Petroleum Engineering Commons^™

Mantle Flow And Olivine Fabric Transition In The Myanmar Continental Subduction Zone, Enbo Fan, Yinshuang Ai, Stephen S. Gao, Yumei He, Kelly H. Liu, Mingming Jiang, Guangbing Hou, Shun Yang, Chit Thet Mon, Myo Thant, Kyaing Sein

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the Major Advances in Mineral Physics and Seismology is the Realization that Different Olivine Fabric Types Are Functions of Temperature, Shear Stress, and Water Content in Oceanic Subducting Systems. the Distribution of Different Olivine Fabric Types and Geodynamic Processes in the Mantle Wedge above a Subducting Continental Slab Remain Poorly Understood. Here, based on Splitting Analysis of Shear Waves Recorded by 46 Stations Recently Deployed in Central Myanmar, We Reveal Trench-Perpendicular Fast Orientations between the 80 and 100 Km Slab Contours Sandwiched between Trench-Parallel Fast Orientations from the Mantle Wedge Tip to the Backarc. the Dramatic Change in …

Descriptive Statistical Analysis Of Experimental Data For Wettability Alteration With Smart Water Flooding In Carbonate Reservoirs, Muhammad Ali Buriro, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai, Ya Yao

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Smart water flooding is a promising eco-friendly method for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs. The optimal salinity and ionic composition of the injected water play a critical role in the success of this method. This study advances the field by employing machine learning and data analytics to streamline the determination of these critical parameters, which are traditionally reliant on time-intensive laboratory work. The primary objectives are to utilize data analytics to examine how smart water flooding influences wettability modification, identify key parameter ranges that notably alter the contact angle, and formulate guidelines and screening criteria for successful lab design. …

Lessons Learned From Laboratory Study And Field Application Of Re-Crosslinkable Preformed Particle Gels Rppg For Conformance Control In Mature Oilfields With Conduits/Fractures/Fracture-Like Channels, Baojun Bai, Thomas P. Schuman, David Smith, Tao Song

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Paper Surveys the Role of Re-Crosslink able Preformed Particle Gels (RPPG) in Addressing Conformance Challenges within Mature Oilfields. Despite Widespread Preformed Particle Gel (PPG) Application in 15,000+ Wells, their Limitations in Sealing Fractures and Conduits Prevalent in Mature Reservoirs Have Driven the Development of RPPG Formulations. Synthesized in Various Sizes from Micrometer to Millimeter Levels, These Environmentally Friendly RPPGs Are Tailored for Diverse Reservoir Conditions. Findings Showcase the Successful Laboratory-Scale Creation and Upscaling of RPPG Products, Offering Adaptability to Temperatures from 20 to 175°C, Customizable Sizes, Swelling Ratios (5 to 40 Times), and Re-Crosslinking Times Spanning Minutes to Days. …

Electromagnetic Near-Field Scanning With A Spatially Sparse Sampling Strategy Utilizing Kriging-Dmd, Yanming Zhang, Steven Gao, Lijun Jiang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper proposes a hybrid method for time-resolved electromagnetic near-field scanning, merging model-based (Gaussian processes regression model, a.k.a. Kriging method) and data-driven (dynamic mode decomposition) techniques. Specifically, Latin hypercube sampling enables spatially sparse measurements, followed by dynamic mode decomposition to analyze resulting sparse spatial-temporal data, extracting frequency information and sparse dynamic modes. The Kriging method is then employed for full-state reconstruction. The proposed approach is evaluated using crossed dipole antennas. Results indicate that, even with a spatial subsampling factor of 130, achieving a fully reconstructed field distribution suitable for engineering applications with frequency information extraction is feasible. This hybrid framework …

Would Self-Supported Fracture Contribute To The Hydrocarbon Production In Shale Reservoir Besides Proppant-Supported Fracture, Y. Sun, G. Li, S. Zeng, J. Wu, J. Liu, M. Xu, C. Dai, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

During hydraulic fracturing in deep shale gas reservoirs, it is difficult to pump proppants long distances, and self-supported fractures are formed at the far and upper ends of the fractures. The self-supported fracture could hold the fracture space by its surface structure again fracture closure. However, it faces various aspects of impairment during shale gas reservoir development, which affect its conductivity. Among the impairment, long-term production results in a decline of bottom hole pressure, which will compact the fracture space, and self-supported fractures without proppant are more sensitive than those with proppant. In this paper, we conducted a series of …

The Effects Of Uv-Radiation On The Removal Of Microplastics In Water Using Agglomeration-Micro-Flotation, Palot Srichonphaisarn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Microplastics, plastic particles with diameter 1 micrometer to 5 millimeters, can disturb marine ecosystems due to their small size and surface properties which can be a carrier for hazardous matters. While wastewater treatment plants could remove some microplastics but some of them remain. Among the various removal techniques, flotation is a potential method due to the hydrophobic nature of microplastics. This study investigates the effects of ultraviolet radiation on the surface wettability of microplastics and removal efficiency of microplastics. The 6 types of microplastics were prepared from plastic boards. After the ultraviolet radiation, the results showed that ultraviolet radiation could …

Carbon Dioxide Gasification Of Biochar: A Study On Utilizing Captured Co2 To Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emission And Improving Carbon Conversion Efficiency, Nnamdi Ofuani

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With rapidly growing global economies and world population, fossil fuel continues to play a major role in meeting current energy demands. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies have, hence, been implemented to reduce CO₂ emissions in the atmosphere. With the implementation of CCS technologies comes the need to utilize the captured CO₂. This research, therefore, proposes CO₂ gasification of biochar as a viable carbon utilization pathway. With captured CO₂ coming at various concentrations, there is a need to understand how CO₂ concentration affects biochar conversion to useful products. This study, therefore, evaluates the effects …

Investigations Of Performance And Emissions Of A Fischer-Tropsch Gtl Sustainable Aerospace Fuel With Lubricity Improver In A Compression Ignition Engine With Butanol Port Fuel Injection, James B. Willis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As there is increasing concern over emissions of traditional fossil fuels, as well as the future of continued reliance on this dwindling resource, it is becoming increasingly evident that alternative fuels are a necessity. This research investigates the use of a Fischer-Tropsch fuel from natural gas feedstocks, S8, in an internal combustion research engine with a common rail fuel injection system. This synthetic kerosene fuel has a high DCN of 62, indicating high affinity to autoignition compared to conventional pump diesel (ULSD) at 48 DCN. However, due to the process by which it is produced, this fuel lacks the necessary …

Descriptive Statistical Analysis Of Experimental Data For Wettability Alteration With Smart Water Flooding In Carbonate Reservoirs, Muhammad Ali Buriro, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai, Ya Yao

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Smart water flooding is a promising eco-friendly method for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs. the optimal salinity and ionic composition of the injected water play a critical role in the success of this method. This study advances the field by employing machine learning and data analytics to streamline the determination of these critical parameters, which are traditionally reliant on time-intensive laboratory work. the primary objectives are to utilize data analytics to examine how smart water flooding influences wettability modification, identify key parameter ranges that notably alter the contact angle, and formulate guidelines and screening criteria for successful lab design. …

Evaluation Of Novel Preformed Particle Gel System For Conformance Control In Mature Oil Reservoirs, Abdulaziz Almakimi, Ahmed Ben Ali, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To address challenges associated with excessive water production in mature oil reservoirs, this study introduces a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based material as a novel preformed particle gel (PPG) designed to plug excessive water pathways and redistribute the subsequent injected water toward unswept zones. Through microwave-assisted grafting copolymerization of CMC with acrylamide (AM), we successfully generated multi-sized dry particles within the range of 250–800 µm. Comprehensive analyses, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), have confirmed the chemical composition and morphology of the resulting carboxymethyl cellulose-grafted crosslinked polyacrylamide (CMC/PAMBA). Swelling kinetics and rheology tests were conducted to confirm the …

