Browsing by Author "Huang, Haiping"
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Item Open Access Assessment of Fluid Residence Time in Reservoirs – Case Study of Radiolysis Effects in Crude Oils from China and Norway(2017) Zhao, Jing; Larter, Stephen; Huang, Haiping; Snowdon, Lloyd; Lines, LaurenceFluid residence time in a trap is a key factor in many petroleum systems evaluation, basin modeling and carbon storage studies. It will not only provide constraints for basin modeling but also contribute an alternative approach to caprock efficiencies evaluations for carbon storage and oil charge studies. However, dating of fluid flow events in petroleum systems is currently based on indirect methods, and direct assessment of hydrocarbon charge and residence time from analysis of crude-oil is not feasible. In the 1990s, Frolov et al. examined abundant olefin concentrations in crude oil and proposed a new concept of olefin generation in crude oils by natural radiolytic dehydrogenation of saturated hydrocarbons. Motivated by this concept and development of radiation chemistry, the study of my thesis aims at investigating the radiolysis effects and mechanisms, identifying a hydrocarbon-related potential proxy system, and thus, to develop a new precise analytical method to permit functional dating of reservoirs by organic geochemical proxies with realistic reservoir gamma ray doses. High-dose (0–10000 kGy) and low-dose (0–200 kGy) gamma ray irradiation experiments were designed and conducted on the selected crude oil samples from the Chinese Tarim Basin, the North Sea and the Barents Sea, which aim to find novel radiation damage products and discover potential radiolysis marker candidates as well as analytical methods to quantify them. The original and irradiated oil samples were separated into saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions, and were characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The high-dose irradiation results were applied to develop methods, study the key radiolysis mechanism and detect radiolysis markers, while low-dose irradiation results were further used to derive correction factors and build a more precise and realistic correlation between radiolysis proxies and irradiation dose. After irradiation, the majority of GC-MS monitored compounds were destroyed at different rates. The rates are dependent on the original concentration, compound class, molecular size (carbon number) and the oil matrix. A few compounds, particularly n-alkanes C9–12, were generated after oil radiolysis. The dating proxies were determined from GC-MS results and preliminary dating concepts of the reservoir filling were developed. In an ideal scenario, knowing the irradiation dose and the reservoir radiation dose rate from analysis of samples would enable the calculation of reservoir residence age. Future work will further explore the analytical approaches, proxy modeling and the application of such concepts in case histories.Item Open Access Brittleness and Fracability Evaluation of Unconventional Reservoirs(2018-05-10) Hu, Yuan; Chen, Zhangxing (John); Huang, Haiping; Wang, Xin; Hejazi, Seyed Hossein; Nouri, Alireza M.Brittleness and fracability evaluation plays an important role in recovery of unconventional oil and gas; it directly influences the effect of hydraulic fracturing. The definition of brittleness is controversial and the existing analytical/semi-analytical models have no unified theory to support them. Brittleness and fracability evaluation is currently unreliable. Unconventional reservoirs have different confining pressure, pore pressure and temperature. Models that do not consider these influences lack accuracy in the brittleness index (BI) calculation, resulting in failure during hydraulic fracturing. This research is focused on establishing new methods for brittleness and fracability evaluation. First, analytical/semi-analytical models are proposed considering the influence of confining pressure, pore pressure and temperature, respectively. The influence of calcite on rock mechanics parameters and brittleness is compared to quartz and clay. The weight of each parameter in models based on elastic modulus and mineralogy is analyzed. Finally, a numerical method to evaluate rock brittleness in terms of energy is developed. This novel method is applied to evaluate rock brittleness and fracability in more complicated conditions by considering hydro-mechanical (HM) interaction. By defining brittleness in terms of energy, rock brittleness from different sources can be compared. The influence factors ignored by other models of brittleness evaluation: pressure, temperature and rock texture can be addressed at the same time. By combining the analytical method and the numerical method for brittleness and fracability the resulting evaluations are more applicable because they reflect a more realistic unconventional oil and gas reservoirs environment.Item Open Access CO2 Injectivity Under Varying Thermal Conditions in Deep Saline Geologic CO2 Storage Reservoir Systems(2021-11-16) Tawiah, Paul; Larter, Stephen R; Dong, Mingzhe; Bryant, Steven L; Huang, Haiping; Lawton, Donald C; Clarkson, Christopher; Meckel, TipCO2 injectivity is critical to achieving the rapidly-scaled and significant rates of CO2 injection into subsurface geologic reservoirs for Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) as an important greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction technology. In this research, the influence of injected CO2 bottomhole temperature (BHT) variability on CO2 injectivity has been investigated at the field-scale using field performance observations and data analysis of a large-scale (>1Mtpa injected CO2) commercial CCS operation, the Quest CCS site, and lab-scale experimental CO2 corefloods at varying equilibrium temperatures. The results of this study indicate that CO2 injectivity exhibits an inverse relationship with