Experimental and numerical investigation of polymer pore-clogging in micromodels.

Polymers have been used effectively in the Oil & Gas Industry for a variety of field applications, such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR), well conformance, mobility control, and others. Polymer intermolecular interactions with the porous rock, in particular, formation clogging and the associated alterations to permeability, is a common problem in the industry. In this work, fluorescent polymers and single-molecule imaging are presented for the first time to assess the dynamic interaction and transport behavior of polymer molecules utilizing a microfluidic device.

Optimization and Uncertainty Quantification Method for Reservoir Stimulation through Carbonate Acidizing.

Reservoir stimulation is a widely used technique in the oil and gas industry for increasing the productivity of hydrocarbon reservoirs, most notably in carbonate formations. This work aims to develop an optimization workflow under uncertainty for matrix acidizing. A reactive transport model is implemented in a finite-element framework to simulate the initiation and propagation of dissolution channels in porous carbonate rock.

Bayesian inversion of laboratory experiments of transport through limestone fractures.

In this study, a novel experimental setup is proposed for which a column filled with glass beads and parallelepiped-shaped limestone beams is used to reconstruct a multiple fracture limestone media. The proposed setup produces asymmetric breakthrough curves (BTCs) that are consistent with the shape expected from the past field and lab-scale studies. Three transport experiments have been conducted under fast, medium, and slow flow velocity conditions.

Joint identification of contaminant source characteristics and hydraulic conductivity in a tide-influenced coastal aquifer.

Coastal aquifers are a vital water source for the more than one billion people living in coastal regions around the globe. Due to the intensity of economic activities and density of population, these aquifers are highly susceptible not only to seawater intrusion, but also to anthropogenic contamination, which may contaminate the aquifer and submarine groundwater discharge. Identification and localization of contaminant source characteristics are needed to reduce contamination.