The consortium brings together doctors and scientists from Texas’ Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University, Swansea’s collaborative partner the University of Grenoble, France, and Sheffield-based Glass Technology Services (GTS).

The group will build upon the work completed to date to extend and amplify their applied research in safety and environmental performance for shale gas development using HFP (heptafluoropropane) as a stimulation fluid replacing fresh water used in hydro-fracking.

HFP is a non-flammable, non-toxic, non ozone depleting gas commonly used in medical inhalers and fire extinguishers.

HFP is being developed by ecorpStim as a rigorously ‘green’ stimulation fluid for shale production, Non-Flammable Propane Stimulation, which eliminates the environmental concerns associated with the use of large quantities of water and chemical additives typically utilised in hydro-fracking procedures.

The focus of this partnership will be the comprehensive study and design of the safety aspects of achieving an environmentally and socially acceptable technology for oil and gas production from shales.

The key subject areas for collaborative study will include the capture, recycling and loss prevention of injected HFP, and the chemistry and material science for systems associated with the use of HFP.

Swansea University’s Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) is a £38 million investment, which will be located on the University’s new Bay Campus.  

ESRI, the first research centre of its kind in the UK, concentrates the College of Engineering’s strength in the energy sector and focuses on the safety issues surrounding the development and expansion of existing energy processes, as well as the safe deployment and integration of new energy technologies.

Professor Andrew R Barron (pictured), Sêr Cymru Chair of Low Carbon Energy and Environment at Swansea University and the Charles W Duncan, Jr Welch Chair of Chemistry at Rice University, who leads the ESRI, said: “These planned research areas exemplify ESRI’s mission to develop new technologies to create a responsible energy future.

“This partnership expands our present research collaborations including those with Rice University and the University of Grenoble.”

John Francis Thrash, MD, CEO of ecorpStim, said: “Our consortium’s work thus far supports the expansion of the study, and in our opinion at this juncture, there is little doubt that NFP stimulation can be safely delivered in the field with meticulous environmental care and concern.

“Although the technology has global application, in Europe today there is a very pressing need to sensibly unlock European based supplies of natural gas and oil.”