G. Suresh Kumar

Effect of sorption intensities on dispersivity and macro-dispersion coefficient in a single fracture with matrix diffusion

Matrix diffusion and sorption are among the key processes impacting the efficiency of natural attenuation in the subsurface. While these processes have been studied extensively in fractured media, limited information exists on the sorption nonlinearity. To address this shortfall, a numerical model has been developed that couples matrix diffusion and nonlinear sorption at the scale of a single fracture using the dual-porosity concept. The study is limited to a constant continuous-solute-source boundary condition. The influence of sorption intensities on dispersivity and macro-dispersion coefficient is investigated using a method of spatial moments. Results suggest that mixing of solutes is significantly lowered by nonlinear sorptive behavior, with respect to the mixing caused by matrix diffusion for linearly sorbing solutes. Also, the magnitude of time dependent dispersivity during the pre-asymptotic regime is lower for nonlinearly sorbing solutes with respect to the linearly sorbing solutes. Reduced mixing is also observed for nonlinearly sorbing solutes under combined mechanisms of matrix diffusion and decay.RésuméLes phénomènes de diffusion et de sorption comptent parmi les processus clés qui influent sur l’atténuation naturelle en subsurface. Si ces processus ont été massivement étudiés en milieu fracturé, il existe en revanche peu d’informations sur la non-linéarité de la sorption. Afin de combler cette lacune, un modèle numérique a été développé ; il couple la diffusion dans la matrice et la sorption non-linéaire à l’échelle d’une fracture unitaire en utilisant le concept de double porosité. La seule condition aux limites fixée pour toute l’étude est une source de soluté constante et continue. L’influence de l’intensité de la sorption sur la dispersivité et sur le coefficient de macro-dispersion est étudié via une méthode utilisant les moments spatiaux. Les résultats suggèrent que les mélanges de solutés sont significativement réduits par les phénomènes de sorption non-linéaires, comparativement aux mélanges causés par la diffusion pour des solutés à sorption linéaire. C’est pourquoi la dispersivité, dépendante du temps, est plus faible pour les solutés à sorption non-linéaire que pour les solutés à sorption linéaire, lors du régime pré-asymptotique. Des mélanges réduits ont également été observés pour des solutés à sorption non-linéaire, sous les mécanismes combinés de diffusion dans la matrice et de dégradation.ResumenLa difusión intersticial y la adsorción se encuentran entre los procesos clave que impactan la eficiencia de la atenuación natural en el subsuelo. Mientras que estos procesos se han estudiado extensamente en medios fracturados existe información limitada acerca de la no linealidad de la adsorción. Para abordar esta situación se ha desarrollado un modelo numérico que acopla la difusión intersticial y la adsorción no lineal a la escala de una sola fractura usando el concepto de porosidad doble. El estudio se restringe a condiciones limitantes de fuente de soluto constante y continuo. Se investiga la influencia de las intensidades de adsorción sobre el coeficiente de dispersión-macro y dispersividad usando un método de momentos espaciales. Los resultados sugieren que la mezcla de solutos disminuye significativamente mediante comportamiento de adsorción no lineal, en relación con la mezcla causada por difusión intersticial para solutos con adsorción lineal. Se observa que la magnitud de la dispersividad dependiente del tiempo durante el régimen pre-asintótico es más baja para solutos con adsorción no lineales en relación a los solutos con adsorción lineal. También se observa mezcla reducida para solutos con adsorción no lineal bajo mecanismos combinados de difusión intersticial y desintegración.

Numerical Modeling and Spatial Moment Analysis of Solute Mobility and Spreading in a Coupled Fracture-Skin-Matrix System

This study deals with transport of solutes through a saturated sub-surface rock formation with well-defined horizontal parallel fractures. For this purpose, a simplified conceptual model consisting of a single fracture and its associated rock-matrix is considered in the presence of a fracture-skin in order to study the mobility and mixing of solutes along the fracture. In this paper, a coupled fracture-skin-matrix system is modeled numerically using finite difference method in a pseudo two-dimensional domain with a constant continuous source at fracture inlet. Flow and transport processes are considered parallel to the fracture axis, while the transport processes in fracture-skin as well as in rock-matrix are considered perpendicular to the fracture axis. Having obtained the concentration distribution along the fracture, method of spatial moments is employed to study the mobility and spreading of solutes. Sensitivity analyses have been done to understand the effect of various fracture-skin parameters like porosity, thickness, and diffusion coefficient. Further, the influence of non-linear sorption and radioactive decaying of solutes are carried out for different sorption intensities and decay constants. Results suggest that the presence of fracture-skin significantly influences the mobility and spreading of solutes along the fracture in comparison with a coupled fracture-matrix system without fracture-skin.

