Engineering Commons^™

Temperature Transient Analysis For Reservoir Characterization, Yilin Mao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent developments in downhole temperature measurements open new alternatives contributing to reservoir characterization. In this dissertation, novel forward and inverse models to analyze production- and injection-induced temperature signals are developed for conventional and unconventional reservoir applications. Important limitations of the proposed models are addressed by accounting for fluid property variations and complex production strategies.

Forward modeling approaches involve making relevant assumptions that allow rigorous analytical solutions to be constructed using Laplace transform, Method of Characteristics, and control volume analysis. Our results of the analytical models are benchmarked with those from commercial numerical simulation software. Multiple possible scenarios of conventional reservoirs …

An Improved Method To Calculate Gas-Lift Valve Set Pressure And Valve Performance Curves, Khadhr A Kh Altarabulsi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The main objective of this work is toimprove the accuracy on calculations of design set pressure and performance curves (sizing equations) for Gas-Lift Valves (GLVs) at high pressure (real conditions). This improved calculation method is demonstrated to have an important effect on well unloading and production operations.

The analysis of the valve design set pressure includes an experimental evaluation of the effect of internal dome volume changes on the design set pressure due to the presence of silicone and thermal effects. The evaluationis carried out for different levels of GLV silicone fill, pressures and temperatures. Silicone fills covered 7.5, 10, …

Preformed-Particle-Gel Placement And Plugging Performance In Fractures With Tips, Ze Wang, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Preformed-particle gels (PPGs) have been applied for reducing excessive water production caused by fractures in reservoirs. A portion of the fractures existing in reservoirs is composed of a void part and a fracture tip. The PPG placement behavior and plugging performance could be mainly affected by the fracture tips. A fracture with a tip, called a "partially open fracture" in this paper, was designed to investigate the placement and water-plugging performance of PPG. Cylindrical sandstone cores were used to manufacture partially open fractures. Pressure data of PPG injection, post-gel water breakthrough, and stable injection were analyzed to investigate the PPG …

Experimental Study On The Influence Of Slickwater On Shale Permeability, Zhonghua Liu, Baojun Bai, Zheyu Zhang, Jing Tang, Shunpeng Zeng, Xiaogang Li

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

There are two diametrically opposite views of the influence of slickwater on shale permeability among scholars at home and abroad. We used the shale outcrops rock samples from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in Sichuan Basin. The permeability of these dry samples before and after immersion in different solution systems were tested by pulse attenuation method. The experimental results show that the impregnation of different slickwater components and standard salt solution can promote the increase of the permeability of shale samples. The stress sensitivity of shale samples after liquid immersion is medium weak to weak. The sample stress sensitivity is …

Establishment And Application Of Fractal Capillary Tube Bundle Model Of Porous Media, Zhonghua Liu, Jianing Shen, Qianhua Xiao, Zhongpei Ding, Shunpeng Zeng, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In view of the problem of statistical regression constant in the model of capillary tube bundles in the porous media, a capillary bundle percolation model with fractal geometry was reconstructed. The function expressions of the fractal coefficient and Kozeny constant were deduced. The relationship between the macroscopic fractal properties of porous media and the fractal dimension and the micro pore parameters were obtained. Results show: Fractal coefficient is a function of fractal dimension, maximum pore radius and minimum pore radius; The macroscopic physical properties of porous media are a function of the fractal dimension and the radius of the capillary …

Characterization And Evaluation Of Cordless Nailer Performance For Liquid And Gaseous Fuels, Mark Carioscio

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer is a combustion-powered nail gun that operates using a fuel blend of a propylene and 1-butene. This tool is designed to drive nails using a piston driven by a combustion reaction. The current fuel blend is able to fire approximately 1200 shots per fuel cartridge and match the energy output of pneumatic, corded nailers on the market. This thesis is written with the intent to gain a better understanding of the operation of the tool and how its performance varies when the fuel source is altered. A bizonal combustion model was created to simulate …

Well-Failure Analysis Of The Devil’S Basin In Musselshell County, Mt., Alexander Koerner

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Central Montana’s Devil’s Basin is the home of the first wildcat well in Montana. However, numerous operators have failed to recover economic oil reserves in the nearly 100- year history of the play. Analysis of the geologic conditions within the Devil’s Basin leads to a modern understanding of the charge, reservoir, and trap potentials of the greater Devil’s Basin petroleum play. Primary focus within the play is the Heath and Tyler Formations. Evaluation of previous exploration guides the end narrative of recommendations to direct future production in the Devil’s Basin.

