Ben-Gurion University of the Negev receives $450,000 grant to conduct oil and natural gas research

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have received a $450,000 grant (£290,000) from the Wolfson Family Charitable Trust and Wolfson Foundation for projects related to oil and gas generation and its environmental impact.

According to BGU's Vice President for Research and Development Prof. Moti Herskowitz, these two projects are part of the University's overall commitment to research alternative energy sources and cleaner technologies. "This support reflects BGU's leadership role in alternative energy research in Israel thanks to its multidisciplinary approach," says Herskowitz, who is also the founder and director of the BGU Blechner Center for Industrial Catalysis and Process Development.

One of the grant projects being conducted at the Blechner Center is focused on using a novel method for conversion of natural gas to syngas through catalytic partial oxidation for downstream treatment of natural gas. The researchers believe that this process provides significant opportunities for commercial production.

The other project involves tracking oil and gas formation in a variety of environments, source rocks and generation mechanisms, through the investigation of sulfur and short hydrocarbon transformations using molecular and isotopic geochemical approach. The research will be conducted by BGU's Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences to help improve the understanding of oil and gas generation and their environmental impact.

"BGU has a worldwide reputation for its research and innovation in alternative energy, and now, this grant will further Israel's position in reducing worldwide reliance on oil, as part of the BGU energy initiative," says Doron Krakow, executive vice president of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Provided by American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev