Funded PhD Scholarship in Oil, Gas & Energy Engineering

Funded PhD Scholarship in Oil, Gas & Energy Engineering
The University of Nicosia, Cyprus’ largest private co-educational and most-diverse institution, welcomes applications for a fully funded PhD fellowship. Research will be conducted at the recently established Programme in Oil & Gas Engineering housed at the new Research & Technology Building, in Nicosia. The Programme in Oil & Gas Engineering aspires to become a leading educational platform for students, energy companies and the public sector engaged in the emerging Oil & Gas sector.
The scholarship covers the full tuition fees for a duration of three (3) years amounting to a total of 13,500 euros. The successful candidate will need to fit in one of the following research topics:
1. Engineering Aspects of Submarine Pipelines Crossing Geological Hazards
Depending on the characteristics of the seabed, submarine pipelines often have to cross various hazards, which may range from gas seeps to mud volcanoes. The main objectives of this project are to identify and address submarine geo-hazards while taking into account pipeline hydraulics and the formation of gas hydrates. Computational modelling will be used to investigate the integrity of a subsea pipeline and flow assurance aspects in the context of various seismic scenarios.
2. The Role of Oil and Natural Gas in a Carbon Constrained World
The combustion of fossil fuels releases heat trapping gases implicated with rising earth temperatures. As the pressure on oil & gas companies to divest from exploration & production activities intensifies, one of the critical questions that arises is “how will future energy demands be met?” In achieving the commonly cited 2˚C temperature below the pre-industrial levels, advocates claim that some of the oil & gas reserves will remain untapped—a term coined as carbon bubble. This project aims to address the following overarching questions of: a) What will the future energy mix be? and b) What role will fossil fuels play in a carbon constrained world? In doing so, we will use a combination of modelling and analytical tools to explore various plausible scenarios while taking into account developing countries’ energy needs and health side-effects. The research will be mostly quantitative in nature.
The successful candidate needs to hold a Master’s degree from an accredited academic institution in one of the following fields: Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related field including the physical sciences. In addition, the successful candidate should possess:
• A first class honours or good upper second class degree, or a GPA of at least 3.33/4.0
• Good computer programming skills, e.g., Matlab or Fortran
• Sound interpersonal and communication capabilities
• Previous experience with computational fluid dynamics (topic 1) will be considered an advantage
Applicants should submit the following documents:
• A full CV including copies of academic degrees and undergraduate & graduate grades
• Two recommendation letters
• Proof of proficiency in the English language
• A short description of their research and professional objectives
For more info, you may contact Dr Constantinos Hadjistassou, Assistant Professor of Engineering Science, at Hadjistassou.c@unic.ac.cy
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.