A representative geologic model describing the southeastern portion of the …

Numerical Simulation Study On Miscible Eor Techniques For Improving Oil Recovery In Shale Oil Reservoirs, Dheiaa Alfarge, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Shale formations in North America such as Bakken, Niobrara, and Eagle Ford have huge oil in place, 100—900 billion barrels of oil in Bakken only. However, the predicted primary recovery is still below 10%. Therefore, seeking for techniques to enhance oil recovery in these complex plays is inevitable. Although most of the previous studies in this area recommended that CO₂ would be the best EOR technique to improve oil recovery in these formations, pilot tests showed that natural gases performance clearly exceeds CO₂ performance in the field scale. In this paper, two different approaches have been integrated to …

Investigation Of Flow Mechanisms In Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage Process, Iskandar Dzulkarnain

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study we investigate displacement mechanism for oil recovered using Gas- Assisted Gravity Drainage (GAGD) method. For a typical oil recovery under gravity drainage, the recovery profile can be characterized by an initial bulk flow which occurs rapidly and a later film flow that extends for a longer duration. It is the latter period where film spreading, the ability of oil to spread above water in the presence of gas, is identified as the displacement mechanism responsible for recovering the remaining oil in gravity drainage process. Literature survey indicates that mathematical models for gravity drainage do not account for …

Investigation Of Flow Mechanisms In Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage Process, Iskandar Dzulkarnain

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study we investigate displacement mechanism for oil recovered using Gas- Assisted Gravity Drainage (GAGD) method. For a typical oil recovery under gravity drainage, the recovery profile can be characterized by an initial bulk flow which occurs rapidly and a later film flow that extends for a longer duration. It is the latter period where film spreading, the ability of oil to spread above water in the presence of gas, is identified as the displacement mechanism responsible for recovering the remaining oil in gravity drainage process. Literature survey indicates that mathematical models for gravity drainage do not account for …

Modeling Fluid Coker Cyclone Fouling, Erica Glatt

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Fluid Coking^TM is a continuous process that thermally converts heavy hydrocarbons, such as oil-sands bitumen, to lighter and higher-value products by horizontal injection onto a fluidized bed of hot coke particles. The deposition of carbonaceous materials in the cyclone sections of commercial Fluid Cokers has been observed throughout each run. The main objective of this work is to improve unit reliability by proposing cyclone fouling mitigation strategies based on a localized phenomenological model using Aspen Plus®. The heavy ends condensation fouling mechanism was studied by incorporating vapour-liquid thermodynamics, thermal cracking reactions, and overall fluid dynamics in the Fluid Coker. …

Development Strategies For A Fractured, Heavy Oil Reservoir - Results From Numerical Simulations, German Albertovich Abzaletdinov

LSU Master's Theses

This research is focused on studying reservoir “N” in the Yarega heavy oilfield (YHOF) for development strategies and production optimization. YHOF is a naturally fractured heavy oil field where only very recently SAGD technology has been introduced. The motivation for this research is derived from the fact that SAGD employed in this field has so far resulted in early steam breakthrough leading to producer abandonment and new drilling, thus increasing costs. This study explores numerically different static and dynamic reservoir characterization models (single porosity versus dual porosity systems), and subsequent pressure-production history matched reservoir simulation for understanding heat and mass …

Insights Into Low Salinity Water Flooding, Hasan N. Al-Saedi, Ralph E. Flori, Patrick V. Brady

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In our previous work, we examined the potential of divalent cations (Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺) in formation water (FW) for low-salinity (LS) EOR effect, where the increase in divalent cations in FW lowered the impact of LS water EOR.