CO2 BHT. A 10oC decrease in CO2 BHT causes CO2 injectivity to increase by 10% for a constant continuous mass rate of CO2 injection into a deep saline aquifer, where the temperature difference (?T) between the CO2 BHT and the reservoir fluctuates between 27oC (summer) and 40oC (winter). Neither CO2 kinematic viscosity changes alone with temperature or CO2 physico-chemical reactions with in-situ reservoir fluids under non-isothermal conditions can explain the inverse relationship between seasonally cyclical CO2 BHT and injectivity. Non-isothermal cyclic CO2/brine drainage-imbibition can change CO2/brine two-phase flow characteristics. CO2 drainage endpoint phase mobility increases as temperature increases, but the mobility increases cannot explain the inverse relationship between CO2 BHT and injectivity. CO2 endpoint relative permeability contributes marginally to the CO2 phase mobility changes with temperature. Thermo-geomechanical mechanisms linked to continuous injection of “colder” CO2 at BHTs lower than the average deep saline aquifer reservoir temperatures, can induce thermal stimulation of existing natural fractures around the vicinity of the CO2 injector well through thermoelastic effects. Thermoelasticity enhances CO2 injectivity as the CO2 BHT decreases, even when bottomhole injection pressures (BHIPs) are considerably (tens of MPa) below the fracture pressure of the reservoir rocks. CO2 phase mobility changes with BHT and thermally induced stimulation mechanisms act contemporaneously and in opposite directions to influence injectivity. Thermal stimulation effects on CO2 injectivity can be more dominant than CO2 phase mobility effects, implying a need to distinguish thermoelasticity from poroelastic effects in CO2 injection regulatory requirements for improved injection efficiency in geologic CO2 storage while maintaining permanent storage security.Item Open Access Comparative Evaluation of Electrical Heating Methods for Oil Sand Reservoirs(2019-09-10) Ji, Dongqi; Chen, Zhangxing; Dong, Mingzhe; Huang, Haiping; Nasrabadi, Hadi; Harding, Thomas Grant; Hejazi, Seyed HosseinFor thermal heavy oil recovery, conventional steam injection processes are generally limited to reservoirs of relatively shallow depth, high permeability, thick pay zones and homogeneity. An alternative approach of applying electrical energy, including methods of electric heater, electrical resistance heating and electromagnetic heating, can be used to generate heat in reservoirs that are not suitable for steam injection or to improve the economics of the heavy oil recovery compared with steam injection processes. However, in the current, the most widely used simulation method of electrical heating is the data coupling of two simulators, one is used for calculation of electrical heating and the other is used for calculation of a oil reservoir. The work in this thesis provides a single simulator that is capable of modelling all electrical heating processes for heavy oil and oil sands thermal recovery and the computational overhead and complexity of swapping data back and forth between two simulators has been omitted. In this work, a new numerical simulator is developed that handles the three electrical heating processes, such as electric heater, electrical resistance heating and electromagnetic heating. New models regarding the physical processes of the electrical heating methods have been derived and used for numerical simulation. The electric current balance was used for the modelling of electrical current flow in oil sands reservoirs with an appropriate treatment of electrical conductivity between neighbouring grids. A Helmholtz equation for the magnetic field by deformation of Maxwell’s equations is presented that makes it feasible to find electromagnetic field solutions for an inhomogeneous medium, such as a oil reservoir. Also, it has not been possible until now to model all three electrical heating processes in a single model and the work in this thesis enables a direct comparison of the different methods to be made. The feasibility of electrical heating in oil sands reservoirs is examined in two case categories: a) a horizontal well containing a heating source and b) a horizontal well-pair with heating sources located in both wells. Simulation results are compared in temperature, water saturation and electrical energy dissipation in the three electrical heating processes.Item Open Access Correlation of Maturity Parameters Derived from Methylphenanthrenes and Methyldibenzothiophenes in the Carboniferous Source Rocks from Qaidam Basin, NW China(2019-12-21) He, Chuan; Huang, Haiping; Wang, Qianru; Li, ZongxingTwenty-one core samples from the Carboniferous Keluke Formation in the Qaidam basin, NW China, have been geochemically characterized to investigate thermal maturation influence on the evolution behaviors of aromatic hydrocarbons and the validity of commonly used maturity parameters. The Keluke Formation was deposited in marine to continental transitional facies and dominated by type III kerogen. Rock-Eval and vitrinite reflectance () measurement suggested that the studied samples are highly matured at peak oil to gas condensate generation stages. Most biomarkers lost their sensitivity to indicate maturity level due to either approaching the equilibrium point or too low concentrations, while isomer distributions in alkylnaphthalenes, alkylphenanthrenes, and alkyldibenzothiophenes still show systematic variations with increasing maturity. The present study focused on the maturity parameters derived from methylphenanthrenes (MP) and methyldibenzothiophenes (MDBT). The most widely used methylphenanthrene index 1 () shows no correlation with known maturity indicators, but the methylphenanthrene ratio () and methyldibenzothiophenes ratio () increase steadily with increasing maturity levels and are proved to be valid maturity parameters. However, empirical vitrinite reflectance