Up to £50million of funding could be available to firms that can develop the technology to help the biggest challenges in the oil and gas industry.
The ITF (Industry Technology Facilitator) said today the cash could be provided as investment by its member companies who have set out four challenges they want to see tackled in 2012.
These will be set out in a series of technology challenge workshops, starting in Aberdeen.
The not-for-profit organisation based in the Granite City also announced plans to set up membership clusters in the Middle East, Australia, US and Europe to tackle challenges specific to those regions.
Neil Poxon, its managing director, said: “Members want to see game-changing technologies in a number of key areas and our workshop programme will kick off with unconventional reservoir characterisation, which was voted as one of the top priorities.
“Our internationalisation strategy and establishment of four regional clusters means that we will also be targeting the issues that directly affect exploration and production in these areas with the issue of calls for proposals.”
The other three challenges members wanted to see tackled in 2012 were heavy oil, subsea and downhole pressure and temperature monitoring.
The first workshop on unconventional reservoir characterisation and will take place in Aberdeen on March 13, followed by a further workshop in Houston and then a global call for proposals.
Up to 100% funding will be available for the right solutions. The ITF aims to secure about £50million investment directly from its members over the next three years.
ITF is owned by its operator and service company members. It has launched more than 180 joint industry partnerships (JIPs) and has bases in Abu Dhabi, Houston, Kuala Lumpur and Perth, Australia.
It wants to launch 25 JIPs across the regions in 2012.
For more information on the technology challenge workshops go to www.oil-itf.com