In this paper, we demonstrate the importance of the same divalent cations in the injected water (both FW and LS water). We also try to relate the percentage of the divalent cations in the injected water to that in the FW to engineer the optimum concentration of the injected water and obtain the maximum oil recovery from sandstone reservoirs. …

Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Liquid-Assisted Gas-Lift Unloading, Renato Peixoto Coutinho

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The case for a unique form of gas-lift unloading, termed “Liquid-Assisted Gas-Lift (LAGL),” is presented. This work demonstrates that the injection of a gas-liquid mixture allows transport of gas to a deep injection point utilizing injection pressure considerably lower than single-phase gas injection. The LAGL is demonstrated in a 2,880 ft deep test well. The test well is kicked-off using an injection pressure that would normally be lower than the pressure for single-point single-phase gas injection at this depth. Experimental results indicate that the LAGL can lower the injection pressure by up to 75%.

This work breaks the LAGL system …

Comparison Between Cold/Hot Smart Water Flooding In Sandstone Reservoirs, Hasan N. Al-Saedi, Ariel Williams, Ralph E. Flori

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The incremental oil recovery has been investigated and approved by many laboratory and field projects using water flooding in tertiary stage. The salinity of the injected water is an important factor observed by many researchers. The more salinity decreases the more oil recovery obtained. The investigations on the hot low salinity water flooding have been conducted by many researchers and they found out that it is useful for increasing oil recovery especially heavy oil due to reducing oil viscosity and make it easy to produce to the surface. The thermal expansion of water plays an important role in the incremental …

Thermogenic Gas Hydrate Formation In Gulf Of Mexico Offshore Environment- Results From Numerical Simulation, Sulav Dhakal

LSU Master's Theses

Development of civilization and the resulting quest for energy have led us to previously uncharted territory in exploration and production of fuel. As the demand continues to grow and conventional oil reserves become depleted, we are looking into unconventional resources such as gas hydrates. However, due to the volatile nature of the energy market and production technology yet to perfected, we are not able to fully utilize the potential of gas hydrates yet.

Reservoir characterization of hydrates have so far been limited to seismic mapping, well log interpretation and laboratory scale studies. This research uses numerical simulation to understand the …

Mobility Of Nano-Particles In Rock Based Micro-Models, Jagannath Upadhyay

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A confocal micro-particle image velocimetry (C-μPIV) technique along with associated post-processing algorithms is detailed for obtaining three dimensional distributions of nano-particle velocity and concentrations at select locations of the 2.5D (pseudo 3D) Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and ceramic micro-model. The designed and fabricated 2.5D micro-model incorporates microchannel networks with 3D wall structures with one at observation wall which resembles fourteen morphological and flow parameters to those of fully 3D actual reservoir rock (Boise Sandstone) at resolutions of 5 and 10 μm in depth and 5 and 25 μm on plane. In addition, an in-situ, non-destructive method for measuring the geometry of …

Simulating Fluid Flow And Gas Expansion In The Marine Riser Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd) Software, Ross Teichman

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Integrated Stratigraphic Controls For Flow Simulation Of The Wall Creek Member Of Frontier Formation: Western Powder River Basin, Wyoming, Tuan Le

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Frontier Formation in the Powder River Basin has been re-discovered for oil and gas potential with the development of long horizontal wells and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. Over the last decade, the Upper Cretaceous Wall Creek Member (WCM) of the Frontier Formation has proven to be a successful hydrocarbon-producing target, yet a full understanding of the flow behavior in this complex stratigraphic unit has not been fully achieved.

The fluid and rock properties have uncertainty and are not well defined due to the low permeability rocks. This study aims to describe the fluid flow behaviors of these features and create …

Pore-Scale Analysis Of Interfacial Instabilities And Impact Of Heterogeneity On Relative Permeability By Lattice Boltzmann Method, Zhipeng Zhu

LSU Master's Theses

Interfacial instabilities occur often during immiscible fluid flow through porous media and their understanding is essential for waterflooding operations or other oil recovery processes. Although many studies including experimental and numerical have been done to reproduce and analyze the interfacial instabilities in porous median, there is still significant knowledge gap in fundamental understanding of these flow instabilities at the pore-scale. In order to better understand the interfacial instabilities phenomenon, the pore-scale simulations are performed. In this study, Lattice Boltzmann Method is used to simulate two different types of interfacial instabilities: viscous fingering and capillary fingering in irregular sphere packs by …

Magnetic Gradient Drilling, Garrett Lowry Nielsen

LSU Master's Theses

The drilling industry has always had difficulties with staying within the mud weight window. The problems associated with failure to stay within the mud weight window include uncontrolled influxes and wellbore collapse on the low pressure side of the window, and fluid losses and wellbore damage on the high pressure side of the window. When the risk for getting outside of this mud window becomes too great, casing must be set in order to isolate formations from each other. If too many strings of casing are set, or if the damage from getting out of the mud weight window is …

