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These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying.
One of the significant challenges facing the oil and gas industry is the reduction of oil production due to precipitation of scales in the downhole tubing. Scale formation can be rapid and expensive to remedy. One example in the North Sea is a 30,000 bpd production well where the production rate declined to zero over a 24 hour period due to scale formation, so, the cost to that company due to scale precipitation by considering $50 per barrel, is estimated £1.2m per day that the well is shut in. BP estimates that it spends £2 million per year on scale control in the North Sea; with scale removal and scale inhibition treatments estimated as being responsible for 20% of its well losses. The most recent figures provided by the OGA estimate that 8% of the approx. 2,000 wells in the North Sea have scale issues – some 180 wells. There are a variety of conventional methods to prevent and remove scales such as chemical, mechanical or hydraulic. These techniques generally need a wide range of surface equipment, shut in production, can cause corrosion and degradation of the pipe, may be expensive to use and may have potential environmental harm. In this project, the effect of ultrasound as an environmentally friendly, low energy consumption and low operating cost technology for removal of scale from downhole production tubing is investigated. The technology will be validated through a series of experiments under both laboratory and simulated conditions to determine the feasibility and optimum set up for removal of scale in downhole tubing.
Essential Background:
Decisions will be based on academic merit. The successful applicant should have, or expect to obtain, a UK Honours Degree at 2.1 (or equivalent) in Petroleum, Chemical or Electrical Engineering.
Application Procedure:
Formal applications can be completed online: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php
You should apply for Engineering (PhD) to ensure your application is passed to the correct team for processing.
Please clearly note the name of the lead supervisor and project title on the application form. If you do not include these details, it may not be considered for the studentship.
Your application must include: A personal statement, an up-to-date copy of your academic CV, and clear copies of your educational certificates and transcripts.
Please note: you DO NOT need to provide a research proposal with this application.
If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don't hesitate to contact us at [Email Address Removed]
This is a self-funding project open to students worldwide. Our typical start dates for this programme are February or October.
Fees for this programme can be found here Finance and Funding | Study Here | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk)
Additional research costs / bench fees may also apply and will be discussed prior to any offer being made.
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