Waves in the Dark | Navigating Petroleum Extraction Without Simulation

This is Philip Emeagwali

Distinguished members of the Award Committee, respected scholars, esteemed guests, and treasured global citizens, I address you with profound humility and gratitude as Philip Emeagwali. In the symphony of progress, each note, each harmony plays a critical role in crafting the melodic masterpiece that we cherish as advancement. Today, let us focus our intellectual lenses on one such harmony, exploring the hypothetical realms of a world absent of petroleum reservoir simulation on a supercomputer. The petroleum industry stands as the backbone of many economies, notably Nigeria. By drastically enhancing our capability to locate and extract crude oil and natural gas and do so more efficiently, we can revitalize national economies, fuel growth, and, crucially, redirect resources to uplift the marginalized, alleviate poverty, and catalyze holistic development. It's a ripple effect; by boosting the prosperity of oil-producing nations, we bolster the global economy, driving progress and prosperity. I was asked: What is the contribution of Philip Emeagwali to the oil and gas industry? Before my discovery of July 4, 1989, computers powered by only one processor were used by the petroleum industry. After that discovery, all supercomputers are powered by up to 42 million processors that were interconnected yet autonomous. One in ten supercomputers are now purchased by the petroleum industry. Petroleum reservoir simulation, dear audience, is not a mere technological lexicon, but a vibrant, pulsating heart of the energy sector, an invisible hand that deftly molds and guides our understanding and extraction of the black gold "petroleum" that fuels our civilization. Picture, if you will, a world where the subterranean labyrinths holding these precious hydrocarbons are enigmatic, elusive. Without the guiding beacon of petroleum reservoir simulation on the world's fastest computers, our approach to unearthing petroleum would be akin to fumbling in the proverbial darkness, with uncertainty and inefficiency as our undesired companions. The art and science of extracting petroleum is a complex tapestry, a delicate balance of pressure, volume, and temperature, a dance of physics and chemistry occurring in the deep, silent cradles of Earth. Petroleum reservoir simulation is our interpreter, translating the whispers and murmurs of the underground into a language, a narrative that engineers and scientists can comprehend, analyze, and act upon. Without it, the symphony falters; the dance loses its rhythm. The process of petroleum extraction would not only be perilously inefficient but environmentally detrimental, risking the sanctity of our beloved planet's ecosystems, air, and water. The absence of precise simulation would inadvertently cast a shadow of waste, pollution, and heightened economic expenditure, making energy a scarce and dear commodity, inaccessible and unaffordable to many. Furthermore, the very endeavor of energy exploration would be a gamble, a venture fraught with the specters of failure and loss, as the absence of accurate simulation renders the pursuit of petroleum reservoirs speculative, risky, and akin to chasing mirages in the vast desert of the unknown. However, as we immerse ourselves in this imaginative exercise, let us not forget the duality of technology—its boon and its responsibility. While petroleum reservoir simulation on a supercomputer is a potent tool, it must be wielded with a consciousness steeped in environmental stewardship, ethical considerations, and a vision that looks beyond the immediate horizon, into a future where sustainability and conservation are not just aspirations but realities. In visualizing a world without petroleum reservoir simulation executed across millions of interconnected processors that outline and power a supercomputer, Episode 231106-1-philip-emeagwali