Petroleum engineering consulting: sand management, geomechanics and production troubleshooting
Practical petroleum engineering consulting to help operators, service companies, and technology developers investigate production problems, evaluate completion options, and develop solutions supported by engineering analysis.
Led by Alireza Nouri, Professor of Petroleum Engineering and a registered Professional Engineer, this service draws on expertise in sand control, formation damage, and petroleum geomechanics, together with experience in industry-sponsored research.
Areas of support include:
• Sand-production assessment and development of sand-management strategies. • Sand-control screen selection, aperture sizing, and completion design review. • Investigation of screen plugging, fines migration, formation damage, and declining well productivity. • Geomechanical assessment of sanding and wellbore-stability problems. • Independent technical review of proposed technologies, testing programs, and engineering reports. • Design and interpretation of laboratory studies to support field decisions. • Tailored industry short courses and technical workshops on sand control and petroleum geomechanics.
Engagements begin with a discussion of the problem, available data, and the decision the client needs to make. Work may include data review, engineering calculations, numerical analysis where appropriate, technical meetings, and written recommendations. Laboratory testing can be scoped separately when experimental evidence is needed.
Deliverables are tailored to the assignment and may include a technical assessment, comparison of options, testing plan, or recommended next steps. Scope, fees, turnaround time, and availability are agreed upon before work begins.
We welcome focused troubleshooting assignments and longer collaborations, particularly practical industry challenges that could lead to improved methods or new technologies.
About University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a large, comprehensive public research university in Edmonton with multiple campuses and a strong applied research culture. Industry engages through co-located labs and pilot-scale facilities, as well as established co-op and internship programs that place talent with partners year-round. Integration with Alberta’s province-wide hospital system supports clinical research and accelerates translation. Companies also benefit from proximity to regional industry clusters and collaboration hubs on and near campus for joint R&D and prototyping. Supported by NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, and Canada Foundation for Innovation funding—plus provincial and industry support—the tech transfer office manages IP, licensing, and startup formation with streamlined sponsored-research agreements.
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