Viscosity of the oil-in-water Pickering emulsion stabilized by surfactant-polymer and nanoparticle-surfactant-polymer system

Information on the viscosity of Pickering emulsion is required for their successful application in upstream oil and gas industry to understand their stability at extreme environment. In this work, a novel formulation of oil-in-water (o/w) Pickering emulsion stabilized using nanoparticle-surfactant-polymer (polyacrylamide) system as formulated in our earlier work (Sharma et al., Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2014) is investigated for rheological stability at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions using a controlled-strain rheometer. The nanoparticle (SiO2 and clay) concentration is varied from 1.0 to 5.0 wt%. The results are compared with the rheological behavior of simple o/w emulsion stabilized by surfactant-polymer system. Both the emulsions exhibit non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior. A positive shift in this behavior is observed for surfactant-polymer stabilized emulsion at high pressure conditions. Yield stress is observed to increase with pressure for surfactant-polymer emulsion. In addition, increase in temperature has an adverse effect on the viscosity of emulsion stabilized by surfactant-polymer system. In case of nanoparticle-surfactant-polymer stabilized o/w emulsion system, the viscosity and yield stress are predominantly constant for varying pressure and temperature conditions. The viscosity data for both o/w emulsion systems are fitted by the Herschel-Bulkley model and found to be satisfactory. In general, the study indicates that the Pickering emulsion stabilized by nanoparticle-surfactant-polymer system shows improved and stable rheological properties as compared to conventional emulsion stabilized by surfactant-polymer system indicating their successful application for HPHT environment in upstream oil and gas industry.

Mathematical Modeling of Groundwater Flow and Solute Transport in Saturated Fractured Rock Using a Dual-Porosity Approach

AbstractThe present paper addresses critical issues that describe the transient transfer of stored rock-matrix flow into high-permeable fractures and rate-limited diffusive solute flux into low-permeable rock matrix using a typical dual-porosity approach. An improved mathematical model is suggested that better describes fluid flow through a coupled fracture-matrix system using a dual-porosity approach. The suggested model differs from a conventional model as the fracture flow equation contains a hyperbolic term in addition to the conventional dispersive term. The matrix flow equation contains the coupling term that controls the transient nature of fluid exchange from the stored rock matrix into the hydraulic conductors. The Langmuir sorption isotherm is suggested to describe the limited sorption sites available on fracture walls, while the Freundlich sorption isotherm is recommended to describe the unlimited sorption sites available within the rock matrix. The dispersion mechanism in a coupled fracture-ma...

Enhanced oil recovery using oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion stabilized by nanoparticle, surfactant and polymer in the presence of NaCl

A conventional waterflood often leads to unsuccessful recovery of oil, as most of the injected water tends to channel into the more permeable zones. Pickering emulsions stabilized using surfactant and colloidal particles, such as nanoparticles, are gaining wider recognition in the petroleum industry due to their better thermal stability and stabilized flow behavior. In this work, a novel formulation of oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion stabilized using nanoparticle–surfactant–polymer in the presence of salt (NaCl) is investigated for improved oil recovery at conditions of high pressure (13.6 MPa) and high temperature (313–363 K). We report a comparative study of performance of o/w emulsion flooding with conventional water flooding for enhanced oil recovery of a crude oil having a viscosity of 161 mPa s at 313 K in a Berea sandstone core using core-flood experiments. The results of core flooding tests show that an incremental oil recovery of more than 23% of original oil in place over water flooding can be obtained using an emulsion flooding formulated in this work.

Influence of pH on dynamics of microbial enhanced oil recovery processes using biosurfactant producing Pseudomonas putida: Mathematical modelling and numerical simulation

In present work, the influence of reservoir pH conditions on dynamics of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) processes using Pseudomonas putida was analysed numerically from the developed mathematical model for MEOR processes. Further, a new strategy to improve the MEOR performance has also been proposed. It is concluded from present study that by reversing the reservoir pH from highly acidic to low alkaline condition (pH 5-8), flow and mobility of displaced oil, displacement efficiency, and original oil in place (OOIP) recovered gets significantly enhanced, resulting from improved interfacial tension (IFT) reduction by biosurfactants. At pH 8, maximum of 26.1% of OOIP was recovered with higher displacement efficiency. The present study introduces a new strategy to increase the recovery efficiency of MEOR technique by characterizing the biosurfactants for IFTmin/IFTmax values for different pH conditions and subsequently, reversing the reservoir pH conditions at which the IFTmin/IFTmax value is minimum.

