Research

Major Research Contribution

  • Being funded more than 26 (18 plus 8 yearly consortium projects) external projects as PI (22) or Co-PI (4) since I joined in Missouri S&T as a faculty member in 2006. The funding comes from different competitive resources, mostly from DOE, and some from NSF and Industry.
  • Be the pioneer and leader of preformed particle gel (PPG) conformance control technology. I have done extensive investigations regarding to novel particle gel development, deformable particle gel transport through porous media and fractures, and their application conditions.  The technology has been successfully applied in more than 10,000 wells in oilfields.
  • As the Director and initiator, the joint industry project (JIP-Particle Gel for Conformance Control Consortium) has been continuously supported by five companies since it was established in 2014 and six patents have been filed. Commercial products have been successfully applied in oilfields.
  • PPG conformance control technologies have been continuously supported by DOE since 2008 for the applications under different reservoir conditions, including water flooding reservoirs, polymer flooding reservoirs, CO2 flooding reservoirs, and preferential fluid flow control for geothermal reservoirs.
  • Design and fabricate novel Nano-and micro-fluidic Chips to investigate fluid flow in unconventional reservoirs, which was funded by DOE through RPSEA with a total funding of 1.7 million. The fundamental research has resulted in novel methods to determine the fluid flow properties in tight and shale formation. The design received “Best Microfluidic Design” in the Microfluidic and Energy Symposium organized in Toronto University and Rice University in April 29-30. 2021.

Funded External Projects at Missouri S&T

  • Investigate New Heavy Oil Recovery Methods on Alaska North Slopes, Funded by State of Alaska through University of Alaska Fairbank, 08/01-2022—07/31/2024. $250, 221 (A total of 5 million for the whole project), PI.
  • Innovative Particle Gels for Controlling Preferential Fluid Flow Within Geothermal Reservoirs to Enhance Heat Recovery, Award Number: DE-EE0009790, Department of Energy, $2,491,242 (a total  budget of 3.0 M including cost-share budget), 03/01/2022-09/30/2025, PI.
  • Development of Novel Preformed Polymeric Multi-Scale Gels for Water Control in Qatari Carbonate Reservoirs, Qatar Science Foundation through Qatar University, 08/2021-07/2024, $178,146, PI.
  •  Collaborative Research: Laboratory data enabled phase field modeling and data assimilation for coupled two-phase fluid flow and porous media flow, Funded by National Science Foundation, DMS-2152609, August 2022 – July 2025, Co-PI, $160,000, shared credit 30%.
  • Preformed Particle Gel Joint Industry Project, funded by Conoco-Philips, OXY, PetroChina, and Daqing Wantong, SNF, 10/2014-9/2024, around $280,000/year, a total of $2.46 million so far. Director and PI of PGCCIC Consortium. The project is supported by industry members and is supposed to be continued for long.
  • PGCCIC Purchase Consistometer to Evaluate the Re-associated Particle Gels for Conformance Control and Fluid Loss Control, Funded by Conoco-Philips, $40,000, 03/2021-03/2022, PI.
  •  PGCCIC Purchase Consistometer to Evaluate the Re-associated Particle Gels for Conformance Control and Fluid Loss Control, Daqing Wantong Sci and Tech Dev Co, $20,000, 03/2021-03/2022, PI.
  • Petro-physics Property and EOR Potential Evaluation of Tight Oil Sands, CNPC Houston Research Center, 05/2019-08/2022, $416, 408, PI.
  • First Ever Field Pilot on Alaska’s North Slope to Validate the Use of Polymer Floods for Heavy Oil Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), funded by the US Department of Energy through University of Alaska, Sponsor budget $650,355, S&T total budget $813,429) (a total budget of the project is $9.7 Million), 08/2018-07/2022, PI.
  • Collaborative Research: Data-enabled modeling, numerical method, and data assimilation for coupling dual porosity flow with free flow, funded by NSF, funded by NSF, funded amount $180,000 from 8/1/2017-7/31/2020; Co-PI.
  • Development of Swelling-Rate-Controllable Particle Gels to Enhance CO2 Flooding Sweep Efficiency and Storage Efficiency, Funded by NETL/DOE, Contract No. DE-FE0024558, DOE share $990, 575 (a total budget of this project is $1,240,396 including cost-share). PI, 06/15/2015-05/30/2019.
  • Study and Pilot Test of Preformed Particle Gel Conformance Control Combining with Surfactant Treatment, Funded by RPSEA/DOE, Sponsor Budget $863,453, Total budget $1,762,315, 11/2012-08/2016, PI.
  • Water Management in Mature Oil Fields Using Advanced Particle Gels, Funded by RPSEA/DOE, Subcontracted from University of Austin, TX, Sponsor Budget $903,746, Total budget $1,168,190, 01/2013-01/2015, PI.
  • Using Single-Molecule Imaging System Combined with Nano-Fluidic Chips to Understand Fluid Flow in Tight and Shale Gas Formation, Funded by Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) under US DOE contract, total budget $1,709,042, Sponsor budget $1,213,072, 8/1/2010-7/30/2013, PI.
  • Geomechanical Simulation of CO2 Leakage and Caprock Remediation, Funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), 10/1/2009-9/30/2012, Total budget $1,257,532, Sponsor budget: $917,603, 33% share, Co-PI.
  • The City Utilities in Springfield Shallow CO2 Sequestration Demonstration (Lamotte Formation), funded by US DOE, $648,218, 01/2009-12/2010, Co-PI.
  • Enhanced Oil Recovery Efficiency for Mature Oilfields, Funded by PetroChina Company Limited, Sponsor budget, $270,083, 01/2009-12/2010, PI.
  • Effect of Polymer/Polymer Gel on Disproportionate Permeability Reduction to Gas and Water for Tight Gas, Funded by American Chemistry Society Petroleum Research Funding, 9/1/2009-8/30/2011, total budget $146,460, Sponsor budget $100,000, PI.
  • Preformed Particle Gel for Conformance Control, Funded by the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) under US DOE contract, total budget $786,716, Sponsor budget $520,212, 07/31/2008-03/31/2011, PI.

