Furqan Hussain

Bio: Furqan Hussain is an academic researcher from University of New South Wales. The author has contributed to research in topics: Relative permeability & Enhanced oil recovery. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 38 publications receiving 756 citations.

The Effect of Fines Migration During CO 2 Injection Using Pore Scale Characterization

Abstract: Recent laboratory studies have shown fines migration induced decrease in rock permeability during CO2 injection. Fines migration is a pore scale phenomenon, yet previous laboratory studies did not conduct comprehensive pore scale characterization. This study utilizes integrated pore scale characterization techniques to study the phenomenon. We present CO2 injection experiments performed on two Berea sandstone samples. The core samples are characterized using nitrogen permeability, X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), Scanning Electronic Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Itrax X-ray Fluoresence (XRF) scanning. The core samples were flooded with freshwater, then CO2-saturated water, and finally water-saturated supercritical CO2 (scCO2). To calculate permeability, the pressure difference across the core samples was monitored during these fluid injections. The produced water samples were analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICPOES). After the flooding experiment, nitrogen permeability, micro-CT, SEM-EDS and Itrax-XRF scanning was repeated to characterize pore scale damage. Micro-CT image based computations were run to estimate permeability decrease along the core sample length after injection. Results show dissolution of dolomite and other high density minerals. Mineral dissolution dislodges fines particles which migrate during scCO2 injection. Berea 1 and Berea 2 showed respectively 29% and 13% increase in permeability during CO2-saturated water injection. But after water-saturated scCO2 injection, both Berea 1 and Berea 2 showed 60% decrease in permeability. The permeability damage of the sample can be explained by fines migration and subsequent blockage. SEM-EDS images also show some examples of pore blockage.

Effect of CO2-Water Injection Ratio on the Co-Optimization of Oil Recovery and CO2 Storage in a Swag Displacement Process

Abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection has been studied and applied as an important Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) method. However, a low volumetric sweep efficiency has always been a technical issue for continuous CO2 flooding because of high mobility and low density of CO2 in comparison with those of other reservoir fluids. The low volumetric sweep leaves large volumes of bypassed oil in the reservoir which in turn leaves limited pore space available for CO2 storage. Therefore, several mobility control methods have been trialed in laboratory and field pilot tests to improve the sweep efficiency. One mobility control method is CO2 simultaneous water-and-gas (CO2-SWAG) injection. The injected water displaces the oil which is bypassed by the CO2 to enhance oil recovery. Recent laboratory studies have found that fraction of CO2 injected (FGI) in a CO2-SWAG process can affect CO2 relative permeability function [1], [2]. An optimized FGI reduces the CO2 relative permeability, hence increasing the amount of CO2 retained in the pore space. Although the previous studies have highlighted strong dependency of CO2 relative permeability on FGI, the number of experiments performed were limited to find the optimum value of FGI. In this study we performed laboratory experiments to find optimum FGI to maximize oil recovery and CO2 storage during CO2-SWAG displacement in a Bentheimer sandstone. A 28cm long Bentheimer core sample was used for the study. Before the SWAG injection, the core is at irreducible water saturation. The oil phase is composed of 65% Hexane (C6) and 35% Decane (C10). Experiments are run at 1700psia and 700C which represents near-miscible conditions. Pure Supercritical CO2 and distilled water are injected simultaneously into the core at a fixed FGI. A total of 8 experiments were performed at FGI of 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 0.80, 0.997 and 1.0. FGI of 0.0 and 1.0 represents water injection and continuous CO2 injection, respectively while a FGI of 0.997 represents CO2water saturated CO2 at the experimental conditions. The produced fluids are collected in glass vials and are subsequently analyzed using the Gas Chromatography to quantify the produced water and hydrocarbons. A gas flowmeter is used to measure the mass rate of gas. The volume of the produced liquid and differential pressure across the core are continuously recorded during the experiment. A compositional commercial reservoir simulator is used to determine the FGI dependent relative permeability functions. Pressure drop across the core, oil recovery and the mass of CO2 stored are used as the matching parameters. The results indicate that 0.80 is the optimum FGI for the given experimental conditions. A remarkable reduction in CO2 relative permeability was observed for FGI 0.75 compared with continuous CO2 injection (FGI=1).

VALIDITY OF CUBIC LAW FOR FLUID FLOW IN A DEFORMABLE ROCK FRACTURE - eScholarship

Abstract: The validity of the cubic law for laminar flow of fluids through open fractures consisting of parallel planar plates has been established by others over a wide range of conditions with apertures ranging down to a minimum of 0.2 µm. The law may be given in simplified form by Q/Δh = C(2b)3, where Q is the flow rate, Δh is the difference in hydraulic head, C is a constant that depends on the flow geometry and fluid properties, and 2b is the fracture aperture. The validity of this law for flow in a closed fracture where the surfaces are in contact and the aperture is being decreased under stress has been investigated at room temperature by using homogeneous samples of granite, basalt, and marble. Tension fractures were artificially induced, and the laboratory setup used radial as well as straight flow geometries. Apertures ranged from 250 down to 4µm, which was the minimum size that could be attained under a normal stress of 20 MPa. The cubic law was found to be valid whether the fracture surfaces were held open or were being closed under stress, and the results are not dependent on rock type. Permeability was uniquely defined by fracture aperture and was independent of the stress history used in these investigations. The effects of deviations from the ideal parallel plate concept only cause an apparent reduction in flow and may be incorporated into the cubic law by replacing C by C/ƒ. The factor ƒ varied from 1.04 to 1.65 in these investigations. The model of a fracture that is being closed under normal stress is visualized as being controlled by the strength of the asperities that are in contact. These contact areas are able to withstand significant stresses while maintaining space for fluids to continue to flow as the fracture aperture decreases. The controlling factor is the magnitude of the aperture, and since flow depends on (2b)3, a slight change in aperture evidently can easily dominate any other change in the geometry of the flow field. Thus one does not see any noticeable shift in the correlations of our experimental results in passing from a condition where the fracture surfaces were held open to one where the surfaces were being closed under stress.

Team Effectiveness Theory from Industrial and Organizational Psychology Applied to Engineering Student Project Teams: A Research Review

Abstract: Background Engineering student team projects are frequently used to meet professional learning outcomes. Industrial and organizational psychologists study teams in the industry settings for which we prepare students, yet this research does not effectively inform engineering education. Purpose This research review sought to demonstrate the relevance of literature on teams literature from industrial and organizational psychology to engineering education and to identify implications for practice and future directions for research. Scope/Method Phase 1 systematically reviewed 104 articles published from 2007 to 2012 describing engineering and computer science student team projects and sought to answer the following questions: What professional learning outcomes have been met by team projects? What negative student team behaviors have faculty sought to minimize? What literature has been used to inform development of teamwork outcomes? Phase 2 reviewed five team effectiveness constructs selected according to the results of Phase 1: social loafing, interdependence, conflict, trust, and shared mental models. Examples from Phase 1 articles and our own work explain how this research informs facilitation and assessment of engineering student teams. Conclusions Engineering faculty sought to achieve a variety of outcomes through team projects, including teamwork, communication, sustainability, and consideration of global/societal design context. They sought to avoid social loafing and conflict while building trust to ensure equal team effort. That few Phase 1 articles engaged the literature about team effectiveness indicates there is great opportunity to apply industrial and organizational psychology research to engineering education.