Core Laboratories

About: Core Laboratories is a company organization based out in Houston, Texas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Oil shale & Kerogen. The organization has 1075 authors who have published 1064 publications receiving 24973 citations.

Seismic properties of pore fluids

Abstract: Pore fluids strongly influence the seismic properties of rocks. The densities, bulk moduli, velocities, and viscosities of common pore fluids are usually oversimplified in geophysics. We use a combination of thermodynamic relationships, empirical trends, and new and published data to examine the effects of pressure, temperature, and composition on these important seismic properties of hydrocarbon gases and oils and of brines. Estimates of in-situ conditions and pore fluid composition yield more accurate values of these fluid properties than are typically assumed. Simplified expressions are developed to facilitate the use of realistic fluid properties in rock models. Pore fluids have properties that vary substantially, but systematically, with composition, pressure, and temperature. Gas and oil density and modulus, as well as oil viscosity, increase with molecular weight and pressure, and decrease with temperature. Gas viscosity has a similar behavior, except at higher temperatures and lower pressures, where the viscosity will increase slightly with increasing temperature. Large amounts of gas can go into solution in lighter oils and substantially lower the modulus and viscosity. Brine modulus, density, and viscosities increase with increasing salt content and pressure. Brine is peculiar because the modulus reaches a maximum at a temperature from 40 to 80°C. Far less gas can be absorbed by brines than by light oils. As a result, gas in solution in oils can drive their modulus so far below that of brines that seismic reflection bright spots may develop from the interface between oil saturated and brine saturated rocks.

Enhanced Reservoir Description: Using Core and Log Data to Identify Hydraulic (Flow) Units and Predict Permeability in Uncored Intervals/Wells

Abstract: Understanding complex variations in pare geomet~ within different Iithofacies is the key to improved reservoir description and exploitation. Core data provide in~ornration on various depositional and diagenetic controls on pore geometry. Variations in pore geometrical attributes in rum, de$ne the existenceof distinct zones(hydraulic units) with similar f?uid-jlow characteristics. Classic discrimination of mck types has been based on subjective geological observations and on empirical relationships between the log of permeability versus porosity. Howevec for any porosity within a given mck type,permeability can vary by several orders of nragnitnde, which indicates the existenceof severalflow units. In this papec a new, practical and theoretically correct methodology is proposedfor identi$cation and characterization of hydraulic units widtin mappable geological units (facies). The technique is based on a modified Kozeny-Carmen equation and the conceptof mean hydraulic raditis. The equation indicatesIhat for any hydraulic unit, a log-log p!ot of a “Reservoir Quality index,” (RQI), which is equal to 0.0314 ~. versus a “Normalized PorosityIndex” (+=) which is equal to WI-W should yield a straight line with a unit slope. 7he intercept of the unit slope line with +Z = 1, designated as the “FIow Zme Indicator” (M), is a unique parameter for each hydraulic unit. RQI, 4, and FZI are based on stressed potvsity and permeability data measuredon core samples.

Ordered macro-microporous metal-organic framework single crystals

Abstract: We constructed highly oriented and ordered macropores within metal-organic framework (MOF) single crystals, opening up the area of three-dimensional–ordered macro-microporous materials (that is, materials containing both macro- and micropores) in single-crystalline form. Our methodology relies on the strong shaping effects of a polystyrene nanosphere monolith template and a double-solvent–induced heterogeneous nucleation approach. This process synergistically enabled the in situ growth of MOFs within ordered voids, rendering a single crystal with oriented and ordered macro-microporous structure. The improved mass diffusion properties of such hierarchical frameworks, together with their robust single-crystalline nature, endow them with superior catalytic activity and recyclability for bulky-molecule reactions, as compared with conventional, polycrystalline hollow, and disordered macroporous ZIF-8.

Intramyocardial transplantation of autologous CD34+ stem cells for intractable angina: a phase I/IIa double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Abstract: Background— A growing population of patients with coronary artery disease experiences angina that is not amenable to revascularization and is refractory to medical therapy. Preclinical studies have indicated that human CD34+ stem cells induce neovascularization in ischemic myocardium, which enhances perfusion and function. Methods and Results— Twenty-four patients (19 men and 5 women aged 48 to 84 years) with Canadian Cardiovascular Society class 3 or 4 angina who were undergoing optimal medical treatment and who were not candidates for mechanical revascularization were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized (3:1), placebo-controlled dose-escalating study. Patients received granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 5 μg · kg−1 · d−1 for 5 days with leukapheresis on the fifth day. Selection of CD34+ cells was performed with a Food and Drug Administration–approved device. Electromechanical mapping was performed to identify ischemic but viable regions of myocardium for injection of cells (versus saline). The tot...

MXenes stretch hydrogel sensor performance to new limits

Abstract: The development of wearable electronics, point-of-care testing, and soft robotics requires strain sensors that are highly sensitive, stretchable, capable of adhering conformably to arbitrary and complex surfaces, and preferably self-healable. Conductive hydrogels hold great promise as sensing materials for these applications. However, their sensitivities are generally low, and they suffer from signal hysteresis and fluctuation due to their viscoelastic property, which can compromise their sensing performance. We demonstrate that hydrogel composites incorporating MXene (Ti3C2T x ) outperform all reported hydrogels for strain sensors. The obtained composite hydrogel [MXene-based hydrogel (M-hydrogel)] exhibits outstanding tensile strain sensitivity with a gauge factor (GF) of 25, which is 10 times higher than that of pristine hydrogel. Furthermore, the M-hydrogel exhibits remarkable stretchability of more than 3400%, an instantaneous self-healing ability, excellent conformability, and adhesiveness to various surfaces, including human skin. The M-hydrogel composite exhibits much higher sensitivity under compressive strains (GF of 80) than under tensile strains. We exploit this asymmetrical strain sensitivity coupled with viscous deformation (self-recoverable residual deformation) to add new dimensions to the sensing capability of hydrogels. Consequently, both the direction and speed of motions on the hydrogel surface can be detected conveniently. Based on this effect, M-hydrogel demonstrates superior sensing performance in advanced sensing applications. Thus, the traditionally disadvantageous viscoelastic property of hydrogels can be transformed into an advantage for sensing, which reveals prospects for hydrogel sensors.