Funded Internal Proposals at Missouri S&T

  • Development of Thermo-responsible Polymer, funded by S&T Energy Research and Development Center (ERDC), $40,000, 8/2010-7/2011
  • Instruments for CO2 Sequestration, approved by Chancellor, $95,000, May 2010
  • Combination of Gel and Surfactant Treatments for Enhanced Oil Recovery, funded by Missouri Research Board, $29,600, Aug 2007-Aug 2008, 100%, PI.
  • Improving Oil Displacing Efficiency using Nanotechnology, Missouri S&T Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (OURE); 09/2008-05/2009; $1,200 (Nis Ilyani Binti Mohmad).
  • Improved Oil Recovery for Missouri Heavy Oil, Missouri S&T Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (OURE); 09/2008-05/2009; $1,200 (Ahmad Salim, Ahmad Syahrir Hatta)

Funded Projects Before S&T

  • Using Preformed Gel Particle to Control Water Conformance in Mature Oilfields, funded by PetroChina and CNPC, Co-sponsored by Daqing, LiaoHe, Jidong, Zhongyuan, and Nanyang oilfields, RMB 3,000,000 (US$461,500), 1997-2002, 100%, PI
  • Using Gel to Control Water in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, Funded by Petrochina and CNPC, Co-sponsored by Xinjiang Petroleum Institute and Jilin Production Institute), 1999-2002, RMB $1,500,000 (US$ 230,750), 100%, PI.
  • Evaluation and Water Control Mechanisms of Weak Gel Used for Nanyang Oilfields, Funded by SINOPEC and Nanyang Petroleum Institute, 06/1999-06/2001, RMB $280,000 (US$43,076), 50%, PI.
  • Selective Water Shutoff for Producers and Optimization Design of Conformance Control for a Block, Funded by Daqing Petroleum Company Limited, 01/2000-12/2000, RMB $600,000 (US$92,308), 100%, PI
  • Study on Reservoir Sweep Improvement for Offshore Crude Oilfield, Funded by CNOOC, 01/2000-12/2000, RMB 480,000 (US$73,846), 100%, PI.
  • Development of a Software Package for the Optimization and Design of Water Shutoff and Profile Control Treatments, Funded by China National Petroleum Corporation, Co-sponsored by Daqing, Liaohe, Zhongyuan, Dagang, Changqing, Xinjiang, Tuha, Jidong, Tarim, and Shengli Petroleum Bureau),1997-1999, RMB $500,000 (US$76,923), 100%, PI.
  • Using Weak Gel to Improve Oil Recovery in Mature Oilfields, Funded by China National Petroleum Corporation, co-sponsored by Daqing, Liaohe, and Zhongyuan, 1996-1999, RMB $970,000 (US$149,230), 100%, PI
  • Water Shutoff for Deep Wells in Carbonate Reservoirs, Funded by Xinjiang Petroleum Bureau, 06/1997-12/1998, RMB $280,000 (US$43,097), 50%, PI.
  • Study on Water Shutoff and Profile Control of Deep Well in Tarim Oilfield, funded by CNPC and Tarim Petroleum Bureau, 1996-1998, RMB $680,000 (US$104,615), 50%, PI.
  • Numerical Simulation of Jin-16 Blocks and Optimization Design for Water Control, Funded by Liaohe Petroleum Bureau, 01/1997-12/1997, RMB $99,000 (US$14,231), 100%, PI.
  • Evaluation of Polymer Used for Jin Polymer Flooding, Funded by Liaohe Petroleum Bureau, 01/1997-12/1997, RMB $90,000 (US$13,846), 100%, PI.
  • Selective Water Shutoff Using W/O Emulsions, Funded by Liaohe Petroleum Bureau, 02/1996-12/1996, RMB $80,000 (US$12,307), 100%, PI.