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Prof. Dr. Maurice B. Dusseault
Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

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0 Energy Storage
0 Geomechanics
0 Geophysics
0 Sustainability
0 geothermal energy

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geothermal energy

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Journal article
Published: 12 June 2021 in Geosciences
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This study focuses on determining the orientation and constraining the magnitude of present-day stresses in the Dezful Embayment in Iran’s Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt. Two datasets are used: the first includes petrophysical data from 25 wells (3 to 4 km deep), and the second contains 108 earthquake focal mechanisms, mostly occurring in blind active basement faults (5 to 20 km deep). Formal stress inversion analysis of the focal mechanisms demonstrates that there is currently a compressional stress state (Aφ=2.02.2) in the basement. The seismologically determined SHmax direction is 37° ± 10°, nearly perpendicular to the strike of most faults in the region. However, borehole geomechanics analysis using rock strength and drilling evidence leads to the counterintuitive result that the shallow state of stress is a normal/strike-slip regime. These results are consistent with the low seismicity level in the sedimentary cover in the Dezful Embayment, and may be evidence of stress decoupling due to the existence of salt layers. The stress state situation in the field was used to identify the optimally oriented fault planes and the fault friction coefficient. This finding also aligns with the prediction Coulomb faulting theory in that the N-S strike-slip basement Kazerun Fault System has an unfavorable orientation for slip in a reverse fault regime with an average SW-NE SHmax orientation. These results are useful for determining the origin of seismic activity in the basin and better assessing fault-associated seismic hazards in the area.

ACS Style

Ali Yaghoubi; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice Dusseault; Yuri Leonenko. Seismicity and the State of Stress in the Dezful Embayment, Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt. Geosciences 2021, 11, 254 .

AMA Style

Ali Yaghoubi, SeyedBijan Mahbaz, Maurice Dusseault, Yuri Leonenko. Seismicity and the State of Stress in the Dezful Embayment, Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt. Geosciences. 2021; 11 (6):254.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Yaghoubi; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice Dusseault; Yuri Leonenko. 2021. "Seismicity and the State of Stress in the Dezful Embayment, Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt." Geosciences 11, no. 6: 254.

Journal article
Published: 26 March 2021 in Geothermics
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Heat extraction from an enhanced geothermal system (EGS) is a complex coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical process. The viability of an EGS is compromised by short-circuiting, a phenomenon resulting from positive thermo-hydro-mechanical feedback loops within the reservoir. In this article, the mechanisms by which short-circuiting occurs in EGSs are studied and described. EGS well doublets are modelled using a fully-coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical finite element model. Flow through the reservoir is restricted to discrete fracture planes, which are hydraulically linked via the injection and production wells. The general behaviour of the system is modelled, starting from the initially distributed flow through the fractures, through to the dominance of flow along a single flow pathway. Both single and multi-fracture EGSs are studied. Short-circuiting is demonstrated to be a multiscale phenomenon, as both in-plane and inter-plane short-circuiting mechanisms are observed. In-plane short-circuiting manifests through flow channeling and, in the studied systems, is the dominant mechanism that controls the production temperature of the system. The behaviour of flow channeling is characterized with four production regimes. It is demonstrated that the effects of flow channeling are more severe in multi-fracture EGSs. Two new inter-plane short-circuiting mechanisms are observed for the first time: plane channeling, and bifurcation of the short-circuiting pathway. The inter-plane mechanisms are demonstrated to have large impacts on the distribution of flow through the reservoir, but are observed to have little effect on the production temperature.

ACS Style

Bruce Gee; Robert Gracie; Maurice B. Dusseault. Multiscale short-circuiting mechanisms in multiple fracture enhanced geothermal systems. Geothermics 2021, 94, 102094 .

AMA Style

Bruce Gee, Robert Gracie, Maurice B. Dusseault. Multiscale short-circuiting mechanisms in multiple fracture enhanced geothermal systems. Geothermics. 2021; 94 ():102094.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bruce Gee; Robert Gracie; Maurice B. Dusseault. 2021. "Multiscale short-circuiting mechanisms in multiple fracture enhanced geothermal systems." Geothermics 94, no. : 102094.

Journal article
Published: 13 January 2021 in Applied Sciences
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Renewable and sustainable energy sources can play an important role in meeting the world’s energy needs and also in addressing environmental challenges such as global warming and climate change. Geothermal well-doublet systems can produce both electrical and thermal energy through extracting heat from hot-water aquifers. In this paper, we examine some potential challenges associated with the operation of well-doublet systems, including heat conductivity, chemical, and mechanical issues. In these systems, geomechanics issues such as thermal short-circuiting and induced seismicity arise from temperature and pressure change impacts on the stress state in stiff rocks and fluid flow in fractured rock masses. Coupled chemical processes also can cause fluid channeling or formation and tubular goods plugging (scaling) with precipitates. Mechanical and chemical disequilibrium conditions lead to increased production uncertainties; hence risk, and therefore coupled geo-risk assessments and optimization analyses are needed for comparative commercialization evaluations among different sites. The challenges related to heat transfer processes are also examined. These studies can help better understand the issues that may arise during the operation of geothermal well-doublet systems and improve their effectiveness, subsequently reducing associated costs and risks.

ACS Style

Seyed Bijan Mahbaz; Ali Yaghoubi; Alireza Dehghani-Sanij; Erfan Sarvaramini; Yuri Leonenko; Maurice B. Dusseault. Well-Doublets: A First-Order Assessment of Geothermal SedHeat Systems. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 697 .

