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A Workflow For Unconventional Reservoirs Optimization Using Supervised Machine Learning In Conjunction With Orthorhombic Elasticity Modeling, Aymen Ab Ali Alhemdi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Due to the anisotropy and heterogeneous nature of unconventional reservoirs like shale, a comprehensive parametric study to optimize hydraulic fracture treatment for such reservoirs is a tough challenge, especially when natural fractures are present. Most of the current frac simulators do not consider the anisotropy of rock elasticity in the shales. Besides, using the fracture simulation linked with reservoir simulation for the parametric study to understand the impact of multiple different design parameters on fracture propagation and production is time expensive and low efficient. The study proposes a workflow including a new orthorhombic (OB) rock algorithm to interpret geomechanical properties …

Comprehensive Evaluation Of Novel Medium-Temperature And High-Temperature Resistant Re-Crosslinkable Preformed Particle Gels For Conformance Control, Zhanmiao Zhai

Masters Theses

"Gel treatment has been widely used to control excessive water production and improve oil recovery in mature oilfields. In comparison to traditional preformed particle gel (PPG), re-cross linkable preformed particle gel (RPPG) has a significant advantage in treating abnormal features such as open fractures, fracture-like channels, and void space conduits (VSC). This research provides a comprehensive evaluation of two novel RPPG products developed in our lab: medium-temperature resistant RPPG (MT-RPPG) for a Middle East reservoir and a high-temperature resistant RPPG (HT-RPPG) for North Sea reservoirs (130 ^oC).

We assessed the effect of the monomer types and concentration, pH, salinity, …

Whitening Of Calcium Carbonate Tailings Using Attrition Process: A Case Study Of Khar Toum Deposit, Lopburi Province, Thailand, Bancha Wongkaewphothong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is one of the industrial minerals that usually use in various applications in many industries (e.g., plastic, rubber, paint, paper). However, salable CaCO3 products need to meet the requirement for each application. Whiteness is one of property that really important especially the application that concern about the color like paint and paper industries. In this study, to recover and utilize out of spec ores, the effects of attrition scrubbing process (i.e., retention time and solid in pulp) on the whiteness of the CaCO3 tailings were investigated. The CaCO3 samples were screened to obtain –300, +300–600, +600–1000, +1000–2360, …

Simulation Study On Co2 Enhanced Oil Recovery For Offshore Area In Thailand, Pariwat Wongsriraksa

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Fossil fuels are widely used all over the world. It generates carbon dioxide (CO2) which is one of the main causes for climate change and global warming. One practical technology to reduce CO2 emission is carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) which includes the use of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (CO2EOR) and storage in the geological reservoir. In Thailand, there are some potential geological reservoirs for CO2EOR due to crude properties, depth of the reservoir and oil saturation, especially in the Gulf of Thailand. However, the high temperatures gradient in the Gulf of Thailand can lead to higher minimum …

Physical Property Measurement Of Surfactant Coupled With Nanoparticles For Enhanced Oil Recovery, Phoo Pwint Nandar

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The residual oil remained in the reservoir after the primary recovery and water flooding can either be produced by increasing the mobility of the oil or by altering the reservoir rock wetting behavior and diminishing the oil water interfacial tension. The surfactant flooding is one of the chemical enhanced oil recovery methods. At the optimal concentration, the surfactant flooding can provide the low interfacial tension favoring to the enhanced oil recovery. In contrast, the loss of the surfactant at the solid-liquid interface due to an adsorption lessens the amount of the surfactant required for oil displacement during the flooding. Therefore, …

