Postdoctoral Fellow - Advanced EOR Formulation and Interface Physics in Nanoporous Rocks (Shale)

About the role

The successful candidate will join an elite, fast-moving, and tightly integrated research cohort at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), UT Austin. They are a small but exceptionally strong team dedicated to pioneering innovative experimental and modeling techniques that bridge the gap between laboratory-scale physics and field-scale implementation. Their mission centers on developing next-generation solutions for energy security, efficiency, and sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct advanced high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) injection, and microscale huff-and-puff experiments to evaluate CO2, gas, and chemical EOR performance.
• Quantify rock wettability and alterations, interfacial tension (IFT), and the aqueous stability/rheology of complex surfactant-nanoparticle suspensions.
• Formulate, test, and optimize multi-component injectants, including CO2-co-solvent blends, surfactant co-injections, and foam systems for mobility and conformance control.
• Document experimental workflows, author high-impact peer-reviewed publications, deliver technical presentations, and collaborate closely with numerical modeling team members to upscale laboratory findings.

Requirements

• PhD in Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Geological Engineering/Geosciences, Material Science, Interfacial Science, or a closely related discipline.
• Extensive hands-on experience in an HPHT laboratory environment, specifically dealing with CO2 and shale oil and gas, high salinity brine, high-pressure pumps, and fluid handling.
• Proven expertise in evaluating fluid-fluid and fluid-rock properties (wettability, IFT, surfactant chemistry, or colloidal stability).
• Excellent technical writing skills with a verified track record of publication in top-tier journals.
• PhD must have been obtained within 3 years from date of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• PVT & Thermodynamic Modeling: Integrate laboratory observations with phase behavior modeling to characterize complex fluid mixtures and multi-phase behavior.
• Hands-on proficiency with PVT and thermodynamic phase behavior software (e.g., WinProp, PVTi) to match experimental fluid data.
• Demonstrated experience working with nanoparticles, colloidal suspensions, or advanced materials (specifically managing aqueous stability and transport in porous media).
• Experience with foam generation and foam rheology in porous media.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications:
• Preferred Qualifications:

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

$65,000+ depending on qualifications

Schedule

Not specified.