Labs & Research Spaces

EEEC houses numerous state-of-the-art laboratories and research spaces. Most serve dual duty as both research and teaching spaces. Many provide analytical services to internal and external users, and all are open to collaborators. These laboratories aspire to make a difference with Earth, Energy, and Environment research and education. Select from the list below to learn more about the facilities in Ritchie and Slawson Halls (EEEC).

Ritchie Hall Labs

  • Provide facilities for controlled pressure, volume, temperature experimentation that can be used for research and teaching at reservoir conditions
  • Provide facilities for 3D imaging of fluid flow in samples and cores, opening new research directions
  • Provide unique experimental system (being developed by KU researchers and partner) for live imaging of experiments (fracturing, chemical reaction, diffusion-dispersion).
  • Allow training of Geologists and Petroleum Engineers with state-of-the-art technology.
  • Reservoir Research Lab
  • FEI HeliScan Micro-CT
  • PerGeos software and specialized cluster computer for digital analysis of rock and core
  • PVT Equipment
  • Research grade microscopes
    • Nikon Eclipse E600 Fluorescence Microscope
    • Olympus BX51
    • Olympus BX53
    • Olympus BX60
  • Linkham heating and freezing stages
  • Fluid Inc heating and freezing stage
  • Magritek NMR
  • SIP lab
  • Improved training on state-of-the-art imaging techniques
  • CITL cathodoluminescence
  • Stereo microscopes
  • UV and petrographic microscope

Slawson Hall Labs

  • Core layout for instruction, tech transfer, workshops and meetings, research.
  • Two secure "bays"
  • Element-sheltered outside laboratory
  • Provide space for secure storage of a variety of equipment dispersed over several buildings and storage facilities; e.g. High resolution GPS, LiDAR systems, GPR systems, Geophysics equipment, Field Geochemical equipment, and many others
  • Provide ready access to equipment and a sheltered space for layout or for setting up class-related demos or experiments
  • Allow instruction on equipment use prior to leaving for the field, unhindered by changes in weather.
  • Provide area to securely lay out equipment prior to and after field activities (we run field activities nearly every week, and during early fall and late winter almost every weekend and every break)
  • One of the hallmarks of the KU program is that students get hands-on experience with field applications. An example is the Geophysics program, where students learn to do their own seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation. Few programs nationally train students in acquisition. This space is essential for that, but also serves as the necessary area to stage the next generation of field mapping technology using LiDAR. Probing the shallow subsurface from this lab, with GPR and hydrogeology equipment also has important applications to field environmental geology.
  • Lab Website
  • Two Mat 253 Mass spectrometers
  • Kiel automated reaction device for carbonates
  • Gasbench

More info coming soon!

  • Two state of the art laboratories, each with over 10 high-end dual-screen workstations. Software includes Kingdom Suite, Petra, Petrel, ArcGIS, Dionisios, Erdas, and others
  • Meet the high demand for teaching and research by increasing capacity by eight-fold
  • Train a larger number of students, postdocs and researchers, in the use of the latest software
  • Allow student and faculty to conduct research without conflicting with class instruction
  • Provide facilities that will allow KU to partner with industry to offer short-courses and workshops to service surrounding academic institutions and possibly small corporations.
  • An immersive 3D facility that will serve as a core facility for the institution and the state. Includes the Glick and Harbaugh labs
  • Allow instruction and research with state of the art 3D visualization
  • Produce geoscientists and petroleum engineers that are familiar and ready users of the latest visualization techniques
  • Provide an environment for unique training and course development in partnership with industry to meet current and future workforce needs/demands (e.g. geosteering training, CO2 flooding training, etc.)
  • Harbaugh 3D Collaboration and Visualization Lab:
    • Video conferencing
    • Two high-resolution video multi-touch tables
    • Two 3D capable video walls
    • Graphics computers
    • Sound system
    • Lab can house up to two groups of six for collaboration on digital imagery
    • This lab is reservable. Please contact eeecenter@ku.edu to reserve.
  • Provides expanded space for experimental systems. Including flow through cells, columns.
  • Allow for incorporation of upper level class laboratory exercises to improve training of students
  • Provide increased capability for experimental and field based research in partnership with industry (e.g. geofluid analysis, microbial systems in reservoirs)
  • Anaerobic Chamber
  • Perkin Elmer Optima 5300 DV/ 5300DV ICP-OES Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer

More information coming soon!

More information coming soon!

  • Lab Website
  • ThermoFinnigan Trace Gas Chromatograph-DSQ Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer
  • To conduct research on:
    • CO2 enhanced oil recovery lab for TORP
    • Fluid cleanup lab for TORP
    • Conformance control lab for TORP
    • Conductivity cell lab for TORP
    • Nano-gel polymer fracking fluid experiment lab
    • Produced water treatment
    • Micro-scale investigation of different EOR processes using micro-CT imagary techniques at pore levels
    • Polymeric gel placement in porous media for conformance control
    • Pore-scale network modeling of two- and three-phase flow in porous media
    • Experimental investigation of multi-phase flow in fractures of conventional and unconventional samples
    • The impact of micro-porosity and wide pore size distribution of carbonates on multi-phase flow
  • TORP Website