Shell Research Alliance
In today鈥檚 competitive business environment, cross-sector collaboration can drive faster ideation and innovation by integrating knowledge and resources from non-traditional partners in academia, government and other research institutions to address the world鈥檚 key technology challenges. We learn from their expertise 鈥� and we give them the chance to apply their work in the real world, such as in our operations. In 2019 alone, we embarked on 223 research and development projects world-wide. We have nurtured a network of institutions across the world 鈥� from Brazil to China, the USA and Europe 鈥� all aligned by a common goal: to develop the technology of our near, medium and long-term energy futures.
Industry collaborations
Gordon Murray Design and Geo Technology
Co-engineering an ultra-efficient concept city car
Shell worked alongside two innovative industry leaders, Gordon Murray Design and Geo Technology, to co-engineer and build an ultra-compact and energy-efficient city car. The collaboration between world-leading vehicle, engine and lubricant designers, resulted in the Shell Concept Car, where vehicle body, engine design and lubricants are tailored to work optimally with each other.
Discover more about the Shell Concept Car
China National Petroleum
Drilling wells efficiently
Together with China National Petroleum Corporation, we formed the Sirius Well Manufacturing Services joint venture to develop a highly-automated well manufacturing system to drill for gas resources trapped tightly in dense rock 鈥� a process that requires many small wells. The technology aims to reduce the environmental footprint of drilling and better manage logistics.
Cyber Hawk
Improving safety
We work closely with Cyber Hawk 鈥� an aerial inspection and surveying company that uses remotely-operated aerial vehicles (ROAVs) popularly called 鈥渄rones鈥� 鈥� to inspect locations such as refineries and chemical plants. ROAVs can easily inspect places that are hard for people to reach, helping them stay safe while saving time and reducing the need for plants to be shut down for inspection.
Using high-tech drones to go places humans would rather avoid
Intel
Data processing to see more clearly beneath the surface
Shell works closely with Intel on high-performance computing technologies that help to gather, process and visualise more data in more detail. Our partnership addresses current and future seismic data-processing challenges and informs Shell鈥檚 decisions related to technology and investment in new algorithms.
Discover more about Shell and seismic imaging
Qinetiq
Monitoring oil and gas production using fibre optics
We partner with aerospace company Qinetiq in the use of fibre optics to help production in oil and gas fields as well as field monitoring. Fibreoptic sensing technology can detect even minute changes in the physical conditions of oil and gas production equipment. With this information, engineers can precisely adjust controls and help boost production. The system is also compact and able to operate in a wide range of temperatures.
Academia and research
University of California, Berkeley
Researching more and cleaner energy solutions
Shell has signed a research agreement with the University of California, Berkeley鈥檚 (UC Berkley) Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI). Its main objective will be to harness the power of renewable energy sources that will develop the fuels of the future as well as create robust options for energy storage.
The five-year research collaboration will also seek to build capabilities in computational material science and chemistry as well as probe the potential of the bioscience pathways across the energy system.
Delft University
Boosting oil and gas recovery
Shell, Delft University in the Netherlands and Integrated System Approach Petroleum Production (ISAPP) invest in joint research into oil and gas production technology. Their research aims to increase the recovery of oil and gas by developing more intelligent, faster, flexible and cost-effective production systems.
Imperial College London
Exploring opportunities across the value chain
Shell has established two technology centres at Imperial College London. The first addresses research in lubrication and fuels science and was established in 2013. The second, launched three years later, is for advanced interfacial materials science.
Storing CO2 from industrial sources underground in the long term could help reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. Together with Imperial College London, Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Science and Technology Park, Shell has gained a decade鈥檚 worth of research and development into cost-effective, secure and permanent CO2 storage in carbonate reservoirs.
Discover more about carbon capture and storage
The Institute for Sustainable Process Technology
Cleaning up natural gas
Shell is working with the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology in the Netherlands on a project that uses membranes to separate natural gas from impurities such as other gases. The research will help us extract natural gas from so-called 鈥渟our鈥� fields high in hydrogen sulphide.
Discover more about natural gas
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Developing technologies for the future
Our collaboration with MIT in the USA covers a broad array of technologies. These include next-generation applications in geophysical imaging, advanced visualisation, nanotechnology, bio- and molecular chemistry, electronics, structural engineering and computer modelling.
Find out more about Shell and groundbreaking technology
Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development
Enhancing techniques in oil recovery
Shell collaborates with China National Petroleum Corporation鈥檚 Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development on enhanced oil recovery (EOR), unconventional gas and liquid-rich shale.
Discover more about EOR at Shell
Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cutting CO2 emissions
Our strategic partnership with the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences focuses on joint research projects in 鈥渇rontier science鈥�. These include hybrid energy systems, carbon capture and storage and new materials and catalysts.
Government collaborations
City of Dawson Creek, Canada
Recycling waste water
We have been partnering with the City of Dawson Creek in Canada since 2012 to recycle waste water which we then use at our Groundbirch tight gas project. We pump the recycled water into wells at high pressure to help release natural gas.
Discover more about Shell and fresh water
The Energy Technology Institute
Supporting climate change goals
Shell is a member of the Energy Technology Institute, a 麻豆传媒-based partnership formed by the 麻豆传媒 Government and global industries. Together, we work to speed up the development and commercial use of secure, reliable and cost-effective low-carbon technologies. Currently, some of the partnership鈥檚 technology focus areas are in distributing energy, carbon capture and storage and bio energy.
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