Petroleum Engineering Commons^™

Comparing Fishbone Drilling And Hydraulic Fracturing In Ultra-Low Permeability Geothermal Reservoirs, Aimene Aihar, Nassim Bouabdallah, Ghoulem Ifrene, Doina Irofti

Petroleum Engineering Posters and Presentations

Harnessing geothermal energy through Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) offers a sustainable and renewable means of tapping the Earth's subsurface heat. However, in ultra-low permeability formations like those found in the Williston Basin, the effectiveness of conventional hydraulic fracturing techniques is limited. This study evaluates the potential of fishbone drilling technology as an alternative approach, focusing on the efficiency and engineering aspects of both methods in the context of geothermal reservoirs with extremely low permeability.

We carried out an extensive literature review, numerical simulations, and case studies to compare fishbone drilling and hydraulic fracturing in EGS applications. Fishbone drilling, which involves …

Evaluation Of Hybrid Prediction Models For Accurate Rate Of Penetration (Rop) Prediction In Drilling Operations, Abdelhakim Khouissat, Mohamed Riad Youcefi, Ghoulem Ifrene, Doina Irofti

Petroleum Engineering Posters and Presentations

The precise prediction of the rate of penetration (ROP) is of utmost importance for optimizing drilling operations and minimizing costs while increasing efficiency. However, the complex and nonlinear nature of the drilling process can pose significant challenges in achieving accurate ROP predictions. To address this challenge, multiple hybrid prediction models have been developed, and their accuracy in ROP prediction has been compared.

To accomplish this objective, we created three different hybrid models, including Artificial Neural Network – Genetic Algorithm (ANN-GA), Artificial Neural Network-Particle Swarm Optimization (ANN-PSO), and Support Vector Regression (SVR) to estimate ROP. These models were trained and tested …

Exploring Underground Hydrogen Storage Options In North Dakota: A Review, Aimen Laalam, Olusegun Stanley Tomomewo

Petroleum Engineering Posters and Presentations

As the world shifts towards a low-carbon future, the demand for efficient, safe, and cost-effective energy storage solutions has become increasingly critical. Hydrogen has emerged as a promising energy carrier with numerous advantages, such as high energy density, zero emission combustion, and versatile applications. Nevertheless, the challenge of effective hydrogen storage remains. This study examines the potential of underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in North Dakota, assessing its opportunities and challenges in supporting the region's renewable energy objectives. North Dakota's unique geological features, abundant renewable energy resources, and growing energy demands make it an ideal location for UHS implementation. This review …

Reasons Why Oil Reserves Remain Unproductive-A Case Study, Mohamed Al-Saho

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

By studying the production plans of some wells of Al Furat Petroleum Company, the researcher noticed that the rate of production increases to reach a peak and then falls back sharply. The deformation of the area around the well due to the decrease in the formation pressure (after production for a certain period) may have caused a change in the storage properties (porosity, permeability) and thus lower production rate. However, from the point of view of the geomechanics of the oil formation, which includes the study of the stress situation and its effect on the rock tissue, we will notice …

Advancing Our Understanding Of Non-Linear Flow Behavior In X-Crossing Fractures Through 3d Printing Technology, Ghoulem Ifrene, Sven Egenhoff, Doina Irofti, Nicholas Bittner, Tyler Newman

Petroleum Engineering Posters and Presentations

Fractured reservoir systems play a critical role in the efficient management of hydrocarbon resources, CO2 storage, and geothermal energy extraction. Understanding the behavior and characteristics of these systems is essential for optimizing recovery, reducing carbon footprint, and increasing efficiency. However, fractures within reservoir systems create complex geometries and can make fluid flow behavior complex and difficult to predict. Replicating these complex geometries in the laboratory has been challenging, but advancements in 3D printing technology have made it possible to create accurate models of rough-walled fracture geometries. In this study, the impact of geometric characteristics on fluid flow behavior in connected …

Novel Investigation Of Catalytic Hydrogenation And Oxidation Of 1,3-Butadiene, Ali M. Alabedkhalil

Theses

The hydrogenation of 1,3 Butadiene (BD) is an important industrial process that is generally used to generate butene, which is a key feedstock to produce a variety of chemicals such as polymers, plastic, and synthetic rubber. This process involves reacting BD with hydrogen using different metallic Ni-based catalysts. In this study, Ni/Al₂O₃ and Ni/Nb₂O5 catalysts were used and investigated to perform the hydrogenation reaction because of their commercial availability, effective hydrogenation activity, and affordability compared to Platinum Group Metal (PGM) catalysts.