estimations derived from MPR and MDR have dramatically overestimated the maturity levels. Our quantitative data illustrated that concentrations of thermally stable isomers (3-MP, 2-MP, and 4-MDBT) increase continuously with increasing maturity while thermally unstable isomers (9-MP, 1-MP, and 1-MDBT) are almost invariable in the studied maturity range. The invalidity of MPI-1 is caused by the involvement of phenanthrene in the maturity parameter formula possibly due to a variable degree of alkylation. Dealkylation of methylphenanthrenes to form parent phenanthrene occurs much earlier than of 1.35% reported in the literature. The increment of MPR and MDR values with maturity levels is mainly caused by different generation rates with a higher generation rate of thermally stable isomer than thermally unstable counterpart rather than isomerization between them. Caution should be taken when empirical formula published in literature based on commonly used maturity parameters is directly applied for maturity estimation as no universal applicable correlation is likely available.Item Open Access Coupled Studies of Shale Reservoirs Characterization and Simulation(2018-04-19) Yang, Sheng; Chen, Zhangxing (John); Azaiez, Jalel; Dong, Mingzhe; Moore, Robert Gordon; Huang, Haiping; Harris, Nicholas B.Coupled studies of characterization and simulation of shale reservoirs are documented in this thesis. The characterization of shale reservoirs includes the description of natural fractures, rock brittleness derived from dipole sonic logs, brittle mineral composition calculated from Elemental Capture Spectroscopy (ECS) logs, and hardness measured on cores. Then a rock fracability index model, based on these rock properties, is generated to constrain stimulated reservoir volumes generated by microseismic events. An enhanced Dubinin-Astakhov (DA) model is also proposed to model methane-shale adsorption under supercritical conditions. Based on reservoir characterization, the Marcellus shale gas and Eagle Ford shale condensate reservoirs simulation models are developed and validated by field data. Effects of uneven proppant distribution, geomechanics, single-component adsorption and matrix permeability are evaluated in the shale gas reservoirs. In terms of the condensate reservoir, roles of multicomponent adsorption and geomechanics are investigated during primary recovery and CO2 enhanced recovery.Item Open Access Development of a New Parallel In-Situ Combustion Simulator(2018-09-11) He, Ruijian; Chen, Zhangxing (John); Hassanzadeh, Hassan; Moore, Robert Gordon; Huang, Haiping; Charles Xu, ChunbaoAs a competitive recovery method for heavy oil, In-Situ Combustion (ISC) shows its great potential accompanied by technological advances in recent years. Reservoir simulation will play an indispensable role in the prediction of the implementation of ISC projects. With the computational complexity, it is imperative to develop an effective and robust parallel in-situ combustion simulator. First of all, a mathematical model for In Situ Combustion is proposed. The model takes full consideration for related physical phenomena, including multi-dimensional multicomponent three-phase flow, heat convection and conduction, chemical reactions, and mass transfer between phases. In the mathematical model, different governing equations and constraints are involved, forming a complicated PDE (partial differential equation) system. For physical and chemical behaviors, some special treatments for the ISC simulator are discussed and applied. Also, a modified PER (Pseudo-Equilibrium Ratio) method is proposed in the thesis. To solve the PDE system, a fully implicit scheme is applied, and discretization is implemented with the FDM (Finite Difference Method). In solving nonlinear systems, the Newton Method is introduced, and both numerical and analytical Jacobian matrices are applied. Due to the complexity of an ISC problem, an appropriate decoupling method must be considered. Thus the Gauss-Jordan transformation is raised. Then, with certain preconditioners and iterative solvers, a numerical solution can be obtained. For the treatment of a thin combustion front, a direct idea is to apply a fine grid to an ISC model. However, the scale of a numerical problem will increase significantly. The approach ii given in this thesis is parallelization. Because of their outstanding characteristics, clusters are considered to be the platform of the simulator. Communications and synchronizations are deemed to be the significant factors that affect the parallelization. A dynamic load balancing grid partitioning method, HSFC, is applied for this purpose. The results of different models are given, which are validated with the results from CMG STARS. Also, the scalability of parallelization is proved, indicating the excellent performance of parallel computing. This accurate, efficient, parallel ISC simulator applies to complex reservoir modelse significantly. The approach given in this thesis is parallelization. Because of their outstanding characteristics, clusters are considered to be the platform of the simulator. Communications and synchronizations are deemed to be the significant factors that affect the parallelization. A dynamic load balancing grid partitioning method, HSFC, is applied for this purpose. The results of different models are given, which are validated with the results from CMG STARS. Also, the scalability of parallelization is proved, indicating the excellent performance of parallel computing. This accurate, efficient, parallel ISC simulator applies to complex reservoir models.Item Embargo Dimethyl Ether as a Solvent for In-situ Heavy oil and Bitumen Recovery(2023-06-02) Chai, Maojie; Chen, Zhangxing (John); Pereira Almao, Pedro; Maini, Brij; Huang, Haiping; Wu, TianhaoAs part of its Healthy Environment and Healthy Economy (HEHE) plan to address climate change, the Canadian government intends to increase the carbon