Dr. Nancy Chen

Shengnan (Nancy) Chen

PhD, PEng

Positions

Professor

Schulich School of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Contact information

Web presence

Phone number

Office: +1 (403) 220-2040

I'm looking for...

Study participants

We are always looking for motivated MSc & Ph.D. students. If you are interested, please send your application files (CV, transcripts, publications) to snchen@ucalgary.ca. Please DO NOT call.

Research partners

We are always looking for industry sponsors and research partners to collaborate on potential projects. Please send an email to snchen@ucalgary.ca if you are interested.

Background

Biography

Dr. Shengnan (Nancy) Chen is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary, Canada. Her research centers on developing innovative, machine-learning-powered approaches for the sustainable exploitation of subsurface energy resources. She also specializes in CO₂ and hydrogen storage techniques, integrating molecular simulation, pore network simulation, and data analytics to improve assessments of gas storage capacities and the integrity of sealing caprocks. Dr. Chen is currently serving as the Executive Editor for Geoenergy Engineering (2023-present) and Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering (2018-2023), and as Associate Editor for Geo-fluids (2016-present) and Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering(2014-2016).

Research

Areas of Research

Sustainable development of subsurface energy powered by machine learning

• Applying machine learning methods to guide field operations in the petroleum industry.

• Unconventional reservoir development: multi-stage hydraulic fracturing in tight oil and shale gas formations.

• H2 seasonal storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs

• CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery and Sequestration.

• Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process and maximizing oil recovery in heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs.

 

Participation in university strategic initiatives

Courses

Course number Course title Semester
ENPE 561 Machine Learning for Energy Systems Fall
ENCH 675 Data Science and Machine Learning in Chemical Engineering Fall
ENCH 619 Surface Production Operation Fall
ENPE 531 Design for Oil and Gas Engineering II Winter

Awards

  • Finalist, Innovation Award in Energy/Cleantech/Hydrogen , Alberta Science and Technology . 2024
  • Achievement Award for Research, Schulich School of Engineering. 2020
  • SPE Canadian Region Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty, Society of Petroleum Engineers. 2019
  • Schulich School of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award, Schulich School of Engineering. 2018

Publications

  • Fundamental Theories of Artificial Intelligence and Their Applications in Energy and Mining. China Science Publishing & Media Ltd., 2024. (2024)