Hamad Rashid Al Mohannadi (right) shakes hand with Dr Mark Weichold after the signing ceremony, yesterday. (Qassim Rahmatullah)

Doha • RasGas Company Limited (RasGas) will fund a research project with Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) to develop wireless communication system for drilling wells.

An agreement regarding this was signed by RasGas Managing Director and CEO Hamad Rashid Al Mohannadi and TAMUQ CEO and Dean, Dr Mark Weichold, at a function held at the new TAMUQ engineering building, yesterday.

The research project, led by Dr Scott Miller , a professor of electrical engineering at the College Station campus of Texas A & M, will develop improved techniques for acoustical wireless down-hole communication system. Dr Miller, along with Dr Khalid Qaraqe and Dr Salim Alouini, both electrical engineering faculty at TAMUQ, as well as the Qatari students, will work with engineers from industry to develop and implement state-of-the-art system. As Qatar's LNG industry gears up to meet a target of 77 million tones per annum (mta) of LNG by 2012, accurate evaluation of producing wells is crucial.

The project will carefully study and characterize acoustical communication techniques and evaluate the propagation of acoustic waves in a pipe that is installed inside a well. A prototype system will be designed based on the results of the propagation Studies. The project will also develop specification for RasGas specific well construction.

"This research project is part of ongoing collaborations between Texas A&M University at Qatar and RasGas, and it highlights both entities' commitment to research. With these funds from RasGas, our researchers will be able to conduct a thorough and meaningful investigation to improve the oil and gas industry in the State of Qatar in a significant way", said Dr James Holste, associate dean for research and graduate studies at TQMUQ.

Hamad Rashid Al Mohannadi said: “RasGas sponsorship of this project is yet another tangible step to further strengthening, not only the cooperation between RasGas and Texas A&M, but is a step towards strengthening the cooperation between Qatar industry and our educational institutions which will add significant value to Qatar's future prosperity and growth".

Yesterday's signing ceremony was followed by anMoU signed between TAMUQ and RasGas in 2006. The MoU covers the relationship between RasGas and TAMUQ in many areas of cooperation.