tax from its current level of $30 per tonne to $170 per tonne over the next nine years. To respond to this plan positively, oil companies have started to address the most significant issue on carbon emissions from their current oil recovery processes, such as steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), by utilizing more environmentally responsive processes. Pure or hybrid solvent injection was proposed as an alternative method; however, its previous studies were limited to a conventional solvent (n- alkane), which is not economically feasible. Dimethyl ether (DME), an emerging renewable chemical resource, was initially proposed as a solution to reduce carbon emissions and aroused interest in the heavy oil industry. But limited research has been carried out for understanding and evaluating DME`s performance in heavy oil recovery. In this thesis, essential mechanisms including phase behavior, asphaltene deposition, reservoir responses due to solvent injection or solid adsorption, and mass transfer by considering water phase solubility during DME injection have been studied by numerical simulation. In detail, a) concentration-dependent binary interaction coefficients have been proposed to represent an asymmetric phase system; b) a general analytical model for predicting a heavy oil gravity drainage rate has been proposed; c) reservoir responses due to solvent injection andasphaltene depositionhave been investigated; d) a workflow of a semi- compositional approach has been proposed to accurately predict asphaltene precipitation behavior and then an innovative numerical model has been built for investigating asphaltene precipitation and in-situ upgrading in DME-VAPEX (vapour extraction). To conclude, DME has been evaluated as a promising solvent for heavy oil and bitumen recovery with a less negative blockage effect, a higher recovery factor and rate, higher API upgrading, and higher energy efficiency compared with a conventional solvent. DME, as a renewable, amphoteric chemical solvent, will lead to significant implications in addressing the challenges brought by carbon emissions.Item Open Access Dissolved Organic Matter in Marine Environments: A Study of the Origin, Lability and Molecular Composition(2018-04-04) Jaggi, Aprami; Larter, Stephen R.; Oldenburg, Thomas B. P.; Snowdon, Lloyd R.; Huang, Haiping; Hollander, David; Roberts, Edward P. L.As one of the Earth’s largest active carbon pools, accounting for around 90% of the organic carbon in the oceans, dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a fundamental role in carbon storage and other biogeochemical processes. It exists as a highly functionalized and complex mixture of organic compounds which are diverse in their source, reactivity, and history, with about 95% of aquatic DOM mixture remaining un-identified on a molecular level. This thesis uses ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry to characterize the origin, composition, and lability of DOM in the aquatic system. In this thesis, water and sediment samples were collected from sampling sites in the Arctic Ocean, as well as the northern and southern slope of the Gulf of Mexico, to discern the compositional differences in DOM that occur geographically. The DOM of waters sampled across the different ecosystems show a homogenized composition with little variability in their compound class distribution, consisting primarily of NOx, N2Ox, N3Ox, and Ox classes, with a mass range between m/z 170–960. Along the water column, surface water DOM samples show the most variation in their relative intensity and abundance of multi-oxygenated species, owing to their susceptibility to photo-oxidation, in contrast to the more refractory and homogenized DOM in the bathypelagic ocean. Unlike the homogenized water DOM composition near the ocean floor, the water extractable organics from sediments underneath (top 15 cm of sediment) show significant variability in both the relative intensity and abundance of compound classes, geographically. Juxtaposed to the oxygen rich water DOM, the sediment water extractable organic matter (WEOM) are enriched in nitrogen containing species (N1-6O1-17) with smaller carbon number values. The changes in DOM from the water surface towards the sediment are attributed to the differences in solar irradiation exposure, availability of oxygen, and resident microbes. The nitrogen containing classes in sediment WEOM show compositional trends similar to melanoidins, suggesting the preservation of organics via melanoidin or melanoidin-like compounds in the sediments. Beyond the primary productivity from phyto- and zoo-plankton, marine DOM is fed by terrigenous input (atmospheric deposition or runoff) and anthropogenic sources (oil spills), which were both independently characterized. The WEOM from plant biomass (terrigenous input) comprise of species with heteroatom distributions of NOx, N2Ox, and Ox, with a high concentration of multi-oxygenated species, similar to that observed in the sampled marine water DOM. The WEOM from thermally oxidizing terrigenous plant biomass produces homogenized spectra, with an increased abundance of highly unsaturated moieties of decreasing bio-availability and lability, that closely resemble marine water DOM, suggesting that pyrogenesis yields a more refractory DOM whose characteristics are not greatly variable. The anthropogenic input from oil spills comprise of species with heteroatom distributions of NOx, Ox, OxS, and OxS2, adding a high concentration of sulfur containing compounds to the water phase. The partitioning behavior of organics from oil to water phase during a submarine oil spill were found to depend greatly on the dissolved gas pressure. The dissolved gas pressure in the oil gushing from the wellhead, causes higher concentrations of organics to partition into the water phase as the plume approaches the water surface. The increased water temperature closer to surface