PM opens new Petroleum Engineering building

The Petroleum Engineering Building on Frome Road.

The Petroleum Engineering Building on Frome Road.
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Friday, 23 August 2002

The Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, will today open the brand new Santos Petroleum Engineering Building at the University of Adelaide, at 3.00pm.

The new building will house staff and students from the University's School of Petroleum Engineering and Management, which began teaching this year.

Santos is providing $25 million over 10 years to the University for the school. This includes funding for the new building, provision for scholarships, specialised teaching equipment, and a professorial position, held by the school's Head, Professor Peter Behrenbruch. The Federal Government has also contributed $1 million towards an additional professorial chair, the Reg Sprigg Chair, and further funding to the school.

The $25 million gift by Santos is believed to be the largest single corporate contribution to any Australian university.

"The opening of this new building represents the next major stage for staff and students of our school," says Professor Behrenbruch.

"It is a purpose-designed home, a base from which we will provide an innovative curriculum with state-of-the-art facilities, and provide the best in research and consultancy to industry," he says.

"The school is focused on the practical needs of the international oil and gas industry, and already we have seen great support from other industry leaders such as BHP Billiton and Woodside Petroleum."

The University's new Vice-Chancellor, Professor James McWha, says the new School of Petroleum Engineering and Management is destined to become the pre-eminent school for the South-East Asian region.

"The international focus of the school has already been established in its first year, with staff recruited from Australia, North America and Europe, and students from South-East Asia and India already studying beside the first intake of Australian undergraduates," Professor McWha says.

"The quality of the facilities in the new building, the level of teaching and research are all outstanding, and this is one example of where the University and industry are working closely together to produce real outcomes for the State and the nation."

 

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