Edson Nakagawa Stream Leader - Improving Drilling an Well Performance

Dr Edson Nakagawa: leading CSIRO's petroleum, gas and geothermal research

Dr Edson Nakagawa is highly regarded for his leadership in oil and gas research and development.

• 18 December 2009 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements

Current activities

Dr Edson Nakagawa is based at Kensington, Western Australia and leads CSIRO's petroleum and geothermal research. 

Developments under Dr Nakagawa's leadership include research and development (R&D) in:

• conventional petroleum exploration and production
• enhanced oil and gas recovery
• petroleum systems modelling
• unconventional gas (coal seam gas, tight gas) production
• water management
• flow assurance
• subsea production technologies
• novel gas processing technologies
• gas to liquids
• geothermal energy.

Activities in Dr Nakagawa's portfolio are developed in collaboration with a worldwide network of research and industry organisations. Major projects include:

• risk-based gas hydrates management
• designer fluids (relative permeability modifiers)
• subsea and downhole separation

  Projects in Dr Nakagawa's portfolio are developed in collaboration with a worldwide network of research and industry organisations.
• sand production
• smart wells and down-hole robots
• subsea wireless sensor networks
• reservoir characterisation
• microbially enhanced oil recovery
• reservoir faults and seals
• innovative sensors for hydrocarbon exploration.

Background

Dr Nakagawa's research experience spans more than 30 years and encompasses the management of large research and development programs, focusing on delivery and deployment of technologies at field level.

Dr Nakagawa has led the development and implementation of:

• technology for offshore under-balanced drilling
• well control programs in deepwater scenarios
• information management systems for the oil and gas industry.

Academic qualifications

Dr Nakagawa obtained his Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Ouro Preto, Brazil, where he developed a risk evaluation model and decision criteria for the development of an oil field.

Later, he took his Doctor of Philosophy at Louisiana State University in the United States of America, having developed an experimental verification of the behaviour of undesirable gas influxes (gas kicks) in vertical and slanted sections of oil wells.

Achievements

Dr Nakagawa has written more than 50 papers and reports. He has served on numerous technical committees and publication review committees.

Dr Nakagawa is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Learn more about CSIRO's work in Petroleum and geothermal research.