further enhances this effect. The study showed that the addition of dispersants to the water phase, a commonly used spill response, increase the extent of organics partitioning from the oil into the water phase. The extent of partitioning was also found to increase twofold with the advent of in situ burning at the water surface, introducing highly condensed and oxidized aromatics into the water phase. It remains a herculean task to identify DOM at the molecular level in the various aquatic systems worldwide. This thesis has taken steps to identify both commonalities and variabilities in the DOM pool at various locations and depths, and increased the understanding of how various inputs are incorporated into this ever-evolving DOM make-up. This new information will help provide some of the pieces of one of the greatest remaining puzzles on earth, our oceans.Item Open Access Emulsion Injection for Enhancing the Fast-and Uniform SAGD Start-up Process(2018-09-10) Yu, Long; Dong, Mingzhe; Hassanzadeh, Hassan; Sarma, Helmanta Kumar; Huang, Haiping; Bai, BaojunThe start-up of Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process relies on months of non-productive steam circulation. A technology called Fast-and Uniform SAGD Start-up Enhancement (FUSE) has been developed to start up SAGD earlier using dilation mechanism. However, in some reservoirs there exist heterogeneities in inter-well zone along horizontal wells, which may cause uneven development of the dilation front, resulting in some low-mobility region un-swept. For the success of FUSE, it is crucial to temporarily block the high-mobility zones, so the injected fluid can penetrate into low permeability zones to form uniform dilation in the SAGD inter-well region. Using oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion as selective plugging agents seems a promising method due to the special advantages of controllable droplet size, non-permanent plugging, less formation damage of emulsion. In this work, to develop suitable oil-in-water emulsion systems, laboratory experiments and theoretical model were carefully designed. Emulsification tests were first conducted to screen suitable emulsifiers. Physicochemical properties of emulsion were characterized by stability, droplet size distribution, and rheological properties. Plugging behavior and conformance control performance of prepared emulsion were tested through sandpack flow experiments. Results show that O/W emulsion had good plugging performance when flowing in porous media with the largest sandpack permeability reductions greater than 99%. Interfacial tension significantly affects emulsion plugging behavior and conformance control ability. Emulsions with adequate interfacial tension possess favorable deformability and flexibility, which ensures they can alternately plug the heterogeneous sandpacks and obtain good conformance control performance. A new theoretical model, which incorporated physical properties of porous media, physicochemical properties of emulsion system, injection strategy and the interactions between porous media and emulsion, was developed to quantitatively describe the flow behaviors of emulsion in porous media. By appropriately choosing coefficients, the simulated results can have a well agreement to the experimental data. This work will greatly increase the understanding of emulsion flow in porous media, and provide technical guides for the optimization of the O/W emulsion injection in FUSE operation in oilfields.Item Open Access In Situ Combustion for Heavy Oil: Toe-to-Heel Air Injection(2020-12-22) Wei, Wei; Gates, Ian Donald; Hejazi, Seyed Hossein; Hu, Jinguang; Huang, Haiping; Jiang, QiGiven the environmental impact and relatively high cost of steam-based recovery processes for oil sands reservoirs, there is a search for other recovery processes that yield greater efficiency and lower operating costs. Air injection based recovery processes offer potential for improved efficiency given that the heat is generated within the reservoir. However, industry has been reluctant to adopt air injection methods for oil sands reservoirs. In the research documented in this thesis, a detailed examination of the Kerrobert toe-to-heel air injection (THAI) process is conducted by using data analytics. The current operator of the facility has provided all of the data for the operation including injection and production rates, temperatures, pressures, gas compositions, and facility data. Four studies were conducted: 1. Detailed analysis of causal relationships between injectants and production rates, gas composition, and temperature rise within the reservoir through manual examination of the data, 2. Clustering analysis of operational variables and seek for optimal operating strategy to maximize production rate, 3. Lag time analysis between injection and production to explain the underlying production mechanisms in THAI, and 4. Understand the reaction systems in THAI using produced gas compositions through an inverse calculation approach.Item Open Access Methane Storage and Adsorption Characteristics in Nanoporous Gas Shale(2020-08) Yu, Renjie; Chen, Zhangxin; Pereira-Almao, Pedro R.; Huang, HaipingNatural shale is mainly characterized by various mineral compositions and multi-scale pore sizes, leading to complex adsorbate-adsorbent interactions, also named the energetic heterogeneity of shale rocks. In this study, a multi-site Langmuir model was proposed to address the energetic heterogeneity, where the interaction energy for each adsorption site was related to the multi-scale pore sizes and pore surface property. Besides, methane adsorptions on shale rocks were experimentally measured, and the proposed multi-site model was used to describe the measured adsorption isotherms. Compared to the traditional single-site Langmuir model, the multi-site model can not only accurately predict the adsorption isotherms but also describe the adsorption