The catalytic reactions were conducted using a quartz tube reactor between a temperature range …

Dual Crosslinked Poly(Acrylamide-Co-N-Vinylpyrrolidone) Microspheres With Re-Crosslinking Ability For Fossil Energy Recovery, Jingyang Pu, Baojun Bai, Jiaming Geng, Na Zhang, Thomas Schuman

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microspheres have been proposed to be applied in controlling wastewater production for mature oilfields and migrating leakage for gas and nuclear waste storage. However, it remains challenging for stacked microspheres to maintain strong blocking ability in micron-sized small pores or fractures. in this study, a novel microsphere was developed with comprehensive properties including high deformability and long re-crosslinking time upon tunable swelling ratio for the applications. a dual covalent and physical crosslinking strategy was used to develop novel microspheres reinforced by a hydrogen bond (H-bond, between pyrrole ring and amide group) and coordination bond (between chromium acetate (CrAc) and carboxyl …

Dual Crosslinked Poly(Acrylamide-Co-N-Vinylpyrrolidone) Microspheres With Re-Crosslinking Ability For Fossil Energy Recovery, Jingyang Pu, Baojun Bai, Jiaming Geng, Na Zhang, Thomas P. Schuman

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microspheres have been proposed to be applied in controlling wastewater production for mature oilfields and migrating leakage for gas and nuclear waste storage. However, it remains challenging for stacked microspheres to maintain strong blocking ability in micron-sized small pores or fractures. In this study, a novel microsphere was developed with comprehensive properties including high deformability and long re-crosslinking time upon tunable swelling ratio for the applications. A dual covalent and physical crosslinking strategy was used to develop novel microspheres reinforced by a hydrogen bond (H-bond, between pyrrole ring and amide group) and coordination bond (between chromium acetate (CrAc) and carboxyl …

Biodegradable Preformed Particle Gel (Ppg) Made Of Natural Chitosan Material For Water Shut-Off Application, Reem Elaf, Ahmed Ben Ali, Mohammed Saad, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Hassan Nimir, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oil and Gas Extraction Frequently Produces Substantial Volumes of Produced Water, Leading to Several Mechanical and Environmental Issues. Several Methods Have Been Applied over Decades, Including Chemical Processes Such as In-Situ Crosslinked Polymer Gel and Preformed Particle Gel, Which Are the Most Effective Nowadays. This Study Developed a Green and Biodegradable PPG Made of PAM and Chitosan as a Blocking Agent for Water Shutoff, Which Will Contribute to Combating the Toxicity of Several Commercially Used PPGs. the Applicability of Chitosan to Act as a Crosslinker Has Been Confirmed by FTIR Spectroscopy and Observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Extensive Swelling Capacity …

Estimating Aquifer System Storage Loss With Water Levels, Pumping And Insar Data In The Parowan Valley, Utah, Ryan G. Smith, Jiawei Li, Katherine R. Grote, Jim Butler

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the Parowan Valley of Utah, Groundwater Levels Have Declined by as Much as 30 M over the Past 50 Years with Accompanying Subsidence Rates of Up to 5 Cm/year. Traditional Methods to Estimate Groundwater Storage Change Use a Combination of Groundwater Level and Storativity Estimates, But There is Often Considerable Uncertainty in These. in This Study, We Demonstrate a New Method that Relies on a Combination of Geodetic Data from InSAR, as Well as Groundwater Level and Pumping Data, to Estimate Both the Total Groundwater Storage Loss and the Percentages of Storage Loss in Fine- and Coarse-Grained Layers within …