ฝาแฝดดิจิทัลของหม้อไอน้ำแบบเผาร่วมชีวมวลและถ่านหินโดยการจำลองพลศาสตร์ของไหลเชิงคำนวณ, ธนากรณ์ วาระเพียง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้ศึกษาการใช้เชื้อเพลิงชีวมวลผสมกับถ่านหินในหม้อไอน้ำฟลูอิไดซ์เบดแบบหมุนเวียนซึ่งเป็นเรื่องที่น่าสนใจท่ามกลางการเพิ่มขึ้นของความต้องการพลังงาน ลักษณะการเผาไหม้ร่วมของชีวมวลและถ่านหินในหม้อไอน้ำจะได้รับการตรวจสอบโดยใช้พลศาสตร์ของไหลเชิงคำนวณ (CFD) เชื้อเพลิงที่ศึกษาในงานวิจัยนี้ ได้แก่ ถ่านหิน ไม้สับ และเปลือกไม้ กำหนดสัดส่วนของเชื้อเพลิงเพื่อศึกษาผลกระทบต่อการเผาไหม้ด้วยการออกแบบการทดลองแบบผสมซิมเพล็กซ์เซนทรอยด์ การจำลอง CFD ประกอบด้วยแบบจำลองการไหลของความหนืด k-epsilon แบบจำลองการไหลของของไหลหลายเฟสของออยเลอร์ และแบบจำลองการเผาไหม้เชื้อเพลิงแข็ง ผลการตรวจสอบความถูกต้องของแบบจำลองแสดงให้เห็นว่าข้อมูลแบบจำลองมีความสอดคล้องกับข้อมูลจริงของโรงไฟฟ้าซึ่งอาจเป็นฝาแฝดดิจิทัลของหม้อไอน้ำที่ศึกษา โดยแบบจำลองจะทำนายผลที่เกิดขึ้นในห้องเผาไหม้ ได้แก่ อุณหภูมิ ฟลักซ์ความร้อน เถ้า และแก๊สมลพิษ ได้แก่ คาร์บอนมอนอกไซด์ (CO) คาร์บอนไดออกไซด์ (CO2) ไนตริกออกไซด์ (NO) ซัลเฟอร์ไดออกไซด์ (SO2) และก๊าซคลอรีน (Cl2) ผลการจำลองพบว่าการใช้ถ่านหินเป็นเชื้อเพลิงจะให้อุณหภูมิและฟลักซ์ความร้อนสูงสุด รองลงมาคือ ไม้สับและเปลือกไม้ ในทางตรงข้ามการใช้ชีวมวลจะปล่อยแก๊สมลพิษออกมาน้อยกว่าถ่านหิน ในการทดลองนี้ได้ศึกษาอิทธิพลของอัตราการป้อนเชื้อเพลิง พบว่าอัตราการป้อนเชื้อเพลิงสูงจะทำให้ตัวแปรตามสูงกว่าอัตราการป้อนเชื้อเพลิงต่ำ จากการวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลแบบจำลองพบว่าชีวมวลเป็นมิตรต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมและประหยัดต้นทุนการผลิตมากกว่าถ่านหิน แบบจำลอง CFD สามารถสร้างแบบทำนายเพื่อกำหนดชนิดและสัดส่วนของเชื้อเพลิงได้อย่างง่ายดายโดยใช้สองวิธี คือ สมการและกราฟคอนทัวร์ ซึ่งสามารถเปรียบเสมือนฝาแฝดดิจิทัลของหม้อไอน้ำ

The Kanarra Fold-Thrust System -- The Leading Edge Of The Sevier Fold-Thrust Belt, Southwest Utah, William Joseph Michael Chandonia

Doctoral Dissertations

“The Jurassic to Eocene Sevier fold-thrust belt is the subject of continued scientific curiosity in tectonics, stratigraphy, and industry. Understanding its development in southwest Utah is hindered in part due to the multiple origins proposed for the Kanarra anticline, a major leading edge structure -- a drag fold along the Hurricane fault, Laramide monocline, Sevier fault propagation fold, or a combination of these -- which have confused its tectonic significance and regional context. This confusion results from the structural complexity of its exposed eastern limb, as well as displacement and burial of its crest and western limb beneath Neogene sediments …

Fundamentals Of Microgel Flooding And Nanoparticles-Stabilized Foams In Enhanced Oil Recovery, Shuaijun Li

Dissertations and Theses

For centuries oil has remained a critical energy source for human civilization. After years of extraction, many oil fields have reached or are reaching a decline stage of production, even though up to a half of the total crude oil reserves in these fields has not been recovered yet. One reason is due to the structural heterogeneity of the oil reservoirs—reservoirs may consist of regions of higher permeability with larger pore size and regions of lower permeability with smaller pore size. Displacing fluids tend to flow through large permeability zones only without reaching the oil trapped in low permeability region; …

Numerical Simulation Study Of Gel Treatment For Conformance Control From Lab To Field, Jianqiao Leng

Doctoral Dissertations

“Gel treatment has been widely applied to control reservoir conformance and thus improve the sweep efficiency of injection fluids. Quite a few numerical simulations have been conducted to investigate the factors impacting gel treatment and assist to optimize treatment design and predict the performance. However, there exists significant barrier between the simulation approaches and lab experiments. In this study, two comprehensive reviews have been conducted to identify the gaps between lab and current simulations for in-situ polymer treatment and preformed particle gel treatment, separately.

