OSU statement on opening of GE Global Research Center

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Statement from Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis on the opening of the new GE Global Research Center in Oklahoma City for oil and gas.

The new GE Global Research Center in Oklahoma City will play a critical role in developing technologies to promote responsible practices in the oil and gas sector. Oklahoma State University is already supporting energy research across several disciplines, including our unmanned vehicle program that is leveraging our expertise to more efficiently and effectively reduce methane emissions from operations. Faculty and students at Oklahoma State will benefit immensely from collaborating with GE scientists and researchers to produce creative solutions though new ideas and discoveries. The presence of GE in Oklahoma will help us better prepare a new generation of energy leaders to solve the most pressing challenges ahead and maintain the vibrancy of the oil and gas business as an important element of a diversified energy portfolio for our country.

From GE

GE Opens New Oil & Gas R&D Center in Oklahoma, Showcases Smart Sensing Drone, Advanced Labs and Emerging Digital Technology

• New Center to develop future digital industrial technologies for Oil & Gas industry
• GE unveils drone prototype to detect emissions at oilfields and improve customer operations
• 120 jobs located at the Center today, with potential to grow to 230\

Providing a present and future glimpse of promising new technologies in the pipeline for the Oil & Gas industry, GE (NYSE:GE) today held the grand opening of its new Oil & Gas Technology Center in Oklahoma City.  The new Center will become a central hub for GE scientists and engineers to closely collaborate with the Oil & Gas industry on cutting-edge digital and hardware solutions to advance the industry.

Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO, GE Oil & Gas said, “We believe a strong commitment to R&D will help our oil and gas customers find new efficiencies to work through tough market conditions and lead to transformational opportunities for the industry to thrive long-term.  The new technology center in Oklahoma City will accelerate innovation; it’s where we can bring the full power of digital solutions and technology from across GE’s industrial businesses to advance the Oil & Gas industry.”

At the Center opening, GE unveiled a prototype drone, nicknamed “Raven,” engineered to detect emissions precisely and cost-effectively, to help customers reduce environmental impact and improve operational efficiency in the Oil & Gas industry. Southwestern Energy Company successfully piloted the technology to detect emissions from oilfield equipment at well sites in Arkansas in July.

Vic Abate, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, GE said, “At our new research center in Oklahoma City, customers benefit from the collective global brain of technologists from our 10 GE global research centers around the world, as well as our 50,000 global GE engineers who span multiple industry sectors.  We call it the GE Store, and it allows us to bring innovation from other GE industries such as Aviation, Power, Healthcare and Transportation to transform and strengthen the Oil & Gas sector.”

About GE’s Oil & Gas Technology Center

GE’s new Oil & Gas Technology Center is five stories, with 125,000 sq. ft. of lab and office space that includes:

• 400-foot and 60-foot deep test wells
• Two 30-ton overhead cranes for moving large testing equipment
• An entire floor dedicated to customer collaboration with embassy offices

Michael Ming, General Manager of GE’s Global Research Oil and Gas Technology Center, said, “To the greatest extent possible, we are bringing the oilfield and our customers directly into our lab space. When you couple that with the world-leading scientists and engineers based here in Oklahoma City and at GE’s other global research centers around the world, you have a winning formula for driving transformational technologies the industry will need.”

Ming noted the research focus at the new Center will span across all areas of oil & gas from production solutions and well construction systems to oilfield facilities and systems and reservoir performance.

Although the new Center just recently opened, temporary offices were established more than two years ago in the City Place Tower in downtown Oklahoma City. With 120 employees today, the Center can accommodate as many as 230 people.

GE’s new Oil & Gas Technology Center has established several programs and partnerships with industry and academia, including Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma and has R&D agreements in place with many of the leading operators in North America.

For digital content related to this press release visit geglobalresearch.com.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

About GE Oil & Gas

GE Oil & Gas is inventing the next industrial era in the oil and gas sector. In our labs and factories, and in the field, we constantly push the boundaries of technology to solve today’s toughest operational & commercial challenges. We have the skills, knowledge and technical expertise to bring together the physical and digital worlds to fuel the future. Follow GE Oil & Gas on Twitter @GE_OilandGas or visit us at www.geoilandgas.com.

About GE Global Research

GE Global Research is the hub of technology development for all of GE’s businesses. Our scientists and engineers redefine what’s possible, drive growth for our businesses, and find answers to some of the world’s toughest problems. We innovate 24 hours a day, with sites in Niskayuna, New York; San Ramon, California; Detroit, Michigan; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Bangalore, India; Shanghai, China; Munich, Germany; Tirat Carmel, Israel; Dharan, Saudi Arabia; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Visit GE Global Research on the web at www.geglobalresearch.com. Connect with our technologists at www.geglobalresearch.com/blog and www.twitter.com/geresearch.