these types of partnerships with major industry leaders can ensure researchers and students achieve outcomes that realise benefits for the whole community."

Professor Barney Glover, Curtin's Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research and Development, said Curtin would contribute to R2D3 primarily through the University's research expertise in Petroleum Engineering and Exploration Geophysics.

"Curtin looks forward to working collaboratively with CSIRO and UWA to develop the best possible outcomes for Woodside and for the energy sector more widely," Professor Glover said.

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