GERC - Virginia Tech IRES Collaboration: Kyle Louk

Greetings from London

My name is Kyle and I am a natural gas research associate with the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (VCCER), and a part-time Ph.D. student in the Mining and Minerals Engineering Department at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.  My overall research focuses on CO₂ storage and enhanced gas recovery in underground, unconventional coalbed methane and shale gas reservoirs.


I was extremely fortunate to be able to spend seven weeks in the summer of 2016 conducting research at the University of Nottingham and with the GeoEnergy Research Centre (GERC).  This was made possible by the International Research Experience for Students (IRES) programme. While in Nottingham, I worked directly under Prof. Matthew Hall, Professor in Materials Engineering at UoN and director of GERC.  Prof. Hall introduced me to two of his postdoctoral researchers, Dr. Fernando Sarce and Dr. Aleksandra Guonciaruk, whom I worked with in the laboratories conducting adsorption experiments and collecting data to be used in collaborative journal articles.


At the GeoEnergy Test Bed with other IRES students

I was also able to visit the GeoEnergy Test Bed on Nottingham’s Sutton Bonington campus, where they had just completed drilling the borehole and had started conducting the downhole wireline logging.  It was exciting to see the progress on a heavily anticipated and important project!

During my time in Nottingham, I was able to explore the many pubs and restaurants, including the famous ‘Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem’ where a few drinks were shared among friends and colleagues.  My highlight came when I was able to attend my first ever cricket match!  While I was thoroughly confused the entire game and the ominous rain clouds were ever present, I had an amazing time and the Nottinghamshire Outlaws secured the win over the Leicestershire Foxes!  While overseas, I was able to travel during weekends to London, Scotland, Paris, Rome, and Madrid.  I was even able to meet up with some of my undergraduate buddies in Berlin after the program concluded!



My view of the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground

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