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Sardinian AI NMR Start-up – Seeking Partners to Build Universal Crude Oil Analyzer

Summary

Profile Type
  • Research & Development Request
POD Reference
RDRIT20251028008
Term of Validity
29 October 2025 - 29 October 2026
Company's Country
  • Italy
Type of partnership
  • Research and development cooperation agreement
Targeted Countries
  • All countries
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General information

Short Summary
The start-up combines benchtop 60 MHz NMR spectroscopy with AI to predict over 40 crude oil properties, including API, sulfur, TAN, viscosity, and distillation yields, in ~15 minutes. They are seeking industry partners to develop a generalist model with diverse crude samples for rapid, universal assay prediction.
Full Description
Traditional crude oil assay analysis requires atmospheric and vacuum distillation followed by extensive laboratory testing, taking up to two months to complete. The company presents an innovative approach combining benchtop 60 MHz NMR spectroscopy with Artificial Intelligence to deliver full crude oil assays in approximately 15 minutes.
The solution combines low-field NMR spectra and deep learning algorithms to estimate over 40 crude oil properties simultaneously, including API gravity, sulfur content, TAN, viscosity, and distillation yields across multiple boiling ranges.
They are seeking collaboration with partners in the Refinery industry to build a generalist model for comprehensive crude oil analysis. To develop and validate this universal model, we need to:
1. Gather approximately 100 diverse crude oil samples (minimum 100ml per sample)
2. Obtain corresponding crude assays (laboratory analyses) for each sample
3. Ensure maximum diversity in crude oil types and origins

What We Offer
In exchange for sample contribution and collaboration, partners will receive:
• Free access to the predictive model for their crude oils
• AI-powered composition estimation capabilities
Advantages and Innovations
The start-up is building a system that:
• Reduces crude oil assay time from weeks/months to ~15 minutes
• Predicts >40 properties simultaneously, including API, sulfur, TAN, viscosity, and distillation yields
• Uses benchtop 60 MHz NMR, which is cost-effective, compact, and scalable
• AI-driven approach allows continuous improvement as more samples are analyzed
• Facilitates rapid decision-making for refinery operations, trading, and quality control
Technical Specification or Expertise Sought
• Industrial oil & gas partners, refineries, or independent analytical laboratories capable of providing diverse crude oil samples (approximately 100 ml each).
• Access to laboratory crude assays for model validation. The laboratory analysis datasets should ideally be segmented by type (such as “type A, B, C” for confidentiality) across the years, to understand which parameters have been monitored and how they have evolved over time.
• Expertise in crude oil chemistry and petroleum analytics
• Willingness to collaborate in AI model refinement and testing
Stage of Development
  • Concept stage
Sustainable Development Goals
  • Goal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
  • Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
IPR status
  • Secret know-how

Partner Sought

Expected Role of a Partner
• Industrial oil & gas partners, refineries, or independent analytical laboratories capable of providing diverse crude oil samples (approximately 100 ml each).
• Access to laboratory crude assays for model validation. The laboratory analysis datasets should ideally be segmented by type (such as “type A, B, C” for confidentiality) across the years, to understand which parameters have been monitored and how they have evolved over time.
• Expertise in crude oil chemistry and petroleum analytics
• Willingness to collaborate in AI model refinement and testing
Type and Size of Partner
  • SME 50 - 249
  • Big company
Type of partnership
  • Research and development cooperation agreement

Call details

Framework program
  • Cooperation
Call title and identifier
N/A
Coordinator required
No
Deadline for EoI
Deadline of the call

Dissemination

Technology keywords
  • 09001003 - Chemical material testing
  • 02009007 - Artificial intelligence applications for cars and transport
  • 01003003 - Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • 09001002 - Analyses / Test Facilities and Methods
Market keywords
  • 02007016 - Artificial intelligence related software
  • 02007020 - Artificial intelligence programming aids
  • 06001007 - Other oil and gas
  • 06002001 - Oil, gas and coal
  • 02007021 - Other Artificial intelligence related
Sector Groups Involved
  • Energy-Intensive Industries - Materials
  • Mobility - Transport - Automotive
  • Electronics
  • Energy-Intensive Industries - BioChemTech
  • Energy-Intensive Industries
Targeted countries
  • All countries