Development Of Tio2/Nh2-Mil-125 Nanocomposite For The Removal Of Ciprofloxacin Under Induced Solar Irradiation, Bilkis Mojisola Ajiwokewu

Theses

This research focuses on the development and application of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)-based nanocomposites for the photocatalytic removal of pharmaceutical contaminants, with a specific emphasis on ciprofloxacin (CIP). The photocatalytic degradation of CIP was investigated using as-synthesized photocatalysts of TiO₂ nanowires (TiO₂NWs), bare MOF of NH₂-MIL-125, TiO₂NW/NH₂-MIL-125 composite, and Lanthanum (La)-doped composite. Intriguingly, the TiO₂NW/NH₂-MIL-125 composite exhibited the highest efficiency, achieving a photodegradation rate of 0.0111 min-1, surpassing the independent performances of bare MOF of NH₂-MIL-125 and TiO₂NW. The observed efficiency was attributed to …

Lithospheric Drip And Mantle Thermal Upwelling Beneath Central Asia And The Southern Great Plains Of North America: Evidence From Receiver Function Imaging, Yangyang Liao

Doctoral Dissertations

"Investigating the depth of mantle transition zone (MTZ) discontinuities provides insights into mantle dynamics, including regional-scale downwelling of mantle lithosphere (i.e., lithospheric drip) and upwelling of thermal materials (i.e., mantle plume). In our study, we employ receiver functions to image the 410 km (d410) and 660 km (d660) mantle discontinuities and to ascertain thickness of the MTZ beneath Central Asia and the Great Plains in United States. The findings unveil a significantly thickened transition zone, exhibiting an average thickness of 284 km beneath East Sayan. When considered alongside geochemical observations, our results indicate that the descent of the lithosphere is …

Exploring Seismic Anisotropy In The Crust And Mantle Of The Tibetan Plateau And Analyzing Seismic Velocity Variations In Yellowstone, Cong Shen

Doctoral Dissertations

"Seismology is a scientific discipline that utilizes seismic waves to investigate the deep structures within the Earth's interior, which are otherwise inaccessible to direct observation by humans. These seismic waves can be categorized into two types: body waves and surface waves, each with distinct propagation modes and behaviors, carrying valuable information about their travel paths. The first paper concentrates on the analysis and inversion of body waves produced by large seismic events. It employs shear wave splitting and receiver function methods to explore the geodynamic structure of the south-central Tibetan Plateau, near the plate boundary. The investigation covers the depth …

The Comprehensive Study Of High Viscosity Friction Reducers In High-Tds And High-Temperature Environments, Xiaojing Ge

Doctoral Dissertations

"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 of 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 term of their friction reduction performance in most cases. On the contrary, cationic friction reducers are believed to have better TDS tolerance …

Investigation Wettability Contact Angle Using 2d Imaging Technology, Saleh Alsayegh

Doctoral Dissertations

"Investigation wetting preference of tight carbonate reservoir rocks and several other unconventional reservoir rocks, and their relation to oil production, is becoming noticeably important for field development in Kuwait, as in many future unconventional tight carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East. The overall objective of this investigating and modeling study is to discover many fundamental relationships from totality wettability preference as a tool for reservoir recovery predictions and management. The investigation includes advancing position of water wet preference into smaller capillaries of the matrix voids and incrementally more oil-wet into larger capillaries of natural fractures (NF). Also, investigating water/ oil …

Fiber Assisted Re-Assembly Preformed Particle Gel For Conformance Control, Zhe Sun

Masters Theses

"In Enhanced Oil Recovery technology today, gel treatments have been implemented as a cost-effective method to improve the oil sweep efficiency in reservoirs by plugging the high permeability zones. This study presents a novel gel composition to be used in conformance control in order to improve oil recovery for mature oilfields.

