The main scientific interests concern the mechanics of porous media, both saturated and unsaturated, with specific applications in subsurface hydraulics and petroleum engineering.

The main activity is the development and implementation of numerical models based on the Finite Element method for the simulation of subsurface coupled and uncoupled geomechanical and fluidodynamical processes in the exploitation of deep aquifer or reservoir resources. Significant applications concern land subsidence prediction related to water or hydrocarbon extraction, and fluid injection in the subsurface for storage, deformation mitigation, or Enhanced Oil Recover purposes.

Particular care is paid to the numerical issues of modeling, by means of the development and implementation of iterative and projective linear system solvers for the solution to indefinite, ill-conditioned and large size problems. The solver implementation is performed on both scalar and parallel machines.

The main scientific activities have been carried out within the following research projects:

• "Numerical modeling of the deformation processes of rocks in gas reservoirs monitored by radioactive markers with application to onshore and offshore deep boreholes in the Adriatic Sea" (Agreement between DMMMSA-University of Padova and ENI-Agip S.p.A. from January 2000 to December 2001)
• "CO2 sequestration in geological formations: development of numerical models with applications" (University project from August 2001 to July 2003)
• "Research project: subsidence benchmarking" (Agreement between DMMMSA-University of Padova and ENI-Divisione Agip S.p.A. from July 2002 to December 2002)
• "Numerical modeling of anthropogenic land subsidence over northern Adriatic gas fields with FEM and comparison with the semi-analytical Geertsma model" (Agreement between DMMMSA-University of Padova and VIA Committe-Ministry of the Environment from January 2003 to December 2003)
• "Modeling of geomechanical processes due to greenhouse gas sequestration into depleted or storage gas reservoirs (GHG Project)" (Agreement between DMMMSA-University of Padova and Aquater-SnamProgetti from September 2003 to December 2006)
• "Prediction by a FE model of land subsidence expected over Tea, Lavanda and Arnica fields" (Agreement between DMMMSA-University of Padova and ENI-E&P S.p.A. from September 2005 to July 2006)
• "Prediction by a FE model of land subsidence expected over Regina field" (Agreement between DMMMSA-University of Padova and ENI-E&P S.p.A. from January 2007 to July 2007)
• "Modeling of geomechanical processes due to gas storage into Settala field" (Agreement between DMMMSA-University of Padova and Stogit S.p.A. from September 2007 to March 2008)