Iranian Journal of Oil & Gas Science and Technology
Volume:1 Issue: 1, Autumn 2012

Abstract
A new method for the synthesis of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) was developed in the present study. Ultrasonic waves, as a novel method, were used to synthesize the nanoparticles. The morphology and surface compositions of the particles were characterized by using FESEM, XRD, BET, andparticle size analyzer. The synthesized nanoparticles were then utilized as a Fenton-like catalyst to degrade of hydrocarbon contaminants of soil. The effect of using ultrasonic waves in combination with nZVI for hydrocarbon degradation was also investigated. The effects of ultrasonic power, nZVI concentration, pH, hydrogen peroxide concentration, and temperature on remediation were studied. It was found that the new nZVI synthesized by an ultrasound-assisted method had high efficiency in soil remediation. The results indicated that the efficiency of removing hydrocarbons by nZVI was 98.57%. Finally, the optimum conditions of degradation were obtained when pH, ultrasonic power, nZVI concentration temperature, and hydrogen peroxide concentration were respectively equal to 3.5, 500 W, 0.4 gr.l-1, 40 °C, and 30 mM.

Recently, due to the very good market in ethane as a feedstock for petrochemical complexes, there are some plans to make a deep ethane recovery from the gases produced in Iran southern fields. In this work, the feasibility of different technologies for deep ethane recovery from a specified feed gas produced in one of the Iran southern fields is reviewed. Three different processes are selected and simulated for the specified feed gas. These processes are compared from technical and economic viewpoints and the advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The results show that RSV andCRR processes are technically more feasible for high levels of ethane recovery (greater than 95%). The economic evaluations show that the CRR process is the most appropriate one for the feed gas specified in this study.

The prediction of porosity is achieved by using available core and log data; however, the estimation of permeability is limited to the scare core data. Hence, porosity and saturation data through the framework of flow units can be used to make an estimation of reservoir permeability. The purpose of this study is to predict the permeability of a carbonate gas reservoir by using physical based empirical dependence on porosity and other reservoir rock properties. It is emphasized that this new relationship has a theoretical background and is based on molecular theories. It is found out that if rock samples with different types are separated properly and samples with similar fluid flow properties are classified in the same group, then this leads to finding an appropriate permeability/porosity relationship. In particular, the concept of hydraulic flow units (HFU) is used to characterize different rock types. This leads to a new physical-based permeability/porosity relationship that has two regression constants which are determined from the HFU method. These coefficients, which are obtained for several rock types in this study, may not be applicable to other carbonate rocks; but, by using the general form of the model presented here, based on the HFU method, one may obtain the value of these coefficients for any carbonate rock types. Finally, we used the data of cored wells for the validation of the permeability results.

A New Approach to Simultaneously Enhancing Heavy Oil Recovery and Hindering Asphaltene Precipitation
Article 4, Volume 1, Issue 1, Autumn 2012, Page 37-42 PDF (323 K)
Document Type: Research Paper
Authors
Edris Junaki; Shima Ghanaatian; Ghasem Zargar
Petroleum University of Technology
Abstract
A new chemical compound is developed at Petroleum University of Technology to enhance the recovery of the free imbibition process and simultaneously hinder asphaltene precipitation. Thecompound is tested on heavy oil samples from Marun oil field, Bangestan reservoir. The effects of the chemical compound on viscosity, hydrocarbon composition, and average molecular weight of the heavy oil are investigated. It is found that the substance dramatically reduces oil viscosity and molecular weight and hinders the precipitation of asphaltene in the heavy oil. The results of free imbibition tests demonstrate a significant recovery enhancement after oil reacts with the compound and is used in water in an Amott cell. Finally, the new chemical compound causes a significant reduction in surface tension and contact angle. This is verified by the molecular analysis of heavy oil after reacting with this ionic compound.

Enhanced oil recovery using nitrogen injection is a commonly applied method for pressure maintenance in conventional reservoirs. Numerical simulations can be practiced for the prediction of a reservoir performance in the course of injection process; however, a detailed simulation might take up enormous computer processing time. In such cases, a simple statistical model may be a good approach to the preliminary prediction of the process without any application of numerical simulation. In the current work, seven rock/fluid reservoir properties are considered as screening parameters and those parameters having the most considerable effect on the process are determinedusing the combination of experimental design techniques and reservoir simulations. Therefore, the statistical significance of the main effects and interactions of screening parameters are analyzed utilizing statistical inference approaches. Finally, the influential parameters are employed to create a simple statistical model which allows the preliminary prediction of nitrogen injection in terms of a recovery factor without resorting to numerical simulations.

Designing drilling fluids for drilling in deep gas reservoirs and geothermal wells is a major challenge. Cooling drilling fluids and preparing stable mud with high thermal conductivity are ofgreat concern. Drilling nanofluids, i.e. a low fraction of carbon nanotube (CNT) well dispersed in mud, may enhance the mixture thermal conductivity compared to the base fluids. Thus, they are potentially useful for advanced designing high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) drilling fluids. In the present study, the impacts of CNT volume fraction, ball milling time, functionalization, temperature, and dispersion quality (by means of scanning electron microscopy, SEM) on the thermal and rheological properties of water-based mud are experimentally investigated.The thermal conductivities of the nano-based drilling fluid are measured with a transient hot wiremethod. The experimental results show that the thermal conductivity of the water-based drilling fluid is enhanced by 23.2% in the presence of 1 vol% functionalized CNT at room temperature; it increases by 31.8% by raising the mud temperature to 50 °C. Furthermore, significant improvements are seen in the rheological properties—such as yield point, filtration properties, and annular viscosity—of the CNTmodified drilling fluid compared to the base mud, which pushes forward their future development.