Engineering Commons^™

The Effect Of Mineral Composition On Shale Oil Recovery, Andrew Fakhry

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Identifying contact angles in porous media is essential for characterizing multiphase flow of fluids in reservoirs. Traditional methods to measure contact angles assume a homogenous structure of reservoir rock; however, microscale pictures by Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) show that rock composition varies even inside a single pore. In addition, the preferentiality of oil layer formation is different according to the minerals constituting the reservoir rock. As a result, contact angles have heterogeneous behavior at the pore-scale.

For the purpose of this research, contact angles are measured on the pure minerals that make up the main components of a Bakken reservoir …

Evaluation Of Methods To Model Hydraulic Fractures In Flow Simulation, Ben Doleshal

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Modern reservoir studies use reservoir simulation to predict future production and plan reservoir development. Due to the increase in production in unconventional reservoirs in recent years, the number of hydraulically fractured wells has risen drastically. The days of using simple analytic techniques to account for the production of a single hydraulic fracture in a vertical well are gone, and the need to be able to model numerous hydraulic fractures in many stages over long horizontals is required.

This brings up the study question of this research: What is the best way to model hydraulic fractures in a flow simulator? There …

Vibration Modification To A.P.I. Fracture Short Term Conductivity Testing Procedure, Blake A. Ereaux

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The current API Short Term Fracture Conductivity (volume number) testing procedure provided by the American Petroleum Institute doesn't consistently provide repeatable results. For example, in an independent review of three commercial lab results testing the same sample of proppant the variation between the three had a data spread of nearly 80% (Anderson, 2013). Continuing and refocusing the research performed by Kent Blair's thesis "Modifying Fracture Conductivity Testing Procedures" (Montana Tech, 2015), the goal of this thesis is to expand the lab research results on the use of vibration in the cell loading procedure to improve the repeatability of test results. …

Modeling The Effect Of Methane Vs. Carbon Dioxide Injection On Oil Recovery: Case Study: The East Vacuum Grayburg-San Andres Unit, Lea County, New Mexico, Charles Ohalekwu

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

This project aims to determine if methane (CH4) injection is more effective and economical than carbon dioxide (CO2) injection in a conventional dolomite reservoir by using the East Vacuum Grayburg-San Andres Unit (EVGSAU), Lea County, New Mexico as a model. This was done by simulating a CH4 and CO2 injection system and estimating the economics for each. CH4 injection has not been done at the EVGSAU, however CO2 has been used as a method of enhanced oil recovery.

The EVGSAU is located on the eastern side of the Vacuum Field, approximately 15 miles northwest of Hobbs in Lea County, New …