Multiscale Investigation of Nanoparticle Enhanced CO2 Foam (NECF) in Qatari Carbonate Reservoirs: From Microfluidics to Reservoir-scale with Implications to CO2 Sequestration and Enhanced Oil Recovery

The heterogenous carbonate reservoirs such as those in Qatar offers unique challenges in optimizing the industrial applications. The use of CO2 foam in Qatari reservoirs for carbon sequestration (CS) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has received significant interest mainly due to its economic viability. However, to improve CS and EOR, enhanced foaming agents are necessary due to the decreasing stability of CO2 foam over time. Nanoparticles (NP), with their mechanical and thermal stability, readily adsorb at liquid interfaces to create a strong and stable foam. The proposed project is a multiscale study from pore to the macroscopic scale to investigate the performance and optimization of NP-Enhanced-CO2-Foam (NECF) for CS and EOR in Qatari reservoirs. The project's main objectives are 1) To improve the fundamental understanding of the dynamics of NECF in carbonate reservoirs, 2) To introduce a protocol for formulating high-performance NECF for CS and EOR in heterogeneous Qatari reservoirs, and 3) To introduce microfluidics (Rock-on-a-Chip) approach as a rapid and cost-effective screening test for foams 4) Developing advanced numerical simulation schemes to forecast the flow of NECF in carbonate reservoirs. The pore-scale studies will be conducted on microfluidics chips resembling the Qatari carbonate reservoir's pore network and surface characteristics. The pore-scale studies will allow us to delineate the real-time dynamics of NECF using advanced imaging techniques such as confocal and fluorescence microscopy. The core flood experiments will be performed to analyse the behaviour of NECF at a macroscopic scale. A robust and well-coupled numerical approach will also be developed to simulate the NECF dynamics in carbonate reservoirs. The expected outcomes of the proposed project are the following: 1) State of the art on NECF applications for CS and EOR in carbonate reservoirs; 2) Proof of concept of NECF for challenging Qatari reservoirs conditions, 3) A robust protocol and workflow for the formulation of high-performance NECF for carbonate reservoirs; 4) Mathematical model for predicting rheology of NECF, 5) Numerical simulations of NECF flow in cores and reservoir conceptual models; 6) Student's thesis and/or dissertation and peer-reviewed publications in technical journals. Three partners will conduct the research for three years, distributed in 5 technical work packages. This ambitious and highly technological project will utilize the unique spectrum of expertise within the proposed team and world-class experimental and computing facilities to solve challenges in Qatar's environmental and energy sectors. The project will advance knowledge and provide insights for existing and new researchers, industry professionals, and decision-makers in Qatar's energy and environmental sector. It will also allow to produce high-quality scientific publications, and patent for NECF tailor-made for Qatari reservoirs.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)