energy distributions for shale rocks. Furthermore, the proposed multi-site model was used to estimate the total Gas-In-Place (GIP) and investigate the gas contributed by individual pores. This estimation achieves more accurate results compared with the traditional method.Item Open Access Molecular geochemical anatomy of the Paleogene petroleum system in the Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, NE China and solutions to a range of petroleum geology and earth history problems(2021-06) Wang, Qianru; Larter, Steve; Huang, Haiping; Snowdon, Lloyd; Oldenburg, Thomas; Dong, Mingzhe; Fowler, MartinGeochemical characteristics of petroleum systems are critical for hydrocarbon exploration and production. Multiple source rocks, episodic charges from different source rocks and secondary alteration processes make the petroleum systems complex and difficult to understand in the Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, NE China. Molecular components of oils and source rock extracts in the Dongying Depression exhibit significant heterogeneity which allows us to decipher the paleo-depositional environments, maturity levels, mixing scenarios and secondary alterations, therefore benefiting further hydrocarbon exploration. This thesis conducted a molecular geochemical anatomy of the Paleogene petroleum system in the Dongying Depression by a series of biomarkers including β-carotane, perylene and alkylbiphenyls. Perylene is widely used as an indicator of highly reducing paleoenvironments. Perylene is however absent or in trace amounts from source rocks of the Es4 Member of the Eocene Shahejie Formation, deposited in saline and reducing conditions, but is present in abnormally high concentrations from source rocks of the Es3 Member with fresh to brackish, less reducing settings. Hence, caution should be taken when perylene is used as an indicator of strongly reducing environments, as perylene may be preserved in oxidizing environments with a possible alternative formation pathway via cyclodehydrogenation of 1,1′-binaphthyl. β-Carotane is widely deposited in saline and reducing lacustrine source rock environments, and has proved to be a valid biomarker in oil-oil and oil-source correlations in the Dongying Depression. Novel parameters derived from β-carotane, including β-carotane/C24 tetracyclic terpane, β-carotane/(C19 + C20) tricyclic terpanes and β-carotane/(18α(H)-22,29,30-trisnorneohopane + 17α(H)-22,29,30-trisnorhopane), were proposed for oil family classification. Additionally, β-carotane is concentrated in the severely biodegraded oils due to biodegradation removing most vulnerable components making β-carotane a stable reference compound to assess the extent of biodegradation. Novel parameters derived from alkylbiphenyls and alkyldiphenylmethanes, consisting of 3-/2-methylbiphenyl (MBP), 4-/2-MBP, 3,4'-/3,3'-DMBP and 3-MBP/3-methyldiphenylmethane (MDPM) are proposed for source rock potential and oil genetic origin assessment. The hydrocarbon exploration potential of the deep Dongying Depression was tentatively investigated using a mixed oil with immature Es4 source and highly mature sources (probably the Mesozoic strata). The highly mature fractions may indicate a new hydrocarbon exploration prospect in the deep Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin.Item Open Access Multi-scale Numerical Studies on Characterization of Shale Gas Reservoir Development(2018-05-17) Zhan, Jie; Chen, Zhangxing (John); Moore, Robert Gordon; Huang, Haiping; Jia, Na; Hejazi, Seyed HosseinFrom three different perspectives, this thesis addresses one issue: how to reliably and objectively assess and forecast the shale reservoir performance with an advanced understanding of the shale reservoir specialty. With enhanced hydraulic characterization, Chapter 2 provides an advanced modelling scheme using the commercial platform to reduce history-match errors and forecast uncertainty. In Chapter 3, an integrated multi-scale numerical simulation platform is established. Based on the multi-scale characterization platform, the insights obtained at the micro-scale such as nanopore surface coverage evolution and induced heterogeneity can provide a better understanding of the macro reservoir performance, which leads to more reasonable and objective evaluation on the reservoir transient response. In Chapter 4, based on an integrated modelling workflow, the reservoir performance for carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in both dry and liquid-rich shale reservoirs is assessed. A more accurate shale reservoir model representing the most important features of shale formations is proposed. The objective of the work is to determine the most critical factors dominating the success of the CO2 sequestration and enhanced oil and gas recovery (EOR/EGR), which gives valuable guidance in field applications.Item Open Access Organic Sulfur-Bearing Species as Subsurface Carbon Storage Vectors(2019-09-12) Yim, Calista; Larter, S. R.; Huang, Haiping; Snowden, L. R.; Tutolo, Benjamin M.To tackle climate change issues, this study investigates whether residual biomass can be converted to a suitable form for permanent subsurface sequestration. Natural sulfurization processes in sedimentary organic matter are investigated as mechanisms to generate biologically refractory water-soluble organic molecules. Such molecular vectors could be sequestered in shallow, saline, contaminated aquifers through solubility trapping. Sulfur-rich oils were analyzed with gas chromatography mass spectrometry and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to reveal molecular compositions of complex organosulfur compounds in such oils. Sulfurized compounds including C20-28, C35 and C40 species were detected with double bond equivalent values suggesting the occurrence of sulfurized lipids. Laboratory sulfurization experiments on lipids yielded products with up to 7 sulfur atoms, which suggests