Demand for oil and gas continues to grow and, although there is no physical shortage, it is getting harder to access and produce. This has driven the industry to operate at the frontiers, from the Arctic to deepwater to unconventionals. Each poses unique challenges, such as temperature, depth, pressure, remoteness, ice, geological formation, fluid type, and local environment. The industry needs to address these challenges whilst improving safety, increasing energy efficiency and driving towards a more sustainable future.
Innovation takes many forms, from policy through to scientific invention, and can originate both within and outside of our industry. In terms of science, the more fundamental in nature, the more widespread its potential impact.
Major waves of scientific innovation are impacting our industry today, with information technology being perhaps the most mature, such as the use of peta-flop scale computing in seismic imaging, and advanced materials being perhaps the least mature, but with significant potential.
That is why BP has recently committed $100m to establish the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (ICAM), in partnership with world-leading universities. The ability to measure and manipulate matter at the molecular scale allows us to create materials that have completely different capabilities. The ICAM's initial research will focus on structural materials, functional materials and membranes, which have enormous potential to improve integrity and cost efficiency, for example through the use of self-healing materials.
The ICAM has been designed using the lessons learned from BP's other research collaborations with universities, for example the BP Institute for Multi-Phase Flow at Cambridge in the UK, and the Energy Biosciences Institute in California and Illinois in the USA.
This model of innovation recognises the increasingly global nature of research and development, and enables the industry to move quickly to capitalise on scientific discoveries.
