Eric Cayeux awarded Statoil research prize

The prize of NOK 200,000 and a lithography by Håkon Bleken was awarded by Karl Johnny Hersvik, Senior Vice President in Statoil Research & Development in Trondheim, Norway on April 17.

“The technological challenges are getting more complex. We are going deeper, longer and colder – outside The Norwegian Continental Shelf. To crack the technology challenges we need world class research, and Eric Cayeux’ work in automated drilling has been of high importance”, Hersvik says.

Eric Cayeux, who is Chief scientist in drilling & well modeling at IRIS (International Research Institute of Stavanger), is accepting the prize with honor.

“I wasn’t expecting this, but I’m very happy. The prize is a great recognition for the work done over the last six or seven years, and Statoil has been very important as an partner for the implementation of the projects. The Institute has done the main work, but we received great knowledge and support from Statoil – both in good times and in bad times. I really appreciate the support, and it’s good to see that automated drilling are getting prioritized by Statoil”, Cayeux says.

Cayeux, who also won Sparebank 1 SR-Bank’s Innovation Award in 2009, has been a central figure in a number of projects and products within automated drilling: The method and software Drillscene that can predict potential problems in drilling operations way before they occur, Drilltronics which is a product for the automation of drilling operations, and Virtual Rig which is a virtual laboratory that facilitates the development and design of future drilling technology.

“This is complementary projects which is well connected within an area who is prioritized by Statoil – and Statoil have opened our eyes for the totality of the projects. We had a big problem which we attacked from several angles, and thus came up with many ways to deal with the problem”, Cayeux says.

Statoil’s research prize seeks to recognize scientific results at a high international level. It aims to provide an inspiration for others and to support continued research in disciplines regarded by the group as important for its business.

“Cayeux is recognized for being able to combine high level theoretical knowledge with hands-on practical insight. This combination of skills is probably the main reason why he has become well known for his innovative research and as a person that “makes things happen”, Karl Johnny Hersvik says.