Browsing by Author "Nguyen, Nhung"
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Item The Effect of Iron Bearing Minerals on Anionic Surfactant Retention in Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery Applications(2020-09-29) Nguyen, NhungThe scope of the paper is within chemical enhanced oil recovery. The goal of the work was to observe and quantify the adsorption/partitioning (reversible adsorption) of anionic surfactant molecules on the surfaces of positively-charged, iron-bearing clay minerals. The relationship between porosity, permeability and clay content is also observed and discussed. Siderite (iron carbonate) is mixed with silica sand to create homogeneous synthetic cores. The surfactant used is anionic. A set of synthetic sandstone cores were fabricated containing varying content of siderite. They were used in flow experiments while keeping the surfactant concentration fixed. After ensuring that the iron cations are in low valence state, surfactant is injected and the effluent is analyzed to qualify the adsorption. The adsorption retention was determined by comparing the surfactant mass injected to the surfactant mass produced by way of measuring the effluent concentration during the core flood. This experiment provides a measure on the amount of surfactant lost due to adsorption effect. By understanding the relationship between surfactant retention and the presence of positively-charged clay in the core samples; corresponding decisions can be made to maximize the effectiveness of anionic surfactant and minimize production costs.Item Two Different Methods to Treat Unwanted Associated Gas - Reasons to Consider Zero Gas Venting/Flaring Future in the Permian Basin(2020-09-29) Nguyen, NhungThe goal of this work is to encourage reducing gas venting/flaring practice to reach a zero gas venting/flaring future by providing detail analysis on the emission reality in Permian basin. The main concepts of two alternative methods will also be discussed along with details of a suggested method and its challenges. The first step is conducting a brief study in the location, geology, and oil production performance of the Permian basin. A report on greenhouse gas emission in the area including CO2 and methane emission are showed to reflect the bad effects of unwanted gas venting/flaring practice. There are two main methods discussed: associated gas reinjection and underground gas storage. After providing a comparison between two methods and considering challenges of the project, underground associated gas storage is suggested for a zero gas venting/flaring future in the Permian basin. Underground storage is a better fit for Permian basin than gas reinjection due to the high amount of gas produced in this area. Permian basin is observed to have many mature fields, therefor underground gas storage is not only good for the environment but also provides pressure support to enhance oil recovery. There are three main type of gas storage facilities: depleted gas reservoirs, aquifers, and salt caverns. Depleted reservoirs are the cheapest storage facilities with high total storage capacity, therefore they are suggested. There are a few challenges when consider underground natural gas storage in the Permian basin: the high investment cost and the difficulty in culture change.