Houston Daily

The University of Houston is taking a leading role in a collaborative initiative aimed at making offshore energy production safer, cleaner, and more efficient. The project, supported by $1.1 million in grants from the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI), brings together engineers from UH, Texas A&M University, and Louisiana State University to develop advanced modeling tools for optimizing deepwater oil recovery in the Gulf of Mexico.

This effort seeks to reduce operational costs, enhance safety and environmental performance, and provide guidance for federal policy on deep-sea reservoirs. The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station will manage the project.

Ganesh Thakur, director of UH Energy Industrial Partnerships at the University of Houston, stated: “This research will help shape future government and industry policies on how we responsibly manage deep-sea reservoirs.”

UH secured four out of six available grants related to this project. Professors Ganesh Thakur and George Wong from UH’s Cullen College of Engineering are leading much of the work. Overall funding for the joint initiative totals $1.9 million under OESI’s Technical Response for Urgent and Significant Topics program.

Thakur emphasized the broader impact: “Our goal is to make offshore production more sustainable, cost-effective and safe, benefitting both the energy industry and consumers.”

The teams plan to use simulation and statistical analysis techniques to determine optimal strategies for managing deepwater oil reservoirs. While UH focuses mainly on non-Paleogene reservoirs, Professor Wong will collaborate with Texas A&M and LSU on Paleogene reservoir studies.

By improving management practices and minimizing extraction-related risks, researchers aim to extend resource life while reducing environmental harm.

“You want to maximize recovery without harming the reservoir,” Thakur said. “If we can do that efficiently and responsibly, it’s a win-win situation – we produce more energy, safely and at lower cost.”

He also noted that although immediate impacts may not be apparent to consumers, long-term benefits could include lower oil production costs that might eventually lead to more stable fuel prices: “People may not feel it initially, but if it increases the oil production in the U.S. and lowers the cost of production, then the cost of gas at the pumps may go down,” he said. “Looking at the big picture, it’s a small but very important ripple effect.”

Research began August 1 with draft simulations expected by November’s end; final results should be completed by February 2026.

The OESI grant awards follow recent recognition for two UH projects named as finalists in the $50 million Gulf Futures Challenge—an initiative focused on innovative solutions for critical issues along the U.S. Gulf Coast that promote community resilience. These projects involve repurposing outdated infrastructure like wind turbine blades or decommissioned oil platforms for coastal habitat improvement.