Based on the identified gaps, the effect of a few major factors which are very important …

Towards A Circular Economy: Liquid-Fed Fast Pyrolysis Of Waste Polyolefin Plastics, Daniel G. Kulas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Plastic usage has quickly grown in recent years as plastics have become an essential part of everyday life. Unfortunately, recycling rates have not matched the increased growth, with the majority of waste plastic landfilled. The strategy of circular economy has been proposed to reuse the waste plastic to create new polymers, thus avoiding both landfilling and the use of virgin raw materials. Achieving a circular economy for plastics requires the development of new technologies capable of recycling plastic waste under a circular economy perspective. In this dissertation, a novel liquid-fed fast pyrolysis process is introduced towards achieving a circular economy. …

Optimization Of Blast Design For Better Fragmentation & Reduction Of Ground Vibration At Khao Mai Nuan Pyrophyllite Mine, Saraburi Province, Thailand, Arif Khan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Control blasting with better fragmentation is very important to decrease the environmental impacts of blasting and the cost of downstream mining operations such as loading, transportation, crushing, and milling. Proper blasting designs with optimized parameters such as burden, spacing, stemming, sub-drilling, and amount of explosive ensure the required fragmentation with ground vibration within the standards set by different monitoring agencies. This study dealt with the blasting design parameters, fragmentation, and ground vibration at the Khao Mai Nuan Pyrophyllite quarry Saraburi province, Thailand. First, grab samples were collected from the quarry's active benches and tested in a lab for strength, compositions …

Effect Of Salinity Contrast Between Formation Water And Injected Low Salinity Water On Low Salinty Water Flooding In Dolostone Formation, Nuttapol Junput

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Low Salinity Waterflooding (LSWF) has gained substantial prominence in current scientific method for oil recovery improvement, owing to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness as an Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technique. Various studies have highlighted the crucial role of injected brine salinity and the concentration of Potential Determining Ions (PDI) in stimulate oil recovery mechanisms. However, the majority of these studies have predominantly concentrated on sandstone reservoirs. In light of the fact that over 50% of hydrocarbon reserves are situated in carbonate reservoirs, this research focuses specifically on dolomite reservoirs to examine the applicability and feasibility of implementing LSWF in …

Effect Of Salinity Contrast Between Formation Water And Injected Low Salinity Water On Low Salinity Waterflooding In Shaly-Sandstone Formation, Sarun Phuenghansaporn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Low salinity waterflooding is an improving oil recovery technique that is highly mentioned nowadays as it is cost-efficient and environmentally friendly. The technique involves injecting water with lower salinity compared to formation salinity to shift the surface equilibrium toward the liberation of oil from the rock surface. Nevertheless, successful of this technique depends on many parameters especially the presence of clays. Several types of clays can be found in oil reservoirs, and they may react to different cations in inject low salinity in different ways, resulting in different magnitudes of oil recovery. Moreover, the contrast of salinity between formation water …

Pore Pressure Prediction Using Combination Drilling Efficiency And Hydro-Mechanical Specific Energy Methods, Munawir Arge Pratama Otolomo

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Several methods of pore pressure prediction using drilling parameters were introduced and improved to meet the challenges of accurate prediction at a relatively low cost. Knowledge of pore pressure is essential for safe well planning, cost-effective drilling, and operational decision-making. Conventional methods in pore pressure prediction using drilling parameters have limitations on its application of making the normal compaction trendline that is only applicable in clean shale intervals. In this work, the concept of drilling efficiency (DE) and hydro-mechanical specific energy (HMSE) for predicting formation pore pressure is proposed. This method, termed DE-HMSE, is based on the theory that the …

Application Of Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (Gagd) Process For Enhancing Recovery From Unconventional Resources, Muzher Al Musabeh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The oil recovery with hydraulic fracturing has played an important role in hydrocarbon production and energy support last decade from unconventional resources. Characteristically, the significant production decline and low recovery factors from these reservoirs triggered the need for new EOR techniques to compensate for the decline and help sustain the production. In this study, an experimental investigation of the Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (GAGD) process in the presence of fractures as EOR process was conducted using Nitrogen (N2) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in Berea Sandstone (BSS) and Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS). Core flooding and EOR experiments were used to determine the …

Shale Softening Based On Pore Network And Laboratory Investigations, Di Zhang

Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two major parts: Firstly, experimental investigation of four major shale softening mechanisms and quantifications of structural parameters. Secondly, numerical simulations of nano-scale flow behaviors using the previous experiments determined parameters based on modified pore network modeling.

