Enhancing oil recovery using nanoparticles

Summary
• Opportunity to combine experimental work, physical modelling and numerical modelling in a single research project.
• Research project is directly applicability to industry.
• Join a diverse research group covering all aspects of rock physics with an international reputation and links to industry.
• Attend international conferences in the Europe, the US and elsewhere.
• Project is supported by successful pilot studies with the potential to generate early publications and consequent PhD assessment by publications alone.
• Tutoring in career development (academia, industry and beyond).

Motivation. As the world moves into the third decade of the 21st century, developed and developing nations still depend critically upon materials derived from oil. However, the Earth’s natural oil resources have been significantly depleted. Most existing large and simple reservoirs have reached or are reaching the end of their practical production lifetimes with over 40% of their original oil still in place, yet unproducible. Smaller and more complex reservoirs can fill the production gap, but are expensive and run the risk of damaging the environment. It would be far better to find ways of extracting more oil from the reservoirs that we currently have.

A pilot study at the University of Leeds has shown that the injection of nanoparticles suspended in aqueous fluids can result in 33% more oil being produced (Hu et al., 2016). Several mechanisms for the improvement in recovery factor have been proposed and their study and confirmation will be one of the goals of this research.

Aims and Objectives. The aim of the research is to understand the effect of nanoparticles on improvements to oil production from reservoirs using experimental measurements, imaging and associated analogue and numerical modelling. Its objectives include:
• Measuring oil production enhancement using nanoparticle-rich water-flooding on a range of reservoir rocks in the laboratory.
• Assessing which types and sizes of nanoparticles produce the best production enhancement, and how these particles can be stabilised during nanoparticle flooding.
• Development of an understanding of the proposed ‘wettability-modification’ and ‘log jamming’ mechanisms for hydrocarbon enhancement.
• Examination of the microscopic effects of nanoparticle infiltration in reservoir rocks using physical modelling and imaging.
• Calculation of the impact of using nanoparticle waterflooding on a range of candidate reservoirs using numerical modelling.
• Calculation of the impact of nanoparticle waterflooding on all reservoirs worldwide which might potentially benefit from the application of this technology using socio-economic modelling.

Methodology. The PhD will progress in four overlapping strands. Strand will involve carrying out a number of laboratory-based measurements of oil recovery from reservoir rocks using different types and sizes of nanoparticle-bearing fluids. Strand 2 involves physical modelling of nanoparticles passing through the rock microstructure in an experimental cell that will allow the process to be imaged in order to study microscale processes which lead to increased production such as wettability-modification and log-jamming. Strand 3 will involve numerical reservoir modelling to evaluate the impact of increased oil production observed at the experimental scale when it is applied to the full reservoir scale. Strand 4 involves a limited amount of socio-economic modelling.

Scope. This PhD proposal is unusual in that it combines experimental measurements, physical modelling, imaging, numerical reservoir modelling and socio-economic modelling in one piece of work, and makes it a potentially very interesting piece of research. The experimental work is prefigured by a successful pilot study which has already led to one scientific paper (Hu et al., 2016) and another submitted. The supervisory team is extremely experienced in petroleum engineering, petrophysics and reservoir modelling, and has an excellent track record in PhD supervision.
Eligibility. Applicants should have a BSc degree (or equivalent) in geology, earth sciences, geophysics, petroleum engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics or a similar discipline. An MSc, MGeol or MEng in one of the aforementioned disciplines would be an advantage. Skills in experimental design, fluid flow experiments, FEM and/or reservoir modelling are desirable. A reasonable competence in mathematics is expected. An ability to code would be useful, though not essential.

Training. The project will provide specialist scientific training, as appropriate. The mixed pure- and applied-science nature of this research project will enable the student to consider a future career in either academia or industry. In addition, the student will have access to a broad spectrum of training workshops.