KEB, Alm.del - 2013-14 - Bilag 278: Henvendelse af 9/5-14 fra Mærsk Olie og Gas A/S, vedrørende nyt dansk forskningscenter

NEW RESEARCH CENTRE TO EXTEND THEDANISH OIL JOURNEYA billion kroner fund from the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC) will target futureoil and gas production from the Danish North Sea and potentially create researchopportunities for up to 100 scientists.Based at Denmark’s Technical University (DTU) in Lyngby, the new HydrocarbonResearch and Technology Centre will be headed by Bo Cerup-Simonsen, a former DTUacademic and career engineer. For over a decade, Cerup-Simonsen has led researchand industry integration efforts, most recently as the head of Maersk MaritimeTechnology, the company behind the world’s most energy efficient container vessel,the Triple E."Every additional barrel of oil that can be recovered from the North Sea creates moretax revenue for Denmark. At the same time, it can help to prolong Denmark's energysupply independence for a longer period than previously anticipated. There is greatpotential in the Danish North Sea, but the subsurface is complex and thereforeinnovative thinking is needed to help increase the recovery factor,” says Cerup-Simonsen, who assumes the position as head of the centre on 1 July this year.The subsurface in the Danish sector of the North Sea consists of tight chalk layers thatmake it difficult to extract oil and gas. It is these complex geological challenges,combined with the effects of 40 years of production, which is driving the need forbetter understanding and developing new technology to increase the overall volumesof oil and gas that can be brought on stream. The reward for increasing production:for every percentage point increase in hydrocarbon recovery, DKK 70 billion of value iscreated.Today, recovery rates in the Danish sector of the North Sea are anticipated to a levelof around 26 per cent of the total volume of oil in place. The comparable rates inNorway and the UK, where the oil-bearing layers in the subsurface predominantlyconsist of sandstone, are respectively 41 and 46 percent."With a budget of DKK 1 billion, Denmark will get a unique research centre which istruly world class. It's great that we will now have the opportunity and the facilities togather all relevant research and education under one roof, thereby creating a wholenew research dynamics. It will not only benefit the oil and gas industry, but will alsoattract graduate researchers and professors at the highest level, which contributes tothe quality of teaching DTU students receive, as well as raising the level of debate forgraduate researchers. The centre will create quite a stir, and help cement DTU as agenuine centre of excellence in this area, increasing its attractiveness as partner forcompanies and top flight international universities," says DTU President AndersOvergaard Bjarklev.

DUC, which consists of AP Moller - Maersk (operator with 31.2%), Shell (36.8%),Chevron (12%) and the state-owned North Sea Fund (20 %), has committed DKK 1billion, which will be distributed over 10 years. The longer time horizon enables acoherent, integrated approach to research."The centre is an investment in extending production from the Danish sector of theNorth Sea. We have already produced oil for over 40 years, and there is a need forinnovation to continue for many more years to come. By providing security for theresearchers via a long grant period, and close cooperation with industry, we wanted tocreate the best conditions for achieving results that can come into practise. If wemanaged to find new methods which will increase recovery, it will be beneficial to boththe industry and the Danish government," says Troels Albrechtsen, Head of CorporateTechnology and Projects in Maersk Oil and chairman in Danish UndergroundConsortium - Operations Committee.The new research centre will be based at DTU in Lyngby and maintain a close researchcollaboration with among others the University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University,Aalborg University and GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland).