The South Dakota School of Mines Technology has received a software gift valued at $172 million from industry-leading oilfield services company Schlumberger to strengthen its Energy Resources Initiative.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (PRWEB) December 11, 2015
The South Dakota School of Mines Technology has received a software gift valued at $172 million from industry-leading oilfield services company Schlumberger to strengthen its Energy Resources Initiative.
The software gift will be used in courses to support the new Petroleum Systems Minor and Graduate Certificate program, as well as research and existing petroleum-related curricula. Courses include the Petroleum Field Camp, Petroleum Production and Drilling Engineering, and Petroleum Geology.
The donation by Schlumberger, a longtime supporter of SD Mines, includes three-year leases of Petrel* EP software platform and other software platforms that can be used to interpret seismic data, correlate well logs and build reservoir models and maps, as well as software to analyze wells for surveillance and forecast modeling, and to simulate flow for oil and gas production. In all, 12 software technologies are included in the package.
“Close partnerships with industry are a very important part of Mines’ success. We very much appreciate this software gift from Schlumberger and we look forward to using it to the fullest,” said Heather Wilson, president of SD Mines.
In addition to being important tools for faculty research, hands-on use of commercial-grade software enhances graduating students’ job prospects. In the past couple of years 20 percent of Mines’ graduates have gone on to work in the energy industry.
Schlumberger currently employs over 30 Mines graduates, including four who have been hired in the past five years. In 2012, the company gave a similar software donation valued at $49 million.
Since announcing the Energy Resources Initiative two years ago, SD Mines has added a Petroleum Systems Minor and a Petroleum Systems Graduate Certificate for working professionals. The energy initiative was announced two years ago to leverage the university’s expertise and research in rock properties, water resources and materials development, as well as its location in an energy-rich region of the country, within 300 miles of the Williston, Denver and Powder River basins. The search for a permanent director is ongoing.
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About SD Mines
Founded in 1885, the South Dakota School of Mines Technology is a science and engineering research university located in Rapid City, S.D., offering bachelors, master’s and doctoral degrees. The university enrolls 2,843 students. The SD School of Mines placement rate is 98 percent, with an average early career salary for graduates of $65,600, according to the 2014-2015 PayScale report. Find us online at http://www.sdsmt.edu, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sdsmt and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sdsmt.
About Schlumberger
Schlumberger is the world’s leading supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions to customers working in the oil and gas industry worldwide. Employing approximately 105,000 people representing over 140 nationalities and working in more than 85 countries, Schlumberger provides the industry’s widest range of products and services from exploration through production. For more information, visit http://www.slb.com.
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