Effect Of Pipe Rotation On Casing Pressure Within Mpd Applications, Zahrah Ahmed Al Marhoon

LSU Master's Theses

Well control is one of the most crucial sectors in drilling engineering. Human lives and safety depend on the correct execution of the engineering design. Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is a new technology that has recently emerged in the oil and gas industry. It has special well control abilities supported by the RCD to continue drilling or carry operations that involve pipe rotation, while circulating out a gas kick. This thesis examines the effect of pipe rotation on casing pressure profiles within MPD kick circulation application. The analysis was carried on real scale kick experiments. These experiments were carried in …

Optimization Of A New Array Noise Tool; Analysis & Interpretation Of Case Studies Of Down- Hole Leak Detection, Moustafa Mahmoud Hassan Ismail

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the optimization and analysis of new array noise tools. Various lab and field case studies are analyzed to test the capabilities and determine the optimum operating conditions of the new tool for leak detection purposes. The purpose of this study is to optimize the logging procedure of real-time array noise tool, selecting adequate gain parameters and frequency band in the processing phase, and to analyze the data acquired through multiple labs and field tests. The study methodology involved the following steps:

1. Performing lab and field tests for the tool in a range of different …

Image-Based Modeling Of Flow Through Porous Media: Development Of Multiscale Techniques For The Pore Level, Timothy Wayne Thibodeaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Increasingly, imaging technology allows porous media problems to be modeled at microscopic and sub-microscopic levels with finer resolution. However, the physical domain size required to be representative of the media prohibits comprehensive micro-scale simulation. A hybrid or multiscale approach is necessary to overcome this challenge. In this work, a technique was developed for determining the characteristic scales of porous materials, and a multiscale modeling methodology was developed to better understand the interaction/dependence of phenomena occurring at different microscopic scales. The multiscale method couples microscopic simulations at the pore and sub-pore scales. Network modeling is a common pore-scale technique which employs …

Solvent And Concentration Effects Governing The Hierarchical Organization Of Asphaltenes: A Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering Study, Hasan Rejoanur Rahman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Asphaltenes are a group of planar molecules found in crude oil and are prone to aggregation which often causes blockage of pipes along the oil production stream resulting a huge economic downside. In an effort to understand the hierarchical organization of asphaltene in different solvents and concentrations, the solution structure of various asphaltene solutions were studied using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Solvents were chosen based on miscibility maps. Such maps are generated on the critical value of the solubility parameter difference between asphaltenes or asphaltene components, and a range of solvents. The critical factors that affect asphaltene and asphaltene component …

Ore Reserves Estimation Of The Nam Nga Coal Deposit, Lao Pdr, Using Geostatistical Method, Tongvang Bliachongvang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research study focuses on estimating the coal deposit quantity and qualities as CV and AC at Nam Nga coal deposit, Lao PDR using OK and SGS geostatistical methods. A total of 295 assays data from 51 exploration drill holes collected from LID Company were used. The results reveal that OK produces geological resource of 2.2 MT with an average CV of 3,733 kcal/kg and an average AC of 48.68 %. The mineable reserve computed from OK's ultimate pit design and pit adjustment are 0.55 MT. The OK method produces 9.32 MT of wastes, yielding a stripping ratio of 10.4:1. …

Optimization Of Single Refrigerant Conocophillips Lng Cascade Process, Naken Saetang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

An LNG cascade process operates under high pressure and extremely low temperature to liquefy natural gas, requiring very high work input to the compressors. This thesis performed the optimization of the single refrigerant ConocoPhillips LNG process by a global optimization technique based on the domain and image partitioning methodology (Faria and Bagajewicz, 2012) to minimize work input to the system. The procedure consists of an NLP upper bound and MILP lower bound models. The lower bound model was formulated by discretizing and linear relaxation of the upper bound non-linear equations by assigning new integer variables and a set of linear …

Effecst Of Water On The Methane Hydrate Formation And Dissociation With Hollow Silica And Activated Carbon, Sarocha Rungrussamee

