Facilities

Facilities

EOR Centre provides a stimulating and innovative environment which equips researchers with the knowledge and skills to put them ahead in research and development field.

With the presence of state-of-the-art facilities and experienced technologist, no more boundaries faced by the researchers to attain high quality research and innovation. Below is the list of equipments available in the lab:

Micro CT Scan
3-Phase Core Flooding Equipment for EOR Application
High Temperature-High Pressure (HTHP) PVT Cell
Relative Permeability System
Benchtop Permeability System
Formation Damage System
CO₂ Solvent Core Cleaner
Interfacial Tension Meter
Poroperm
Helium Porosimeter
Soxhlet Extractor
Desaturator

Upcoming equipments:

- Rotational Rheometer

- Spinning Drop Tension Meter

- Fourier Transform Infrared

Description

Micro CT Scan

Fundamental to the computerized tomography (CT) imaging technology is the ability of X-rays to pass through almost all matter and the process mathematically reconstructing the X-ray projection data into an image. This system is not only able to generate a set of three simultaneous cross sectional images, which includes images from slightly above and below the source. An ultrafast CT image-processing engine provides astonishingly fast processing, while a 3D cone-beam CT quickly creates 3D views of internal structures in a matter of moments.In enhanced oil recovery, study of reservoir structure in terms of rock properties and structure can be determine by this X-ray CT Scanner by doing reservoir modeling inside CT Scanner. It provides understanding of the fluid-fluid and fluid-rock interaction as the setup allows to captures the flooding process.

The effects of microscale movement of fluid in porous media are also studied in Computer Tomography (CT) Scan. In enhanced oil recovery, study of reservoir structure in terms of rock properties, structure and rock lithology also can be determine by this X-ray CT Scanner by doing reservoir modeling inside CT Scanner. It can create 3D views of internal structures, provides understanding of the fluid-fluid and fluid-rock interaction as the setup allows to captures the flooding process.

3-Phase Core Flooding Equipment for EOR Application

The core flooding equipment is designed to withstand high pressure and high temperature condition to simulate the reservoir condition. A few types of displacement can be conducted (e.g: steam flooding, CO2 flooding and Water-Alternate-Gas).

Operate in high pressure (10,000 Psi) and high temperature (200^oC) condition

To simulate the real reservoir condition

Types of displacement can be conducted

- Steam flooding

- CO2 flooding

- Water-Alternate-Gas (WAG)

High Temperature-High Pressure (HTHP) PVT Cell

The function is to provide physical property data for well flow calculations as well as physical properties for oil and gas, for surface facility design and to provide data for reservoir calculations which are the main driving force for the various tests. The PVT report provides source of all reservoir engineering properties for behavior over exploration, development and production.

Among PVT test can be done are flash vaporization or relative volume test, differential vaporization test, separator test, viscosity measurement, compositional measurements and special studies such as interfacial tension. From the PVT test, we are able to know the correlation between pressure and volume at reservoir temperature, various physical constants in reservoir calculations such as viscosity, density and compressibility, effect of separator condition on gas-oil ratio and chemical composition of the volatile components.

Relative Permeability System

The TEMCO RPS-800-10000 HTHP Relative Permeability Test System can be used for permeability and relative permeability flow testing of core samples, at in-situ conditions of pressure and temperature. Tests that can be performed with the system include initial oil saturation, secondary water flooding, tertiary water flooding, permeability and relative permeability. Brine, oil or other fluids can be injected into and through the core sample.

Benchtop Permeability System

BPS-805 is a manually operated system designed for performing simple liquid permeability tests at pore pressures to 5,000 psi with confining pressures to 9,950 psi. The standard system includes a low pulsation HPLC pump for fluid delivery at flow rates from 0.01 to 10 ml/min with a resolution of 0.01 ml/min. Plug size core samples are held in a hassler core holder mounted vertically. The core holder can accommodate 1.5” diameter core samples one to four inches in length. The system is equipped with one or two (2 readouts, which have ranges of 0-50 and 0-250 psid. A manual bypass valve is used to equilibrate pressure on the transducer preventing damage at high differential pressures. A dome-loaded backpressure regulator is utilized to maintain downstream elevated test pressures. A manually operated hydraulic pump is used to generate confining pressures to 9,950 psi.

