WA:ERA Partners

The State Government of Western Australia

The Major Research Facility (MRF) Grant provided by the State Government of Western Australia aimed to create a critical mass of researchers, and was the financial catalyst that launched WA:ERA as a research hub for the oil and gas industry. State Government support has enabled WA:ERA to establish its capability and reputation in a relatively short time frame, enabling the Alliance Partners to collectively launch research programs on an internationally competitive scale, attract the world’s best researchers, and significantly increase industry investment in research and development.  State Government support of WA:ERA through the Department of Industry and Resources is ensuring that the skilled practitioners needed to assist the development of the Western Australian energy industry are both attracted to and trained in the State. This in turn builds capability, sustains Australia’s growth and wealth and is helping to secure Australia’s position as a leading edge knowledge community of the future.

CSIRO

CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.  It contributes to WA:ERA through a number of Divisions and National Research Flagships:

• Energy Transformed National Research Flagship is responding to environmental challenges facing the energy sector, and in collaboration with national and global partners, seeks to deliver energy solutions for a sustainable future.  The Flagship aims to identify optimum sustainable energy pathways and to supply information to the energy sector regarding current research in this field.
• Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship is increasing our knowledge of ocean systems and processes and aims to provide Australians with access to the vast economic and social wealth of our ocean territories, while preserving their envrionmental value.
• CSIRO Exploration and Mining works to ensure the continuing prosperity of the minerals industry in Australia.
• CSIRO Petroleum Resources provides technologies to help improve Australia's oil self sufficiency and grow its gas industry, which, with a smaller environmental footprint can play a lead role in Australia's energy future.

Curtin University of Technology

Curtin University of Technology is Western Australia’s largest university with over 40,000 students. Undergraduate programs centre on the provision of knowledge and skills to meet industry and workplace standards. Curtin’s extensive Research and Development Program has an overarching objective of solving real world problems and has strong strategic partnerships with industry and government.  The participation of Curtin University of Technology in the Alliance is centred on its Departments of Petroleum Engineering and Exploration Geophysics, together with a number of separately constituted research units. In total, some 50 research staff operate under the aegis of WA:ERA.  Curtin is also involved with the national Australian Petroleum Cooperative Research Centre and the Cooperative Research Centre for Greehouse Gas Technologies.

The University of Western Australia

The University of Western Australia is recognised internationally for its excellence in teaching and research and as a leading intellectual and creative resource to the communities it serves.  An emphasis on research and research training is a defining characteristic of The University, making it one of Australia’s leading research-intensive universities. This is evident in the University’s vision for the 21st Century and in its mission:

“To advance, transmit and sustain knowledge and
understanding through the conduct of teaching,
research and scholarship at the highest international
standards, for the benefit of the Western Australian,
Australian and international communities”.

The University of Western Australia participates in WA:ERA through a number of key areas: the School of Mechanical Engineering (which merged with the School of Oil and Gas Engineering in 2007), the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, the School of Civil Engineering, the School of Earth and Geographical Sciences and the Business School, representing a resource base of more than 60 oil, gas and infrastructure related research staff.