About Us

Petroleum Software Limited (PSL) was founded in 1992 as a spin off from Imperial College of Science and Technology (UK). PSL assets are its patented system and methodology for multiphase flow rate measurement named ESMER, oil industry alliances and its key people.

Alliances

PSL has managed a number of joint industry projects for the development and testing of commercial multiphase flow meters based on ESMER technology. ESMER We would like to acknowledge the support we have received from the European Commission, DTI (UK), Shell, Total, BP, Siemens, McCrometer, NEL, IFP, CEESI, K-labs to name a few. Last but not least are thanks are due to users of the ESMER systems, too numerous to mention here individually. The advancement of this technology owes much to their patient collaboration.

Key People

Dr Haluk Toral is the founder and the CEO of Petroleum Software Limited, a position he has occupied since 1992. Before joining PSL Haluk was a lecturer at Imperial College. Haluk has a BSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering. He did his PhD on multiphase flow boiling of organic fluids at the University of Oxford and Atomic Energy Research Establishment. This was followed by a post doctoral research project into flow modelling of combustion flow systems conducted at Imperial College Mechanical Engineering Department. Finally, before his present role in PSL, Haluk was a lecturer in Petroleum Engineering at the Mineral Resources Engineering Department for seven years during which time he supervised a number of PhD programmes on multiphase flow and thermodynamics. Besides his long commitment to the science of multiphase flow, Haluk has also had long experience in managing software development projects.

Dr Shiqian Cai is the Chief Technical Officer at PSL. Shiqian has a BSc in electronics, MSc in instrumentation and PhD in petroleum engineering. Before joining PSL, Dr Cai carried out a research at Imperial College gaining a PhD in 1995. Shiqian was initially trained and worked as an electronics engineer. Having converted to petroleum engineering during the PhD programme at Imperial College, he has played a key role in the development of the commercial ESMER system deploying his versatile know-how and skills at the interface between the disciplines of fluid mechanics, neural nets and electronics. Shiqian's direct contributions and responsibilities have been with system integration and commissioning of the commercial systems. He has been leading the field trials of the ESMER system during the recent joint industry project.