Numerical modelling on fate and transport of nitrate in an unsaturated system under non-isothermal condition

Nitrate pollution in groundwater arising from wastewater and fertiliser application through vadose zone is a major problem and it causes a prime risk to groundwater-based drinking water supplies. In this study, a one-dimensional numerical model is developed to investigate the nitrogen species transport in unsaturated porous media along with mass transfer of oxygen from gaseous phase to aqueous phase. Further, the temperature-dependent nitrogen transformation rates, oxygen solubility in an aqueous phase from gaseous phase, and oxygen diffusion coefficient have been successfully incorporated. Results suggest that the temperature-dependent oxygen diffusion coefficient is significant in case of temperature variation between 30 and 45 °C, whereas the temperature-dependent oxygen solubility and transformation rate are found to be the critical parameters influencing the nitrogen species transport when the temperature variation is between 10 and 30 °C. In the temperature range between 30 and 45 °C, the model performance marginally improved compared with that of the same under isothermal condition. But in the case of variation between 10 and 30 °C, the nitrate nitrogen concentration has higher variation during non-isothermal conditions when compared with isothermal conditions. Moreover, the results suggest that the dissolved oxygen concentration is also significantly affected by non-isothermal conditions.

Numerical Modeling on the Effect of Dissolved Oxygen on Nitrogen Transformation and Transport in Unsaturated Porous System

Nitrogen pollution in groundwater resulting from wastewater application to land is a common problem, and it causes a major threat to groundwater-based drinking water supplies. In this study, a numerical model is developed to study the nitrogen species transport and transformation in unsaturated porous media. Further, a new mass transfer module for dissolved oxygen (DO) is incorporated in the one-dimensional numerical model for nitrogen species transport to describe the fate and transport of nitrogen species, dissolved oxygen, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and biomass. The spatial and temporal variation of dissolved oxygen is incorporated in the model through the mass transfer from gaseous phase to water phase in an unsaturated porous system. The numerical results of the water flow model and single species and multispecies transport model in an unsaturated zone developed for this purpose have been validated with the available analytical/numerical solution. The developed model is applied in clay loam, silt, and sand soils to analyze the transport behavior of nitrogen species under unsaturated condition. The numerical results suggest that the high rate of oxygen mass transfer from the air phase to the water phase positively increases the dissolved oxygen in the applied wastewater and enhances the nitrification process. Because of this high oxygen mass transfer, the nitrate nitrogen concentration significantly increases in the unsaturated zone and the same is transported to a larger depth at higher simulation period. On the other hand, the low rate of oxygen mass transfer implicitly enhances the denitrification process and finally reduces the nitrate nitrogen concentration in the unsaturated zone. The numerical results also show that the nitrate nitrogen transport is rapid in sandy soil when compared with clay loam and silty soils under high oxygen mass transfer rate. In essence, the high oxygen mass transfer rate significantly increases the nitrate nitrogen in the unsaturated zone, especially at a greater depth at larger time levels and eventually affects the groundwater quality.

Numerical modelling of biophysicochemical effects on multispecies reactive transport in porous media involving Pseudomonas putida for potential microbial enhanced oil recovery application.

pH and resident time of injected slug plays a critical role in characterizing the reservoir for potential microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) application. To investigate MEOR processes, a multispecies (microbes-nutrients) reactive transport model in porous media was developed by coupling kinetic and transport model. The present work differs from earlier works by explicitly determining parametric values required for kinetic model by experimental investigations using Pseudomonas putida at different pH conditions and subsequently performing sensitivity analysis of pH, resident time and water saturation on concentrations of microbes, nutrients and biosurfactant within reservoir. The results suggest that nutrient utilization and biosurfactant production are found to be maximum at pH 8 and 7.5 respectively. It is also found that the sucrose and biosurfactant concentrations are highly sensitive to pH rather than reservoir microbial concentration, while at larger resident time and water saturation, the microbial and nutrient concentrations were lesser due to enhanced dispersion.

Wettability Alteration in Carbonate Reservoirs Using Nanofluids

Carbonate reservoirs pose unique challenges to the petroleum industry. Research during the last decade has shown the potential for application of principles of nanoscience and technology toward solving a variety of problems faced by the petroleum industry today. The authors investigated the effectiveness of nanofluids of silane coated silica nanoparticles as in situ reservoir agents. Effects of salinity of dispersing medium and concentration of nanoparticles on particle size and surface zeta potential were studied to characterize the stability of nanofluids. Carbonate core samples were taken from an Indian carbonate reservoir and their wettability was restored. Contact angle measurements were made before and after the application of nanofluid to investigate the alteration in wettability. Particle size measurements showed agglomeration of nanoparticles. It was found that the extent of agglomeration was affected by salinity of the dispersing medium and concentration of nanoparticles. Wettability studies indicated that nanofluids of silane coated silica can affect wettability change toward a more water wet state. Around 2 g/L was found to be the optimal concentration for affecting wettability change.