The University of Tulsa recently hosted the state’s first National Academy of Engineering (NAE) member-led event, bringing global leaders in energy research and innovation to campus to explore pathways toward carbon-neutral oil production.
The two-day event, held April 24-25 and titled “Carbon Capture, Sequestration, and the Future of Energy,” was organized by the College of Engineering and Computer Science in partnership with the NAE. It was chaired by James Brill, the university’s Jeffrey McDougall Eminent Professor of Petroleum Engineering and an NAE member.
“This was a milestone event for our university and the state,” said Dean Andreas Polycarpou, the inaugural James Sorem Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “We brought 14 National Academy members to Tulsa to tackle the most urgent challenges facing the energy sector—a notable achievement for any academic institution.”
Industry executives, researchers, and policymakers from around the world gathered to discuss technologies and strategies that could reduce the carbon footprint of oil production without compromising global energy needs.
In her keynote address, Vicki Hollub, NAE member and CEO and President of Occidental Petroleum, shared how the company is using carbon dioxide in enhanced oil recovery to create net-zero carbon oil.
“We’ve done the math and we tell people that we can generate net-zero carbon oil,” Hollub said. “What we need is help convincing the world that what we’re saying is valid.”
Panelists emphasized that oil will remain a critical part of the energy mix for decades, particularly as global energy demand surges. Ken McQueen, former New Mexico and Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Moderator of the Future of Energy Panel, cited artificial intelligence as a major driver of projected demand increases – up to 60 percent worldwide by 2050.
“With the advent of AI, we are seeing enormous, unbelievable growth potential in our energy demand,” McQueen said. “This growth requires innovative solutions to keep energy prices low while reducing CO2 emissions.”
Yassin Hassan, University Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Energy and Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, described the potential of compact “micro” nuclear reactors for clean, portable energy.
“You can put it on a truck or in an airplane,” said Hassan. “That’s where we are going. It’s safer. It’s smaller.”
“We have to accelerate the energy transition,” said Jittisa Ketkaew, Principal Technologist for Bloom Energy, the world’s largest fuel cell company. “What energy transition means to us is to be able to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy. So, in my opinion – or in a lot of our opinions – carbon capture is the only path forward.”
Once captured, carbon dioxide can be injected into oil fields to increase production, with the CO2 then permanently stored underground.
“The process not only will extract previously unreachable oil, it will also provide a financial incentive to capture CO2 instead of releasing it as an emission.” said Charles Gorecki, CEO of the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota.
“We’re going to see a lot of growth in things like nuclear, wind, solar, and other renewables, but at the end of the day, fossil fuels will likely be a large part of our mix,” Gorecki said. “So how do we continue to have that and at the same time manage carbon dioxide? We’re talking about using carbon dioxide as a commodity, as opposed to dealing with it as waste.”
Other speakers at the member-led event included Raj Singh, Regents Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Oklahoma State University, who examined challenges to carbon capture, use, and storage, such as financial costs and regulatory issues.
Sally Benson, Precourt Family Professor in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, provided an overview of recent advances in CO2 storage science and engineering, including new results from a GeoCquest Field Validation Testing being conducted in Australia.
The event further established UTulsa as a leader in energy innovation, while underscoring the critical role universities play in driving sustainable solutions. As home to one of the nation’s top-ranked petroleum engineering programs, The University of Tulsa is well positioned to explore the complex challenges raised during this NAE member-led event—empowering both faculty and students to help shape the future of energy.
“The UTulsa team set a very high bar for a member-led National Academy of Engineering event,” said Al Romig, executive officer of the National Academy of Engineering.
About NAE
Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering is a private, independent, nonprofit organization that promotes the engineering profession and encourages public appreciation of engineering.
NAE has more than 2,000 peer-elected members and international members, senior professionals in business, academia, and government. The NAE is part of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The NAE approves several member-led events during the year, but this was the first large-scale MLE that NAE has approved.