Hydraulic fracturing is widely applied to economical gas production from shale reservoirs. Still, the gradual swelling of the clay micro/nano-pores due to retained fluid from hydraulic fracturing causes a gradual reduction of gas production. Four different gas-bearing shale samples are investigated to quantify the expected shale swelling due to hydraulic fracturing. These shale samples are subject to heated deionized (DI) …

Gas Evolution Phenomenon Of Methane In Base Fluids Of Non-Aqueous Drilling Muds Under Controlled Depressurization, Damilola Ojedeji

LSU Master's Theses

As wells become more complex and drilling conditions to reach targets prove even more challenging, being able to detect influx event early and safely handle these influxes has become one of the most important focus areas for improvement in well control safety. The high solubility of formation gas in non-aqueous drilling fluids however makes kick detection and safe handling of kicks more complicated. Recent studies are beginning to incorporate desorption kinetics in well control models to simulate the transient multiphase flow phenomenon associated with gas kicks in non-aqueous drilling fluids to foster safe handling of kicks. However, there is currently …

Impact Of Local Fluidized Bed Hydrodynamics On The Distribution Of Liquid Sprayed Into The Bed, Yuan Li

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In Fluid Coking, heavy oil is sprayed into a fluidized bed of hot coke particles that provide heat for the reaction and vaporization of the products, using nozzles located at different radial and axial locations of the reactor. In industrial units, imperfect initial liquid-solid contact results in the formation of wet agglomerates, which have been shown to cause fouling of the stripper sheds.

This thesis aims to reduce agglomerate formation by modifying the bed hydrodynamics in the spray region by adjusting the initial fluidization gas distribution or using a baffle.

Experimental methods were developed to study local gas flow, solids …

Enhanced Oil Recovery In Tight Rocks Using The “Slot-Drill” Completion, Hassan Amer

LSU Master's Theses

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is essential in shale/tight formations because primary recovery typically produces less than 10% of the original hydrocarbon in-place (OHIP). This work presents a novel “slot-drill” EOR technology, which involves injecting gas through a horizontal fracture that is cut into the formation near the top of the reservoir (using a tensioned abrasive cutting cable mounted to the drillstring) and producing oil from a second slot-drilled horizontal fracture near the bottom of the reservoir.

The dusty-gas diffusion model was implemented in a compositional simulator to account for the diffusion mechanism expected during the injection of gases in this …

Mitigation Of Fouling And Liquid Losses In A Fluid Coker™: Influence Of Operating Conditions And Internals On Wet-Agglomerates Contribution To Liquid Carry-Under, Yohann Alain François Cochet

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In Fluid Cokers, heavy oil is sprayed into a fluidized bed of hot particles through feed ring nozzles located at different heights. Unreacted or partially reacted feedstock, trapped in wet‑agglomerates, reaches the reactor bottom where it causes fouling or is lost to the system burner. The thesis objective is to determine whether modifying the feed distribution between rings or adding baffles can reduce the amount of liquid reaching the reactor bottom.

A model was developed to predict the amount of liquid reaching the reactor bottom. It integrates models for agglomerate formation and rewetting in spray jets, agglomerate drying through heat …

Blowout - Capping - Fracturing - Relief Well, A Full Cycle Workflow, Youssuf A. Elnoamany

LSU Master's Theses

Broaching is defined as the uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons to ocean seafloor after a loss of subsurface well control event. Failed attempts to cap the offshore wells undergoing worst case discharge may lead to hydraulic fracture initiation and subsequent propagation, leading to renewed release of hydrocarbon to the seafloor. During the capping stack shut-in process, pressure build-up will occur along the wellbore, exposing locations of possible fracture initiation to overpressurized fluid, such as directly below the casing shoe, and critical points along the well casing. Shall there be enough build-up pressure to exceed the minimum horizontal stress in an exposed …

Thermodynamic Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium In Naphtha-Water Mixtures, Sandra Milena Lopez-Zamora

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Naphtha is used to dilute the froth from bitumen treatment. Naphtha is recovered using a Naphtha Recovery Unit (NRU) and sent back to the froth dilution step. To minimize the environmental and economic impact of the NRU, it is imperative to maximize the naphtha recovery. It is, in this respect, that enhanced NRU Vapour-Liquid-Liquid equilibrium data is a significant value. The prediction of phase equilibria for hydrocarbon/water blends in separators, is a subject of considerable importance for chemical processes. Despite its relevance, there are still pending questions. Among them, is the prediction of the correct number of phases. While a …

Economic Feasibility Of Mixed Plastic Waste Pyrolysis Using Twin Reactor System In Northwest Arkansas, Carol Rogers, Patricia Means, Renato Gonzalez, Kaida Sheets, Hayden Townsend

