Innovations in Hydrocarbon Production Research Cluster

Innovations in Hydrocarbon Production George Hirasaki (CHBE), Clarence Miller (CHBE), Scott Wellington (CHBE), Rafael Verduzco (CHBE), Dan Mittleman (ECE), Beatrice Riviere (CAAM), Walter Chapman (CHBE) http://www.rice.edu

Saturday Morning: Existing Research Clusters Please work with your team to come up with: 5 Slides: Why; What (60,000 level); Who; How; Why Rice? Optional: Why collaboration (example); project integration and relationships Additional slides on each project and the Heilmeier questions

MOTIVATION: Why? Oil Recovery is generally limited to 30-35% of the oil in the reservoir using conventional methods. The game has changed with long term high prices of energy and countries with depleting reservoirs that are a significant source of income. This a Global problem. There is limited expertise (essentially only Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin for example Rice was the prime contractor with PEMEX coordinating efforts at UT, CSM, and Stanford.)

MOTIVATION: Why? Flow assurance is essential for safe, economic production in deepwater at high temperature and pressure Expensive and limits production Emulsions effect on viscosity State the very grand challenge that motivated your team s interests Best for this slide is to have some images, but keep it somewhat general

Problem Statement: What? Nanostructured materials for improved oil recovery. Involves interfacial phenomena. Fluid flow in porous media. Multiphase flow and phase behavior. Molecular modeling. Large scale reservoir simulation.

Problem Statement: Who? Best to get small pictures of everyone in your group, then a brief summary of what they do in bullet form

Problem Statement: How? On this slide, best to show all the specific projects in the group and how they inter-relate, or some kind of themes in your research cluster

Problem Statement: Why Rice? We have a core of faculty that is experienced and world recognized in this area. There are others at Rice that can contribute if they were engaged in this area. Our location at the center of the US oil industry. Already have several consortiums of national and international oil companies. Additional companies have approached Rice for programs in these areas. One of companies is developing a new major research effort here in Houston and wants to partner with Rice. Only competitor is the University of Texas, but collaborations with UT are complementary, ongoing and strong.

Answer these questions (if relevant) What are you trying to do? (No jargon, short answer) 2. How does this get done at present? Who does it? What are the limitations of present approaches? Are you aware of the state-of-the-art and have you thoroughly thought through all the options? 3. What is new about your approach? Why do you think you can be successful at this time? Given that you've provided clear answers to 1 & 2, have you created a compelling option? Why now? What is so new about your idea or capability that make it work now and not 3 years ago? 4. If you succeed, what difference will it make? Why should we care? 5. How long will it take? How much will it cost? What are your mid-term and final exams? What is your program plan? How will you measure progress? What are your milestones/metrics? What is your transition strategy (if a technology)?

EXAMPLE: Motivation Slide Go to fullsize image Water purification that is cheaper, better and easier Detecting and curing disease with effective and practical medicine

EXAMPLE: What Slide (kinda busy) BiMetallic Catalysts Nanogold on silica Water purification Shrinking Tumors Removing TCE in water Go to fullsize image Carcinoma cells Tumor capillary

CBEN/How CBEN Research Portfolio Project A Project E Project B Project E Project C Project D Connections Collaborations Define new research areas from the start with all necessary expertise Rapid transition of information/tools between engineering and science New discoveries and ideas at the boundaries of knowledge

WHO Example http://www.nanotech-now.com/news_images/33047.jpg Professor Vicki Colvin, Department of Chemistry Nanochemistry; magnetic separation; qdots; surface engineering Nano-envi implications; nano-bioavailability; safety by design Hypermobile nanoparticles for reservoir sensing and recovery Oxygen buffer catalysts; nano-ceria and noble metal porous films Nano-particle augmented membranes for reactive processes Professor Pedro Alvarez, Environmental and Civil Engineering Nano-enabled water treatment; anti-microbial nanoparticles Nano-envi implications; nano-microbial interactions; Ecosystem function with nanoparticles; trophic transfers Bioremediation and nanoparticle fate and transport Biofuel life cycle and microbiological fuel sources Professor Mike Wong, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Nanomanufacturing; noble metal catalysts; surface science Nanoparticle reporters for reservoir sensing and recovery Oxidation catalysts for refining and biofuels Ultra-high surface area membranes; improved batteries Water remediation through catalytic nanoparticles

CBEN: How (themes and projects) Nanoscience and Technology at the Wet/Dry Interface MobiScan Total Body MRI PGIcont Pd+ Functional Nanoparticle lrp2 Theme 1: Nanoscience at the Wet/Dry Interface (Colvin) Theme 2: Nanoparticles for Bioengineering (West) Theme 3: Nanoparticles & Environmental Engineering (Alvarez/Hughes) 14

Why Rice? Computation and Visualization Levander et al Groundwater Analysis Levander et al Colorado Plateau Rice Geophysics ranked #9 in the U.S.; Seismic Imaging consortium (led by Bill Symes) Collaborative team in seismic imaging and computation spans both algorithms for inverse problem and hardware development 2011: Competitive million dollar visualization center from NSF for geological mapping and seismic imaging (Chevron matched this!)

Why Rice? Hydrocarbons: Cradle to Grave 140 Control (0 wt % SWNT) Specimen with 0.7 wt % SWNT 120 100 Stress (Psi) 80 60 40 20 0 0 200 400 600 800 Strain (%) More than 80% of Rice energy research involves hydrocarbons conventional and unconventional Consortia: brine technology; energy policy; nano+energy; borehole sensing; sustainability; methane hydrates; shale gas technology Rice catalyzed the Advanced Energy Consortium which has brought several materials faculty into the geophysical imaging problem Active and well-funded group in biochar for carbon sequestration

Why Rice? Policy-Informed Technology Baker Institute: Energy and Science Policy Leaders Jones School: Markets and Response to Technology Unusual appetite and engagement with technologists Global Health: Point of Care Diagnostics and Policy Rare examples of Collaborative Energy Research Nanotechnology s great opportunity: lossless transmission (Hartley, Smalley) Biofuel Technology and Policy: Best Practices (Alvarez, Jaffe)