Advanced Materials in Hydrocarbon Production

Nanoparticle-stablized CO2 Foam for CO2 EOR Application

Nanoparticles were synthesized and their application to the stabilization of CO2 foam and residual oil recovery was investigated. This research includes the synthesis and characterization nanosilica particles; investigation of the interaction of nanoparticles between the CO2 and water interface and the effect of the particles' surface properties on the interaction; a study of the mechanism of the nanoparticles' transportation in porous medium; and the investigation of the particle-stable CO2 foam for residual oil recovery. 

Development of a Chemical CO2 Sensor for Downhole CO2 Monitoring in Carbon Sequestration

Development of a Chemical CO2 Sensor for Downhole CO2 Monitoring in Carbon Sequestration This project targets the development of a robust pH sensor for in situ monitoring of subsurface waters. The pH of the water will reflect dissolved CO2 and can thus infer CO2 plume migration. The downhole pH/CO2 sensor will be developed to resist high pressures, high temperatures, and high salinity. Materials development work includes the use of a metal-oxide pH electrode with good stability and the understanding of different factors' effects on the performance of the electrode, after which sensor performance under high pressures, temperatures, and salinity conditions will be evaluated. Additional performance evaluations of the sensor will be carried out using CO2/brine coreflooding tests, and a data acquisition system will be developed to enable pH and CO2 presence to be determined in situ. 

Design and Deployment of Monitoring, Verification, and Accounting (MVA) Strategies in Carbon Sequestration

The Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP), one of seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships established in 2003 by the US DOE, plans to closely monitor the injection and post-injection periods of a million tons of CO2 at Chaparral Energy's Farnsworth Unit (FWU), Ochiltree County, Texas over the next five years. The purpose of MVA activities in this project is to determine CO2 movement in complicated reservoir conditions and their subsequent environmental impact. Techniques used in the MMV activities include water sampling, tracer monitoring, downhole pressure and temperature monitoring, and soil gas and isotope analysis.