Subsurface Simulation

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 1,082,520 - 1,093,680; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monthly stipend

Job summary

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) administers the NETL Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program at the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh. This on-site postdoc opportunity focuses on subsurface simulation under expert mentorship.

Selected candidates will design reservoir models, calibrate against experiments and field data, and apply ML and geostatistical methods to advance unconventional oil recovery and gas storage research.

Qualifications

• PhD in petroleum engineering, geoscience, civil engineering, applied mathematics or related field.
• Experience with reservoir simulators (CMG GEM, Eclipse) or open-source tools (TOUGH, PFLOTRAN).
• Proficiency in geologic/geostatistical modeling and scripting for data analysis.
• Strong programming skills (Python, R) for data analysis and ML.

Responsibilities

• Design and validate numerical reservoir models for unconventional oil recovery.
• Calibrate and history-match models with lab and field data.
• Conduct sensitivity analyses and optimization for recovery and storage.
• Apply geostatistical methods to quantify subsurface uncertainty.
• Build 3D geologic/petrophysical models using logs, cores, seismic data.

Skills

Python

R

Data analysis

Machine learning

Education

PhD in petroleum engineering or related field

Tools

CMG GEM

Eclipse

TOUGH

PFLOTRAN

Petrel

Job description

Organization National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)

Reference Code NETL-Postdoc-2026-Lackey

Application Deadline

1/1/2027 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

The National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL's) record of success has been built on understanding the future of energy and the technologies required to make that future possible. We’ve long touted our success in developing the technologies that took on acid rain in the 1970s and mercury in the early 2000s.

Program Goals

The NETL Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (Postdoc) is a high-intensity program designed to identify recent Doctoral graduates of high promise and to foster advanced skill development. It allows the postdoc to systematically outline career goals and helps provide the means of achieving these goals. NETL principal investigators and leads serve as mentors to postdoctoral participants during the program. This interaction affords the postdoc a unique opportunity to develop critical skills needed to become an independent professional.

• Develop skills and knowledge in their field of study
• Engage with new areas of basic and applied research
• Network with world-class scientists
• Exchange ideas and skills with the Laboratory community
• Use state-of-the-art equipment
• Contribute to answers for today\'s pressing scientific questions
• Collaborate with the broader scientific and technical communities

Project Details

Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), this posting seeks a post-Doctoral researcher to engage in projects with the Research Innovation Center (RIC) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in the area of Subsurface Simulation under the mentorship of Greg Lackey. This project will be hosted on-site at the NETL Pittsburgh, PA campus.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) Subsurface Simulation Group is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects within the Oil & Gas Center of Excellence. NETL is the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbon and Geothermal Laboratory. The Oil & Gas Center of Excellence is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and focuses on advancing oil and gas technologies that strengthen U.S. energy security and resiliency.

In this opportunity, the participant will collaborate with researchers on an overarching project involving unconventional enhanced oil recovery, natural gas storage, and/or produced water disposal. The overall goals of the overarching project are to: (1) close the gap between lab- and field-scale observations of enhanced recovery techniques in unconventional reservoirs, (2) identify new opportunities for safely and effectively expanding underground natural gas storage operations in the U.S., and (3) optimize produced water disposal operations to maximize stored volumes.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow Selected For This Project Will Conduct Research In Collaboration With NETL Federal And Contract Staff. You Will Learn How To Do The Following

• Design and validate numerical reservoir models for unconventional enhanced oil recovery processes in shale and tight formations.
• Calibrate and history-match models against laboratory experiments (e.g., core-flood) and field data to understand and quantify fundamental recovery mechanisms.
• Conduct sensitivity analyses and optimization studies to identify strategies for maximizing desired subsurface outcomes (e.g., recovery efficiency, increased storage)
• Apply geostatistical methods (e.g., kriging) to characterize the spatial heterogeneity of key reservoir parameters (e.g., porosity, permeability) and quantify subsurface uncertainty through stochastic methods.
• Build 3D geologic and petrophysical models of oil and gas reservoirs using well logs, core, seismic, and completion data.
• Integrate machine-learning and data-driven techniques for reservoir proxy modeling.

Additionally, You Will Have The Opportunity To

• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams that include petroleum engineers, geologists, software developers, and data scientists.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals, present at technical conferences, and contribute to proposals and reports for project sponsors.
• Gain knowledge in developing numerical reservoir simulation models for unconventional reservoirs.
• Advance subsurface characterization skills through the integration of geologic modeling, geostatistics, and uncertainty quantification.
• Build written and oral communication skills through peer-reviewed publication, presentation at technical conferences, and collaboration with a broad array of stakeholders.

Stipend: The selected participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

• Post-Doctoral stipend is $8126 per month.

Program Requirements

Participants may also have the opportunity to contribute to manuscripts, journal articles, book chapters, conference presentations, posters, patents, and other publications as a part of their appointment. Such achievements should also be reported to ORISE; additional details are provided after an offer has been accepted.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory system, is owned and operated by the DOE. NETL supports the DOE mission to advance the energy security of the United States. This is an educational opportunity offered by NETL and administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Participants in the program are not considered employees of NETL, DOE, the program administrator, or any other office or agency.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate would have some, but not necessarily all, of the following skills:

• PhD in petroleum engineering, civil engineering, geoscience, applied mathematics or a related field.
• Experience with commercial reservoir simulators (e.g., CMG GEM, Eclipse) and/or open-source porous media transport codes (e.g., TOUGH, PFLOTRAN)
• Proficiency with geologic and geostatistical modeling tools (e.g., Petrel)
• Strong programming skills (Python, R) for data analysis and machine learning.
• Ability to research independently and collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.

To Be Eligible

• have received a Doctoral degree within the last five years or be currently enrolled in a Doctoral degree program and complete the degree prior to the appointment start date.

Point of Contact

Cinnamon

Eligibility

Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing. Discipline(s): Chemistry and Materials Sciences, with sub-disciplines including Analytical Chemistry, Bio-inorganic Chemistry, Bio-organic Chemistry, Biophysical Chemistry, Chemistry (General), Environmental Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Sciences, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry. Communications and Graphics Design; Computer, Information, and Data Sciences; Earth and Geosciences; Engineering; Environmental and Marine Sciences; Life Health and Medical Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics; Physics; Science & Engineering-related; Social and Behavioral Sciences. Age: Must be 18 years of age.

Affirmation

I certify that I attend or attended a regionally accredited college or university and:

• Have earned a Doctoral degree no more than five years before the date of application.
• Will receive a Doctoral degree by the appointment start date