Reservoir Description and Dynamics Lab

Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering

Our Research Group

The Reservoir Description and Dynamics Lab is dedicated to conducting research and developing solutions for multiphase flow in porous media. The laboratory features two state-of-the-art high-pressure high-temperature multiphase core flooding systems (HPHT-MCFS), one dedicated to oil-related investigations while the other is designed for gas flow studies. 

Research Areas of Focus: Hydrocarbon Production and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) from Conventional and Unconventional Reservoirs, Underground Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Storage

Affiliated Faculty: Dr. Morteza Dejam

Our Research Impact

Our work has critical applications in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), underground hydrogen storage, and geological carbon dioxide storage. We aim to address oil recovery challenges in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs and enhance the understanding of H2 and CO2 injection, storage, and removal from geologic formations.

Our current research investigates flow-pressure interactions in the Mowry shale of the Powder River Basin. The generated experimental data are crucial for predicting flow, optimizing storage and recovery, ensuring safety, supporting modeling, designing injection/extraction strategies, and understanding recovery techniques. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lab Instrumentation

High-Pressure High-Temperature Multiphase Core Flooding System (HPHT-MCFS)   

Housed in a 6.5 feet by 3 feet SHEL LAB oven, the HPHT-MCFS are capable of operating at temperatures between 25oC and 260oC. These experimental set ups are used to investiagate basic reservoir rock properties such as porosity, and both relative and absolute permiability. The oil unit has the capability to study water flooding and EOR research (e.g., low salinity water, surfactant, and nanoparticle injections).

 

 HPHT-MCFS
The Oil Unit is equipped with the following accessories:  
  • Three Quizix pumps, each can deliver fluid at maximum and minimum capacities of 15 ml/min and 10-6 ml/min, making them ideal for studying flow in tight medium such as shale. The maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) for the pumps is 15000 psi.
  • Tubing and valve connections.
  • Core holder unit.
  • Pressure transducers that measures differential pressure (dp) up to 300 psi and 2000 psi.
  • Back pressure regulator.
  • Dual unit control panel and a computer module for real time data acquisition, which enable us to connect the two HPHT-MCFS independently while the computer allows for pump and valve control.
 graduate student working with equipment
The Gas Unit is similar except that it contains:  
  • One Vindum pump (VP-12K-HC-HT) of capacity 0.0001-29 ml/min, MAWP of 12000 psi, and operating temperature up to 160 oC.
  • Two set of Vinci floating piston accumulators of 1000 cc and 2000 cc with MAWP of 10000 psi and operating temperature up to 150 oC.
  • Drum type-gas meter with minimum and maximum flow rates of 1 ltr/h and 60 ltr/h, respectively, and MAWP of 500 mbar.
  • Depending on the type of gas being studied, an appropriate gas detection device is installed inside the oven to monitor any form of gas leakage during flow.
  • It has a tube connected to the top side of the oven, which is extended to the fume hood to ensure that there is no gas within the oven during gas flow.
 Reservoir Lab Gas Unit