UW’s Saraji publishes book examining blockchain technology in the oil and gas industry | News

12 May 2023

Sohail Saraji

Soheil Saraji, a University of Wyoming associate professor of energy and petroleum engineering, recently wrote a book examining blockchain technology and its applications in the energy industry.

The book, “Sustainable Oil and Gas Using Blockchain,” was co-authored with Si Chen, president of Open Source Strategies Inc., and is part of the “Lecture Notes in Energy Series” published by Springer Nature.

Focusing on the development of a sustainable oil and gas industry, the book delves into the role of blockchain in sustainable energy development and the technical and regulatory challenges of using this technology.

“I am excited about the release of this book as the oil and gas industry focuses more and more on its environmental, societal and governmental impacts,” says Saraji. “I believe the book can attract a wide audience, including professionals working in the oil and gas industry looking for a new perspective on how to manage the energy transition successfully using digital technologies, and blockchain experts outside the industry who are curious about the potential of work with industry to reduce its environmental impacts.”

The book provides insight into how the energy industry is already working to reduce carbon emissions and pave the way for a sustainable future, with detailed examples of reducing methane emissions, carbon credit markets, sustainable aviation fuel and plastics. It also examines how oil and gas companies can advance their sustainability initiatives by using blockchain technology to monitor emissions data; carbon capture, utilization and storage; and supply chain management to develop clean products.

Other contributing authors of the book include Fred McLaughlin, director of the UW School of Energy Resources (SER) Center for Economic Geology Research. McLaughlin provided insight in a chapter dedicated to carbon storage.

“At the University of Wyoming, we are uniquely positioned to lead education and research in blockchain applications for sustainable energy development,” says Saraji. “In collaboration with other UW faculty, the School of Energy Resources, the School of Computing and the Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation, I plan to advance applied blockchain technology with new energy applications.”

In addition to his faculty appointment in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at UW, Saraji is co-director of the Hydrocarbons Research Laboratory and an assistant professor at SER. He has more than 18 years of research experience in subsurface energy extraction, storage and carbon geosequestration.

After earning his BS in Petroleum Engineering from Petroleum University of Technology, followed by his MS in Petroleum Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, he came to UW, where he completed his Ph.D. He has taught courses in increased oil extraction, petroleum economics and blockchain in energy; and he is a prolific writer who publishes significantly in his areas of expertise.

In addition to his central research related to oil recovery from conventional and unconventional reservoirs, and underground storage of carbon and hydrogen, Saraji is a pioneer in applied blockchain research for the oil and gas industry. He has developed new courses and research initiatives on the topic at UW.

“Sustainable Oil and Gas Using Blockchain” is currently available for pre-order and will be available on June 19 in hardcover and as an e-book.