Poroperm

The POROPERM instrument is a permeameter and porosimeter used to determine properties of plug sized core samples at ambiant confining pressure. In addition to the direct properties measurement, the instrument offers reporting and calculation facilities thanks to its user-friendly Windows operated software.

Direct measurements:

Gas permeability (mD)
Pore volume
Core length and diameter

Calculated parameters:

Klinkenberg slip factor "b"
Klinkenberg corrected permeability
Inertial coefficients
Sample bulk volume
Sample porosity
Grain volume
Grain density (assuming sample is weighed )

Interfacial Tension Meter

The IFT 700 is designed to determine interfacial tension and contact angle, but also to observe heat and mass transfer phenomena. The experiment can be operated at high pressure (up to 69 MPa,10.000 psi) and high temperature (up to 200°C). Basically a pendant drop or standing bubble/drop (Drop Fluid) may be generated in a second immiscible fluid (Pressure Fluid). The drop shape image is computed, then the interfacial tension is computed from solving algorithm of the Laplace equation.

Formation Damage System

The TEMCO FDS-800-10000 HTHP Formation Damage Test System is designed for formation damage testing of core samples, at in-situ conditions of pressure and temperature. Tests that can be performed with the system include initial oil saturation, secondary water flooding, formation damage testing with leak-off through the core, and before-and-after permeability measurement, in both forward and reverse (backflow for damage clean up) directions. Brine, oil, drilling mud, gels, or other fluids can be injected into and through the core sample.

Helium Porosimeter

This system allows for pore volume and grain volume determination on rock samples including unconsolidated or irregular shape samples.

The measure is based on Boyle-Mariotte’s law theory. The process takes place in two stages: at stage one a known amount of helium gas is contained in a cell (pressure and volume accurately known). At stage two, this quantity of gas is shared with the matrix cup containing the sample. The new pressure is measured and the volume not accessible to gas (grain volume) is automatically calculated.

Soxhlet Extractor

The Soxhlet apparatus is used to extract and clean the core sample from oil, water and any other materials. The apparatus is based on a heating mantle to boil the solvent, a sample chamber and a water-cooled system to condense the solvent vapors. The core sample is first placed into the sample chamber. Then, the solvent is heated and vaporized. The solvent vapors travel through a lateral way and rise to the top of the glass tube where is the cold trap. At this place, the vapors condense and fall into the sample chamber. The solvent fills the chamber and removes soluble components from the core. Then, the spoiled solvent is evacuated from the chamber through a siphon and goes back to the flask where it will be redistilled.

Desaturator

Capillary curve is the relationship between pressure applied and stabilised, and water content in the core samples. The apparatus is dedicated to enable generation of air-brine capillary curves on core samples. The equipment is mainly composed of a console and a vessel. The console controls the air pressure supplied to the vessel. It is possible to humidify on line the air used in the process through a humidifier located on the console.

Hg Capillary System

Manual operated system for the measurement of capillary pressure and pore morphology. Based on Purcell method, mercury is injected into plug sized samples at know volume from vacuum to 2,000 psi (140 bar). The instrument uses a hand operated pump for mercury injection and a coreholder equipped with an opening windowed chamber cap for easy loading / unloading operations and mercury level visualization. The control panel includes the pore pressure regulator, the pore pressure transducer with the digital display and a vacuum manometer.

CO₂-Toluene Core Cleaner

The CO₂-Toluene Core Cleaner is a device for cleaning crude oil, drilling mud liquids and water from a single piece of whole core or from a batch of core samples. The system is faster than Soxhlet extraction, does not coke crude oil in the sample as does retorting. It uses the proven core cleaning method utilizing CO₂-saturated toluene.

The unit is basically composed of 2 modules:

1) the reactive module installed in the fume hood, and

2) the process controls housed in the control box installed outside of the hood.

In the reactive module, a pressure sample vessel is heated electrically with a volt heater enclosed in an explosion proof housing.

a. The solvent is pumped from an onboard supply tank to the cleaning vessel with an air driven high-pressure pump.

b. A cyclone separator with a stainless steel-packed, water-cooled after-cooler is provided to separate the CO₂ and the used hot solvent when the vessel is drained.

c. The used toluene drains into an explosion proof electric still where it is recovered and delivered back to the clean solvent supply