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The porous materials, hollow silica (HSC) and activated carbon (AC), were selected to investigate their effects with water on methane hydrate formation and dissociation. The methane hydrate formation with the porous materials was conducted at 8 MPa and 277 K. The dissociation of hydrates was achieved by thermal stimulation with 294 K temperature driving force. The result showed that the hydrate formation of the system with 1:14 HSC to water ratio, the system with excess water, provided the highest methane consumed and water conversion to hydrates. That is because the HSC has low density allowing it to float on water …

การแยกแก๊สผสมไนโตรเจน/เฮกเซน/1-บิวทีนด้วยเมมเบรนคอมพอสิตไคโตซาน, ภาณุวัฒน์ ภาวิไล

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้ได้ศึกษาการแยกแก๊สผสมไนโตรเจน/เฮกเซน/1-บิวทีนด้วยเมมเบรน คอมพอสิตไคโตซานที่ผสมผสานเทคนิคการเตรียม 4 รูปแบบ ได้แก่ 1) การเติมอนุภาคซีโอไลต์ชนิด 4A ปริมาณร้อยละ 0, 1 และ 5 โดยน้ำหนักของไคโตซาน 2) การปรับความหนาของชั้นฟิล์มไคโตซาน 100 และ 50 ไมครอน 3) การใช้วัสดุฐานรองเป็นผ้าสปันบอนด์ชนิดพอลิโพรพิลีนและพอลิเอสเตอร์ และ 4) การเชื่อมขวางเมมเบรนคอมพอสิตด้วยสารละลายกรดซัลฟิวริก นอกจากนั้นยังได้ศึกษาผลการสะสมของตัวเร่งปฏิกิริยาชนิดไตรเอทิลอลูมินัม (TEAL) ที่ใช้ในกระบวนการผลิตพอลิเอทิลีนด้วยเทคโนโลยี CX บนเมมเบรนคอมพอสิตไคโตซานต่อสมรรถนะการแยกแก๊ส จากการศึกษาพบว่าเมมเบรนคอมพอสิตไม่เชื่อมขวางที่มีความหนาของชั้นฟิล์มไคโตซานหนา 100 ไมครอน ผสมผงซีโอไลต์ 4A ปริมาณร้อยละ 1 โดยน้ำหนัก และใช้วัสดุฐานรองผ้าสปันบอนด์ชนิดพอลิโพรพิลีน มีค่าแฟกเตอร์การแยกแก๊สสูงถึง 2.08±0.06 สำหรับคู่แก๊สไนโตรเจน/เฮกเซน และ 1.28±0.10 สำหรับคู่แก๊สไนโตรเจน/1-บิวทีน ในขณะที่ค่าความสามารถในการซึมผ่านแก๊สเท่ากับ 5127±745 แบร์เรอร์ เมื่อใช้อุณหภูมิดำเนินการ 10 องศาเซลเซียส ความดันแก๊สผสมขาเข้า เมมเบรน 4 บาร์ ความดันฝั่งเพอมิเอตเป็นความดันบรรยากาศ (1 บาร์) ความเข้มข้นเฮกเซนและ 1-บิวทีน ในแก๊สผสมเป็นร้อยละ 0.50 และ 4.50 โดยปริมาตร ตามลำดับ แต่ประสิทธิภาพในการแยกแก๊สของเมมเบรนจะลดลงเมื่อได้รับ TEAL และสูญเสียความสามารถในการแยกแก๊สเมื่อถูกแช่ในสารละลาย TEAL ที่ความเข้มข้นร้อยละ 5 โดยน้ำหนัก เป็นเวลา 24 ชั่วโมง

Understanding Inhibition Of A Biodesulfurization Enzyme To Improve Sulfur Removal From Petroleum, Yue Yu

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The biodesulfurization 4S-pathway is a promising complementary enzymatic approach to remove sulfur from recalcitrant thiophenic derivatives in petroleum products that remain from conventional hydrodesulfurization method without diminishing the calorific value of oil. The final step of this pathway involves the carbon-sulfur bond cleavage from HBPS, and the production of the final products 2-hydroxybiphenyl (HBP) and sulfite, has been recognized as the rate-limiting step, partially as a result of product inhibition. However, the mechanisms and factors responsible for product inhibition in the last step have not been fully understood. In this work, we proposed a computational investigation using molecular dynamic simulations …