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Plastic waste generation is increasing at an unsustainable rate while recycling solutions remain stagnant. As a chemical means of recycling, mixed plastic waste pyrolysis can generate synthetic oil appropriate for use as fuel in power generation from plastic waste that otherwise accumulates in landfills. With the scaling of a commercial plastic pyrolysis process in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) modeled after an operational sawdust pyrolysis unit in Huntsville, Arkansas, economic analysis resulted in 26.3% internal rate of return. Therefore, construction of a commercial mixed plastic-to-fuel pyrolysis plant is economically justified and should be pursued. To effectively implement the proposed design, NWA must …

Investigative Study Of Microalgal And Electrochemical Wastewater Treatment Systems And Modeling Of The Wafer-Enhanced Electrodeionization Using Supervised Learning, Humeyra Betul Ulusoy Erol

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater has a serious impact on environment and public health due to its high concentration of nutrients and toxic contaminants. Without proper treatment, excess nutrients discharged in wastewater can cause a damage to the ecosystem such as undesirable pH shifts, cyanotoxin production, and low dissolved oxygen concentrations.

Main objectives of this dissertation work were to investigate i) the biofuel potential of P. cruentum when grown in swine wastewater, ii) the influence of four most commonly used ion exchange resins on the system efficiency and selectivity for the removal of sodium, calcium, and magnesium ions, and iii) the modeling of wafer-enhanced …

Mitigation Of Fluid Coker Cyclone Fouling With Consideration To Reactor Performance, Andrew J. Heaslip

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Fluid Coking is a continuous process to thermally upgrade heavy hydrocarbons into lighter, higher-value products. Fouling of the cyclones in commercial Fluid Coker reactors significantly reduces unit runtimes. The main objective of this thesis is to improve unit reliability by identifying process levers that can mitigate against this phenomenon while minimizing reductions in product quality. This thesis expanded a previous freeboard region model to consider vapour phase cracking and adsorption and developed a novel reactor region model to consider the impact of liquid and vapour phase cracking, vapour-liquid equilibrium, and residence time distribution on product composition. By changing the temperature …

Evaluation Of Vertical And Horizontal Wells For Utilization In Carbon Sequestration, Michael R. Bohnet

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Multiscale Investigation Of Nanoparticle-Assisted Co2 Enhanced Oil Recovery (Eor) Process For Shale Oil Reservoirs, Dayo A. Afekare

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Shale oil reservoirs are prolific on the short term due to hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling but experience significant production decline, leading to poor ultimate recovery and leaving billions of barrels of oil buried in the ground. In this study, a systematic multi-scale investigation of an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process using relatively inexpensive silicon dioxide nanoparticles and carbon dioxide for shale oil reservoirs was conducted. Using the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) as a case study, aqueous dispersions of nanosilica in conjunction with CO₂ were investigated at nano-to-core scales. At the nanoscale, atomic force microscope was used to investigate …

Experimental And Modeling Study Of The Effects Of Sealing Structures In Lost Circulation Prevention And Remediation, Mingzheng Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Drilling fluid lost circulation leads to non-productive time and increases the overall well cost. In general, wellbore strengthening and lost circulation control are achieved by creating effective sealing structures to inhibit fluid flow through loss conduits such as formation fractures. This research aims at better understanding the effects of sealing structures in fluid loss prevention and remediation, and providing useful references to effectively establishing filtercakes on the wellbore and plugs in the fracture.

Recent research on wellbore strengthening disclosed the critical role of filtercake in sealing microfractures during the initial stages of fracture initiation and propagation. The performance of a …

Well Performance Analysis Of Mseel1 And Mseel2 Wellpads, Mohammad Faiq Adenan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

MSEEL1 and MSEEL2 are wellpads that were developed as a means of conducting research into how a gas well being developed in the Marcellus shale can be optimized from the reservoir identification stage to the completions and operational stage. This thesis provides a report of the workflow performed to use the generated data from different sources and analyze them for optimization.

MIP-3H and Boggess 17H were designated as science wells, for which the majority of the well logging and coring experiments were conducted on. The data obtained from the experiments were used as a basis for petrophysical analysis, the results …

The Impacts Of The Net Stress And Stress Shadow On The Productivity Of Marcellus Shale Horizontal Well, Mohamed El Sgher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Shale gas development has become a crucial part of the global oil and gas industry in recent years, especially in North America. Even though the application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques have successfully unlocked considerable reserves of natural gas in shale-gas reservoirs, production rates from unconventional reservoirs decline more rapidly than conventional reservoirs. This is because production from a reservoir results in an increase in net stress due to a reduction in the pore pressure, while overburden pressure remains constant. This leads to the reduction in permeability of both the matrix and the fissures, as well as the …