The product is a fiber-assist re-assembly preformed particle gel which could be generalized to the preformed particle gels (PPG). The product developed in this study could be injected into the reservoir act as a conformance control agent by plugging water thief zones and channels in the beginning process. Due …

Fe-Ni-Cu-Pge Sulfide Transport Mechanisms And Carbon-Sulfur Interactions In Lower Crustal Magmatic Settings: A Study From The Valmaggia Ultramafic Pipe, Ivrea-Verbano Zone, Italy, Shelby Leann Clark

Masters Theses

"Constraining the processes that control the transport and deposition of sulfides in the deep lithosphere is an important step in expanding ore deposit exploration search space to include exhumed lower crustal rocks. The ultramafic sulfide ore-bearing Valmaggia pipe in the Ivrea-Verbano Zone of NW Italy, an exhumed cross section of the overlying lower continental crust and subcontinental lithospheric mantle, gives critical insight into metallogenic processes in lower crustal settings. The ~300 m wide metasomatized pipe hosts Fe-Ni-Cu-(PGE±Co±Au) sulfide mineralization that is commonly associated with locally abundant carbonates and hydrous silicates (phlogopite, amphibole). Previous studies suggested that sulfides were physically transported …

High Viscosity Friction Reducer Evaluation At High Temperature And High Tds Environments, Ghith Ali Ahmed Biheri

Doctoral Dissertations

"In unconventional reservoirs, proppant transport during hydraulic fracturing treatments could be successful when the proppant is placed further within the reservoir's fracture networks. This could increase the reservoir formation conductivities and improve the productivity of the wells. This job of improving the reservoir conductivity by distributing and transporting proppant can be conducted by reliable fracture fluids with excellent fluid rheology (e.g., viscosity and elasticity). However, several challenges, including the high temperatures and the presence of high TDS in produced water, may limit the capability of fracture fluids to transport proppant. Additionally, the use of fracture fluid has raised fears regarding …

Preclassic Environmental Degradation Of Lake Petén Itzá, Guatemala, By The Early Maya Of Nixtun-Ch’Ich’, Brooke A. Birkett, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Prudence M. Rice, Wesley G. Parker, Peter M.J. Douglas, Melissa A. Berke, Audrey K. Taylor, Jason H. Curtis, Benjamin Keenan

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Paleolimnological Evidence Indicates the Ancient Maya Transformed Terrestrial Ecosystems by Felling Forest Vegetation to Construct Large Civic-Ceremonial Centers and to Expand Agriculture. Human Settlements Influenced Lacustrine Environments But the Effects of Maya Activities on Aquatic Ecosystems Remain Poorly Studied. Here We Analyzed a Sediment Core from Lake Petén Itzá, Guatemala, to Infer Paleoenvironmental Changes Resulting from Maya Occupation of the Archaeological Site of Nixtun-Ch'ich'. Increases in Charcoal and Fecal Stanol Concentrations Indicate Maya Occupation of the Candelaria Peninsula by the Late Early Preclassic Period. Geochemical Proxies Reveal a Period of Lake Ecosystem Alteration during Construction and Expansion of the City's …

Selective Production Of Levoglucosan (Lg) From Pyrolysis Of Date Pits And Its Catalytic Transformation Into Transportation Fuels, Ala Hamid Higazi

Theses

Levoglucosan (LG) or (1,6-anhydro-β-D-glucopyranose) signifies important sugar derivatives produces in appreciable quantities from thermochemical and biochemical degradation of biomass. It is often regarded as an important platform chemical for the synthesis of value-added products, most notably styrene and furans. The work in this thesis entails two broad aims; to produce LG from pyrolysis of date pits; and then convert the LG into transportation fuels through a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction. The particular choice of date pits stems from its local relative abundance as a waste biomass. Aiming to further improve the yield of levoglucosan yields from pyrolysis of date pits, pre-treatment …