KU Names Interim Director of Oil Recovery Research Program


Russ Ostermann

 



Russ Ostermann, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Kansas, has been named interim director of KU’s Tertiary Oil Recovery Program (TORP). The move is effective July 1.

Ostermann succeeds Jenn-Tai Liang, professor of chemical and petroleum engineering, who has accepted a faculty position in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University. Liang has directed TORP since 2007. A national search for the permanent director will begin soon.

TORP is a research center whose mission is to increase the extraction of crude oil from existing and largely depleted fields. Tertiary recovery methods include water flooding, chemical flooding and carbon dioxide injection. The program reports to the KU Office of Research.

Ostermann joined the faculty at KU in 1992. His academic background includes a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in chemical engineering from KU. He is director of petroleum engineering programs in the department and the inaugural recipient of its Don W. Green Teaching Fellowship.

“Russ is a good choice because he knows TORP and is an active researcher, with 10 years of continuous funding from the National Science Foundation,” said Joe Heppert, associate vice chancellor for research. “We appreciate his willingness to serve as interim director and are grateful to Jenn-Tai for all he has done to advance tertiary oil recovery research at KU.”

TORP has a close working relationship with the Kansas oil and gas industry as well as an active program for sharing research findings and field test results with producers. TORP also provides training in the application of tertiary oil recovery technology and efficient reservoir management. More information is available online.