Experimental and Advanced Research

Analyzing every angle, at the most critical scales.

Argonne’s cutting-edge research facilities enable scientists to study offshore energy challenges at the most fundamental levels—where small-scale discoveries drive large-scale impact. The laboratory is home to the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national user facility that recently completed a major upgrade. Now delivering X-ray beams up to 500 times brighter than before, the APS allows researchers to analyze materials performance and system reliability with unprecedented precision. Offshore Energy Systems Analysis scientists and collaborators use this resource to examine controls, reliability, novel materials, and essential processes critical to offshore operations.

In parallel, Argonne’s Offshore Energy Systems Safety and Reliability team leverages the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM)—another DOE Office of Science user facility—to conduct highly detailed metallurgical evaluations of materials used in offshore oil and gas equipment. These studies help ensure safe, durable operation in harsh, high-pressure environments. Researchers also utilize the Intermediate Voltage Electron Microscopy-Tandem (IVEM-Tandem) facility, a DOE Office of Nuclear Energy user resource, to close the knowledge gap between predicted and real-world performance. Together, these capabilities give Argonne unmatched insight into the materials and systems that define safety, reliability, and success in offshore energy.

Argonne is also home to the Advanced Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) and Aurora, one of the nation’s first exascale computers capable of performing one million trillion floating point operations per second. As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) transform scientific discovery, Argonne’s researchers are ready to apply these powerful tools to tackle critical challenges across the energy landscape. From optimizing oil and gas operations to advancing carbon transport and injection strategies, the team is leveraging Aurora to accelerate innovation and improve decision-making for both onshore and offshore energy systems.

In-Field Equipment Analysis and the APS

When a fastener on a high-pressure well control component failed, Argonne used electron spectroscopy and the bright X-rays of the APS to better understand the metallurgical conditions potentially leading to the issue. Scientists were able to determine the critical material attributes that likely contributed to the event.