Laboratory Comparative Study Of Anionic And Cationic High-Viscosity Friction Reducers In Moderate To Extremely High Total Dissolved Solids Environments, Xiaojing Ge, Abdulmohsin Imqam

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-Viscosity Friction Reducers (HVFRs) Have Been Recently Gaining More Attention and Increasing in Use, Not Only as Friction-Reducing Agents But Also as Proppant Carriers. Reusing Produced Water Has Also Been Driven by Both Environmental and Economic Benefits. Currently, Most Friction Reducers on the Market Are Anionic Friction Reducers, Which Are Fully Compatible with Most Produced Water with Low to Medium Level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) But Show a Significant Drop at High TDS Conditions in Terms of their Friction Reduction Performance in Most Cases. on the Contrary, Cationic Friction Reducers Are Believed to Have Better TDS Tolerance and Friction …

Organic Matter Assessment And Paleoenvironmental Changes Of The Middle Jurassic Main Source Rocks (Khatatba Formation) In The North Western Desert, Egypt: Palynofacies And Palynomorph Perspectives, Ahmed Mansour, Sameh S. Tahoun, Aya Raafat, Mohamed S. Ahmed, Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe, Thomas Gentzis, Xiugen Fu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Middle Jurassic in the north Western Desert, Egypt, was a time of complex tectonics and increased environmental perturbations attributed to the predominant sedimentation of organic carbon-rich fine siliciclastic and carbonate deposits of the Khatatba Formation. Although some studies have addressed the hydrocarbon potential and source rock characteristics of the Khatatba Formation, a regional-scale investigation of the prevalent paleoenvironmental conditions and organic matter characteristics is still necessary. In this study, the Khatatba Formation is investigated for detailed palynofacies analysis and palynomorph composition to assess organic matter kerogen types and reconstruct the depositional paleoenvironmental patterns on a regional scale. For this …

Integrated Experimental And Dft Study Of Palladium And Nickel Metals Supported On Reducible Metallic Oxides For Selective Hydrogenation Of Alkynes And Dienes Bonds, Toyin Daniel Shittu

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the capacity of ceria (CeO₂) to serve as a stand-alone reactive catalyst, and to act as catalyst support for different catalyst configurations. Experimental and density functional theory (DFT) approach were used to critically predict and to design ceria-containing catalysts. Ceria owes the catalytic propensity to the ability to undergo switch in the oxidation state from the +4 to +3 states. Motivated by experimental studies involving CeO₂ catalysts, defects CeO₂ surface with an oxygen vacancy (CeO2(111)_Vo) was used to explore the decomposition chemistry of methanethiol based on DFT. The potential formation pathways revealed that …

Incoherency In Central American Hydroclimate Proxy Records Spanning The Last Millennium, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Byron A. Steinman, Nathan D. Stansell, Jeremy Maurer

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Continued Global Warming is Expected to Result in Reduced Precipitation and a Drier Climate in Central America. Projections of Future Changes Are Highly Uncertain, However, Due to the Spatial Resolution Limitations of Models and Insufficient Observational Data Coverage Across Space and Time. Paleoclimate Proxy Data Are Therefore Critical for Understanding Regional Climate Responses during Times of Global Climate Reorganization. Here We Present Two Lake-Sediment based Records of Precipitation Variability in Guatemala Along with a Synthesis of Central American Hydroclimate Records Spanning the Last Millennium (800–2000 CE). the Synthesis Reveals that Regional Climate Changes Have Been Strikingly Heterogeneous, even over Relatively …

Using Switchable Solvents For Enhanced Biodiesel Production, Eyad Abdel Rahman Sowan

Theses

This thesis presents a sustainable approach to biodiesel production using in-situ technology for direct conversion of microalgae-to-biodiesel. The proposed method operates on wet, untreated microalgae, thereby eliminating the cost/energy intensive drying and cell disruption steps. Owing to their favorable properties, the use of enzymes, specifically lipase, as a catalyst for the process was suggested over acid/base catalysts. However, the high cost of the enzyme necessitates its reuse at sustained activity for the process to be economically feasible. The use of non-toxic green solvents, such as switchable solvents, as an alternative to conventional organic solvents was a significant challenge for the …

