Expertise

Subsurface transport processes

Expertise in detail

1. Multiphase flow in porous media
2. Mathematics
   1. Hyperbolic Conservation Laws
   2. Numerical Methods
3. Geostatistics
   1. Stochastic Random Fields, Marked Point Processes Markov Chains
   2. Percolation Theory
4. Transport processes
   1. Natural (free) Convection Flow
5. Physical chemistry
   1. Thermodynamics
   2. Colloid/ Surface Chemistry

Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window, India - EURINDIA

Target Groups

Partner Universities

Research

Completed Research

1. Underground coal gasification. Outcome: 3-D probabilistic simulation model, which shows good agreement with field trial observations. (Two Ph-D studies) 
2. Efficient simulation of steam drive recovery of oil. Outcome: 3-D interface model, which is validated with scaled model experiments; includes geostatistical “marked point process fracture modeling”  (Two Ph-D studies)
3. Distillation enhanced steam drive recovery. Outcome: Addition of volatile oil to steam indeed improves oil recovery. Laboratory experiments cannot be interpreted with the current state of the art modeling techniques. Similar aspects also occur for polymer drives (1-Ph-D study)
4. Geostatistical modeling of fractal fields: Outcome: Improved spectral model to compute fractal fields and multiscale and multiresolution stochastic modelling of subsurface heterogeneity by tree-indexed Markov chains (TU-working group+ post-doc)
5. Dielectric measurements in porous media: Outcome: laboratory measurement technique of saturation profiles
6. Arsenic remediation of drinking water from tube wells: Focus: Reactive transport with flow reversal (sponsored national science foundation, Post-Doc): Outcome: Methods for visual measurements and upscaling

Ongoing Research

1. Carbon dioxide Enhanced Coal Bed Methane: Focus: reliability of CO₂ adsorption isotherms and super-diffusion (sponsored by EC, Shell, three Ph-D students).  Here are some new results (see also proceedings Tuscaloosa ECBM-symposium (2006)) on measurements of adsorption and stress and capillary pressure measurements and wetting behavior and an overview of activities can be found in this file.
2. Wetting behavior using dynamic P_c measurements, droplet shape analysis and dielectric measurements: Focus: Coals are more CO₂-wet for higher degrees of coalification and pressure, which is favorable for fast CO₂ adsorption (sponsored by EC, one Ph-D student).
3. Distillation enhanced steam drive recovery. Focus: mathematical aspects of improved models involving analysis of shocks, bifurcations, finite condensation rates, distillation process and mixing mechanisms (one Ph-D student in Brazil,http://www.impa.br/opencms/pt/pesquisa/pesquisa_pesquisadores/pesquisadores_dan_marchesin/curriculo_dan.pdf)
4. Geostatistics using Markov Chains. Focus A stochastic approach modeling convection-diffusion-adsorption processes (TU-working group)
5. Enhanced mass transfer of CO₂ into water and oil by density-driven natural convection (in bulk, SPE107380 and Mass transfer of CO₂ into water and surfactant solutions and porous media
6. Upscaling in fractured reservoirs to improve oil recovery predictions. Focus: Combining geology and sophisticated upscaling (homogenization).

New Research

1. Wetting alteration in fractured reservoirs. Focus: Use of steam and CO₂ to alter wetting characteristics in fractured reservoirs (Shell sponsored projects)
2. Monitoring microbial activity during oil recovery. Focus: Relate measurements of microbial activity to the progress of oil recovery process (Shell sponsored + one Ph-D student)
3. Storage of NO_x and SO_x in coal layers. Focus chromatographic separation in coal layers (one Ph-D and one post-doc)
4. Sustainable use of arsenic free drinking water from deep tube wells, Focus: contamination from shallow layers, horizontal influx and social implications.
5. Hydrogen Oriented Underground Gasification of Coal for Europe project (HUGE), Focus: reactive natural convective transport, EC sponsored, 1 Ph-D student
6. Modeling stress induced diffusion model and model equations.