Schlumberger Donates $2.35 Million to Energy Research Park

University Will Rename Building to Honor the Pioneering Oilfield Services Company

Schlumberger is donating $2.35 million to the University of Houston to support the continued expansion and renovation of the UH Energy Research Park.

The donation continues a longstanding relationship cemented with the University’s 2009 purchase of the 74-acre property at 5000 Gulf Freeway, the site of the former Schlumberger North America headquarters, less than two miles from the UH campus.

In recognition of the donation, the building now known as Building 1 will be renamed The Schlumberger Building. An example of mid-century architecture featuring period details, the building once housed the office of Pierre Schlumberger, the son of company co-founder Marcel Schlumberger, who headed North American operations.

UH administration and other staff members work in the building today.

“This substantial contribution from Schlumberger allows us to take another important step forward in the continuing development of the Energy Research Park and in our commitment to become The Energy University,” said UH President Renu Khator.  

A formal dedication to rename Building 1 will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, along with tours of the Energy Research Park.

“Schlumberger is pleased to know that our history here will not only live on with our name on this building, but that we will be a part of the Energy Research Park,” said Rod Nelson, Schlumberger vice president of government and community relations. “The University of Houston is re-invigorating this campus, which was founded on the idea of tapping into human ingenuity and creativity and turning new ideas into services and products that help to deliver energy to the world,” he said. “We think the University’s plans for the Energy Park fit that vision, and we are thrilled to be part of it.”

The University purchased the property to serve as a place where students, faculty and people from the energy industry could come together to work on real-world problems. Its Petroleum Engineering program is based there, as are the Texas Center for Clean Engines, Emissions and Fuels, the Energy Device Fabrication Laboratory and the National Wind Energy Center, among other programs.

C-Voltaics, the University’s first nanotechnology business, is located at the park, along with several private companies.

Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer at UH, said the ties between the University and Schlumberger go beyond the physical space.

“UH hopes to continue the pioneering and innovative technological leadership established by Schlumberger at the ERP and incubate and demonstrate solutions for future energy demands,” he said.

Schlumberger, an oilfield services and technology company, with headquarters in Houston, Paris and The Hague, has a long and continuing relationship with UH. Nelson is a member of Khator’s Energy Advisory Board, and Dianne Ralston, deputy general counsel for Schlumberger, serves as the company’s executive ambassador to UH.

The company also has contributed software and licenses to the University to use in educating students in its engineering and natural sciences programs.