Design And Performance Analysis Of Dry Gas Fishbone Wells For Lower Carbon Footprint, Habib Ouadi, Aimen Laalam, Amjed Hassan, Abderraouf Chemmakh, Vamegh Rasouli, Mohamed Mahmoud

Petroleum Engineering Student Publications

Multilateral well drilling technology has recently assisted the drilling industry in improving borehole contact area and reducing operation time, while maintaining a competitive cost. The most advanced multilateral well drilling method is Fishbone drilling (FbD). This method has been utilized in several hydrocarbon fields worldwide, resulting in high recovery enhancement and reduced carbon emissions from drilling. FbD involves drilling several branches from laterals and can be considered as an alternative method to hydraulic fracturing to increase the stimulated reservoir volume. However, the expected productivity of applying a Fishbone well from one field to another can vary due to various challenges …

Evaluation Of Liquid Loading In Gas Wells Using Machine Learning, Abderraouf Chemmakh, Olusegun Stanley Tomomewo, Kegang Ling, Ahmed Shammari

Petroleum Engineering Student Publications

The inevitable result that gas wells witness during their life production is the liquid loading problem. The liquids that come with gas block the production tubing if the gas velocity supplied by the reservoir pressure is not enough to carry them to surface. Researchers used different theories to solve the problem naming, droplet fallback theory, liquid film reversal theory, characteristic velocity, transient simulations, and others. While there is no definitive answer on what theory is the most valid or the one that performs the best in all cases. This paper comes to involve a different approach, a combination between physics-based …

Applications Of Underbalanced Fishbone Drilling For Improved Recovery And Reduced Carbon Footprint In Unconventional Plays, Habib Ouadi, Siamak Mishani, Vamegh Rasouli

Petroleum Engineering Student Publications

Fishbone Drilling (FbD) consists of drilling several micro-holes in different directions from the main vertical or deviated wellbore. Similar to multilateral micro-hole drilling, FbD may be used to enhance hydrocarbon production in naturally fractured formations or in refracturing operations by interconnecting the existing natural fractures. When combined with underbalanced drilling using a coiled tubing rig, FbD enhances the production further by easing the natural flow of the hydrocarbon from the reservoir to the wellbore. The design aspects of the Fishbones include determining the number, length, distance between the branches, and the angle of sidetracking of the branches from the main …

Seismic Azimuthal Anisotropy Beneath A Fast Moving Ancient Continent: Constraints From Shear Wave Splitting Analysis In Australia, Kailun Ba, Stephen S. Gao, Jianguo Song, Kelly H. Liu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Seismic Azimuthal Anisotropy Beneath Australia is Investigated using Splitting of the Teleseismic PKS, SKKS, and SKS Phases to Delineate Asthenospheric Flow and Lithospheric Deformation Beneath One of the Oldest and Fast-Moving Continents on Earth. in Total 511 Pairs of High-Quality Splitting Parameters Were Observed at 116 Seismic Stations. Unlike Other Stable Continental Areas in Africa, East Asia, and North America, Where Spatially Consistent Splitting Parameters Dominate, the Fast Orientations and Splitting Times Observed in Australia Show a Complex Pattern, with a Slightly Smaller Than Normal Average Splitting Time of 0.85 ± 0.33 S. on the North Australian Craton, the Fast …

A Systematic Design Approach For Bulk Gel Treatments Based On Gel Volume-Concentration Ratio In Field Projects, Munqith Aldhaheri, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Controlling excessive water production in mature oil fields has always been a desired objective of the oil and gas industry. This objective calls for planning of more effective water-control gel treatments with optimized designs to obtain more attractive outcomes. Unfortunately, planning such effective treatments remains a dilemma for reservoir engineers due to the lack of methodical design tools in the industry. This paper presents a novel systematic design approach for polyacrylamide-based bulk gel treatments by classifying their field projects according to the gel volume-concentration ratio (VCR) into three design types. In terms of one another, the approach estimates either the …