labile biomolecules can be altered to biologically refractory molecules. Biodegradation resistance and water solubility estimates of various model compounds show sulfinyl functional groups improves water solubility and biodegradation resistance of molecules.Item Open Access Phase Behavior and Physical Properties of Athabasca Bitumen and Solvent Mixtures(2023-08-30) Haddadnia, Ali; Hassanzadeh, Hassan; Abedi, Jalal; Hejazi, Hossein; Sumon, Kazi; Huang, Haiping; Henni, AmrSolvent-aided thermal recovery techniques are gaining prominence for extracting bitumen and heavy oils. These methods involve co-injecting saturated steam and solvent into bitumen reservoirs. The phase behaviour of solvent and bitumen is crucial in designing and optimizing any solvent-assisted in-situ bitumen recovery. This study investigates vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) between various solvents (including dimethyl ether DME, C1, C2, C3, C4, n- C5, C1/n-C5, C1/n-C6, C1/n-C7, and C1/ C3+n-C4+n-C5) and Athabasca bitumen. Parameters such as equilibrium compositions (K-values), liquid-phase density, and viscosity were measured at temperatures up to 260 °C and pressures up to 6 MPa. Methane's solubility in bitumen showed minor temperature dependence (200, 230, and 260 ºC), while ethane, propane, and n-butane exhibited more significant temperature effects. The study also compared co-injection of DME/steam to traditional steam and steam/butane injections in a 2D sand-pack saturated with Athabasca bitumen. Results indicated DME's efficacy in enhancing bitumen recovery, making DME and steam co-injection promising. Another focus was the impact of solution gas (methane) on K-values in solvent/live bitumen and solvent dead bitumen systems. In the first stage of experiments, K-values, density and viscosity for methane/bitumen, propane/bitumen, and n-pentane/bitumen were measured. In the next step, methane, pentane, and bitumen were mixed at two concentrations (one with high and the other with low GOR live bitumen). Then K-value, density and viscosity of methane/n-hexane/bitumen and methane/n-heptane/bitumen system were measured. In the final stage of experimental data collection, K-values, density and viscosity of methane/propane, n-butane, and n-pentane/bitumen system were measured. The collected experimental PVT data of solvent and bitumen were modeled using PR-EoS, and experimental and calculated k-values of methane, propane, n-butane, n-pentane, n-hexane, and n-heptane data were compared for solvent/live bitumen and solvent dead bitumen system. Also, K-values of methane for methane /solvent(s) /bitumen and methane/bitumen systems were compared to study the effect of methane on the K-values of other hydrocarbon solvents. The results show the variation of methane and n-pentane K-values between various systems are within the experimental error, which means for the modeling and reservoir simulation purposes, we can use the K-values for any of these systems.Item Open Access Pore Pressure Prediction, Hydraulic Fracture Propagation and Huff-and-Puff Gas Injection in Naturally Fractured Shale and Tight Petroleum Reservoirs(2021-09) Orozco Ibarra, Daniel Ricardo; Aguilera, Roberto; Mehta, Sudarshan A.; Moore, Robert Gordon; Chen, Zhangxing; Huang, Haiping; Dehghanpour Hosseinabadi, HassanThis dissertation explores links between the pore pressure prediction, hydraulic fracture modelling and improved oil recovery in unconventional reservoirs by examining the geomechanical implications of the Biot coefficient on hydraulic-fracturing-induced fault slip, and the effect of hydraulic fracture geometry on the performance of cyclic gas injection. To do so, this thesis develops the following original contributions: • A new pore pressure prediction model for shales and organic-rich rocks that accounts for the effect of active hydrocarbon generation. The key aspect is the determination of the in-situ Biot coefficient using well logs and formation pressure tests. The majority of the available pore pressure estimation models rely on empirical parameters extracted from statistical analysis and best-fit exercises. While these models have proven useful, the empirical parameters they use are case-dependent and difficult to determine in areas with little or no regional experience. The new pore pressure estimation workflow, on the other hand, follows a physics-based approach and does not rely on the use of fitting parameters. • The formulation of a hydraulic fracture model that features a rock mechanics solution that is exact, based upon the concept of Airy stress functions, which are functions of complex variable for solving stress problems in elastic media. The rock mechanics solution is able to track accurately both the fracture height and width in multilayered reservoirs and compares well with the finite element and the displacement discontinuity methods. • A new, semi-analytical material balance equation (MBE) for production forecasting of unconventional oil reservoirs performing under cyclic gas injection. The main advantage of the new MBE relies on its capability to provide quick yet accurate estimates of oil recoveries and rates as a function of time. It is concluded that overpressure caused by hydrocarbon generation in shales and organic-rich rocks can lead to Biot coefficients larger than unity. The Biot coefficient has important geomechanical implications in the context of hydraulic-fracturing-induced fault slip. Increasing values of the Biot coefficient reduce the effective normal stress on faults, and some of these faults may become critically stressed regardless of their orientation. Furthermore, hydraulic fracture geometry significantly affects the performance of cyclic gas injection.Item Open Access Study of Low Salinity Water Flooding in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs(2020-02-25) Lv, Jiateng; Chen, Zhangxing; Moore, Robert Gordon Gord; Huang, HaipingWith the rapid