Carrol M. Beeson

APPLICATION OF ELECTROKINETIC PHENOMENA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Quincke (1861, in: Kruyt, 1952) was probably the f i rs t s c i e n t i s t to predict a technical application of electrokinetics, when h e proposed the u s e of streaming potential phenomenon a s a source of e l ec t r i c energy. Electrodeposit ion of microscopic pa r t i c l e s h a s been used to apply a thin layer on a conducting carrier such as in t h e manufacturing of i n su la t ed heat ing coi ls , act ivated electrodes, and t h e formation of rubber ob jec t s from latex. The re a r e many other industr ia l appl icat ions o f t h e s e phenomena (Abramson). Examples of t h e s e a r e the purification of water, serum, clay, glycerin and gelatin. Electr ical separation of water-oil emulsion is a l s o an example of the application of electrophoresis. Tchill ingarian (1952) sugges t ed the possibi l i ty of u s ing electr ical current for separat ion of f ine sediments into grades, on the b a s i s of different cataphoret ic ve loc i t i e s exhibited by par t ic les according to their sizes.

Determination of surface areas of sediments

Adsorption takes place both by covalent bonding with surface ions in the crystal lattice, and by van der Waals forces. A single layer of molecules will form over the entire surface before more layers begin to accumulate. Determination of the volume of gas needed to form a monomolecular layer of the internal surface will yield the area, with consideration for packing of the molecules. In this procedure, the critical volume is determined empirically by interpolation from a linear graph. Equipment and procedure are modifications of previous experiments. The apparatus can be installed for about

Chapter 13 Plunger Lift

300.

Use of Direct Electrical Current for Increasing the Flow Rate of Reservoir Fluids During Petroleum Recovery

Publisher Summary This chapter traces the history of plunger lift and some developments in the equipment. The chapter describes the determination of equations for gas and pressure from the well data by the method of least squares. The methods used in testing the effects of change in tailpipe, water cut, and oil gravity, and the methods used in constructing nomographs to simplify the calculations are discussed. The chapter focuses on how to use the nomographs to plot operating lines and discusses supplementary figures representing the equations. The nomographs, along with examples illustrating their use, are also discussed in the chapter. The chapter also discusses the accuracy to be expected from results determined by the equations or the nomographs. The use of the equations without plotting an operating line, and the types of oil wells suitable for plunger lift are discussed. The chapter also discusses the intermittent flowing and plunger lift system, as well as applications of plunger lift in gas wells. The prediction of plunger lift performance is also described in the chapter.