Mission

To work in partnership with our government and industry stakeholders to advance the state of the art in shale gas by upgrading industry technologies through basic research. The CIGRU portfolio of activities achieves this mission through cross-cutting research of emerging enabling technologies, interdisciplinary training of scientists and engineers, and facilitation of technology transfer to the private and government sectors.

Ultimately, the CIGRU’s mission is to stimulate economic well-being in West Virginia and the world through technical innovation, knowledge creation, and educational excellence.

Resources

• Eight faculty from five colleges in WVU

• Over twenty graduate students and post-doctoral graduates

• Catalysis and reaction engineering facilities that include microwave and microwave plasma reactors

• Analytical instrumentation in shared service

• Experimental and computational combustion engine laboratories
  

Areas of Focus

Natural Resource Management

• Microwave catalysis for direct shale gas conversion to chemicals
• Shale gas to transportation fuel
• Shale gas for diesel engine vehicles
• Fuel cells (solid oxide fuel, hydrogen fuel cell)
• Shale gas for power generation

Energy Production, Consumption and Markets

• Energy, chemicals and transportation
• Energy prices and markets in the Middle East
• Substitution in electricity generation: a structural change from hydraulic fracturing technology 
• Economic analysis of energy alternatives and policies for West Virginia
• Shale gas utilization, resource/environmental management and policy
• Supply chain management and logistics
• Water reuse, treatment, disposal, transportation
• Energy production, grid infrastructure and management

Finance and Economics

• Pricing and modeling of natural gas futures and options
• Financial risk management using natural gas derivatives
• The effect of macroeconomic news on natural gas prices
• Price discovery in the natural gas market
• The characterization of competitive market making in the natural gas market
• The impact of technological changes on natural gas prices

External Partnership Opportunities

The CIGRU is interested in partnerships with academia, industry and United States national laboratories to stimulate additional opportunities for competitive research as well pathways for creation of intellectual property and cross-cutting educational and workforce training, and economic development opportunities for the citizens of West Virginia.

CIGRU