development of the petroleum industry, the oil and gas exploration field has been expanding, and carbonate reservoirs have been discovered in large quantities. Carbonate rocks contain more than 50% of the global hydrocarbon reserves and Carbonate Reservoir occupy a very important role in the distribution of oil and gas fields in the world. Low salinity waterflooding has been identified as a promising technology to improve oil recovery. However, the main mechanisms supporting this recovery method have not been fully understood, especially for applications in the Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs, which presents challenges in designing the optimal salinity of injection solution. Changing the wettability to a more ideal state for oil recovery during low salinity water injection is the main reason. The thesis applies Low Salinity Waterflooding in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoir. The performance and key mechanism of Low Salinity Waterflooding applied in a Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoir is conducted through reservoir simulation. Three different salinity fluids are designed to be injected into three types of reservoirs to investigate the performance of a salinity waterflood in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoir and provide feasibility for future development in Naturally Fractured Carbonate ReservoirItem Open Access Thermal Maturation Regime Revisited in the Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, East China(2021-09-24) Huang, Haiping; Zhang, Hong; Li, Zheng; Liu, MeiTo the accurate reconstruction of the hydrocarbon generation history in the Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, East China, core samples of the Eocene Shahejie Formation from 3 shale oil boreholes were analyzed using organic petrology and organic geochemistry methods. The shales are enriched in organic matter with good to excellent hydrocarbon generation potential. The maturity indicated by measured vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) falls in the range of 0.5–0.9% and increases with burial depth in each well. Changes in biomarker and aromatic hydrocarbon isomer distributions and biomarker concentrations are also unequivocally correlated with the thermal maturity of the source rocks. Maturity/depth relationships for hopanes, steranes, and aromatic hydrocarbons, constructed from core data indicate different well locations, have different thermal regimes. A systematic variability of maturity with geographical position along the depression has been illustrated, which is a dependence on the distance to the Tanlu Fault. Higher thermal gradient at the southern side of the Dongying Depression results in the same maturity level at shallower depth compared to the northern side. The significant regional thermal regime change from south to north in the Dongying Depression may exert an important impact on the timing of hydrocarbon maturation and expulsion at different locations. Different exploration strategies should be employed accordingly.Item Open Access Using Chemometrics and Geochemistry to Assess Heavy Oil Fluid Heterogeneity in Southeastern Mexico Heavy Oil Fields(2021-01-06) Yin, Mengsha; Larter, Stephen R.; Huang, Haiping; Snowdon, Lloyd R.; Oldenburg, Thomas B. P.; Dong, Mingzhe; Fowler, Martin G.Declines in heavy oil production from the Tertiary reservoirs of southeastern Mexico relate predominantly to fluid heterogeneity between production wells. This work uses chemometrics to analyze whole heavy oil geochemical compositions to assess fluid heterogeneity in order to optimize well placement and oil field management. A biodegradation parameter is derived from the bicyclic sesquiterpanes to fill in the gap of the Peters and Moldowan biodegradation levels (PM level) 4–5, where diagnostic indicators are missing. Then, biodegradation sensitive hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon compound classes are identified and used to develop biodegradation indicators for different oil fractions. These parameters are subsequently integrated by principal component analysis (PCA) to generate a whole oil composition-based biodegradation parameter that magnifies oil compositional variations and enables a higher resolution estimation of biodegradation levels. To deconvolve complex oil biodegradation, charging and mixing history, exploratory factor analysis is applied, incorporating fresh oil components and the biodegradation indicators for different oil fractions. This method allows elucidation and a broad classification of biodegradation, charging and mixing scenarios of the studied oils. Comprehensive fluid heterogeneity characterization is realized by PCA and hierarchical clustering analysis using whole oil compositions. Accordingly, compositionally similar oils produced from correlated horizons are grouped for each production zone identified using geological and geophysical techniques. Oil heterogeneity assessment reveals biodegradation as the predominant control on fluid heterogeneity. The workflow of using chemometrics to analyze whole oil compositions to assess heavy oil fluid heterogeneity can be extended to heavy oil reservoirs worldwide. Alternating least squares (ALS) method is exploited to address the common issue of oil-based drilling mud contamination during reservoir development. Oil end member amount in the cuttings extract mixtures is suggested by PCA and end member fractions are calculated by the ALS model. Geochemical characterization of the cuttings extracts highlights overwhelming drilling fluid components and severely diluted reservoir oil biomarkers. Authentic reservoir oils in the cuttings extracts are recognized by biomarker correlation between the ALS-determined oil end members and the produced oils from the same oil field. Reservoir oil viscosity encountered by the cutting well is roughly predicted based on viscosities of the associated oils.