AMA Style

Seyed Bijan Mahbaz, Ali Yaghoubi, Alireza Dehghani-Sanij, Erfan Sarvaramini, Yuri Leonenko, Maurice B. Dusseault. Well-Doublets: A First-Order Assessment of Geothermal SedHeat Systems. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (2):697.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Seyed Bijan Mahbaz; Ali Yaghoubi; Alireza Dehghani-Sanij; Erfan Sarvaramini; Yuri Leonenko; Maurice B. Dusseault. 2021. "Well-Doublets: A First-Order Assessment of Geothermal SedHeat Systems." Applied Sciences 11, no. 2: 697.

Journal article
Published: 26 July 2020 in Construction and Building Materials
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Steel reinforcement corrosion, the most significant cause for Reinforced Concrete (RC) structural failure, should be monitored to reduce human and financial risk. A novel passive-magnetic based Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) method has been developed to assist in quantifying steel reinforcement condition. In this study, the magnetic properties of six rebars with different mass loss percentages are experimentally recorded. Then, to ensure the method’s viability, reliability and utility, the magnetic data sets are subjected to different methods of statistical analysis, including T-testing, F-testing, and the calculation of Pearson’s correlation. As an example, statistical analysis results show that five scans are needed over the same path of every rebar to ensure a significance level of less than 5% and a power of greater than 90%. The recorded data sets are then interpreted using data-processing approaches based on three features: the power of the magnetic flux density's derivative; the dominant frequency analysis; and the standard deviation of the data. Among these three data-processing approaches, the method based on the standard deviation of the data is demonstrated to be the most reliable. As a result, good correspondence is observed between these magnetic data sets’ features and the rebars’ general corrosion state. For instance, a regression model with an R-squared value of 0.5 demonstrates that the average of standard deviations calculated for a magnetic data set decreases when corrosion increases.

ACS Style

Milad Mosharafi; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice B. Dusseault. Statistical methods to assess the reliability of magnetic data recorded over steel corrosion sites. Construction and Building Materials 2020, 264, 120260 .

AMA Style

Milad Mosharafi, SeyedBijan Mahbaz, Maurice B. Dusseault. Statistical methods to assess the reliability of magnetic data recorded over steel corrosion sites. Construction and Building Materials. 2020; 264 ():120260.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Milad Mosharafi; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice B. Dusseault. 2020. "Statistical methods to assess the reliability of magnetic data recorded over steel corrosion sites." Construction and Building Materials 264, no. : 120260.

Journal article
Published: 24 October 2019 in Energies
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The cold, remote, northern regions of Canada constitute a challenging environment for the provision of reliable energy and food supply to communities. A transition from fossil fuels to renewables-based sources of energy is one positive step in reducing the greenhouse gases from the energy supply system, which currently requires long-distance transport of diesel for electricity and heating needs. Geothermal energy can not only displace diesel for part of this energy need, it can provide a base-load source of local energy to support food production and mitigate adverse impacts of food insecurity on communities. In this proof-of-concept study, we highlight some potential benefits of using geothermal energy to serve Canada’s northern communities. Specifically, we focus on food security and evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of producing vegetables in a “controlled environment”, using ground sources of heat for energy requirements at three remote locations—Resolute Bay, Nunavut, as well as Moosonee and Pagwa in Ontario. The system is designed for geothermal district heating combined with efficient use of nutrients, water, and heat to yield a diverse crop of vegetables at an average cost up to 50% lower than the current cost of these vegetables delivered to Resolute Bay. The estimates of thermal energy requirements vary by location (e.g., they are in the range of 41 to 44 kW of thermal energy for a single greenhouse in Resolute Bay). To attain adequate system size to support the operation of such greenhouses, it is expected that up to 15% of the annually recommended servings of vegetables can be provided. Our comparative analysis of geothermal system capital costs shows significantly lower capital costs in Southern Ontario compared to Northern Canada—lower by one-third. Notwithstanding high capital costs, our study demonstrates the technical and economic feasibility of producing vegetables cost-effectively in the cold northern climate. This suggests that geothermal energy systems can supply the heat needed for greenhouse applications in remote northern regions, supplying a reliable and robust source of cost-competitive sustainable energy over the long-term and providing a basis for improved food security and economic empowerment of communities.

ACS Style

Carson Kinney; Alireza Dehghani-Sanij; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice B. Dusseault; Jatin S. Nathwani; Roydon A. Fraser; Dehghani- Sanij. Geothermal Energy for Sustainable Food Production in Canada’s Remote Northern Communities. Energies 2019, 12, 4058 .

AMA Style

Carson Kinney, Alireza Dehghani-Sanij, SeyedBijan Mahbaz, Maurice B. Dusseault, Jatin S. Nathwani, Roydon A. Fraser, Dehghani- Sanij. Geothermal Energy for Sustainable Food Production in Canada’s Remote Northern Communities. Energies. 2019; 12 (21):4058.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carson Kinney; Alireza Dehghani-Sanij; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice B. Dusseault; Jatin S. Nathwani; Roydon A. Fraser; Dehghani- Sanij. 2019. "Geothermal Energy for Sustainable Food Production in Canada’s Remote Northern Communities." Energies 12, no. 21: 4058.

Journal article
Published: 02 October 2018 in International Journal of Solids and Structures
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Hydraulic fracturing in naturally fractured rocks often leads to the creation of a stimulated zone in which the target rock formation is deformed and fractured by the reactivation and shear dilation of natural fractures and the plastic deformation, damaging, and fracturing of the bulk. In this paper, we present a novel mathematical model with the goal of simulating the evolution of the stimulated volume during hydraulic fracturing. This was achieved by introducing an equivalent continuum non-local poro-elastic-plastic zone of enhanced permeability for the stimulated region, characterized by an internal length scale. The non-local plastic constitutive behavior of the rock, combined with the classical Biot’s poroelastic theory, was implemented using a new implicit C0 non-local finite element method. A predictor-corrector return algorithm for the non-local plasticity model was formulated as an extension of the classical plasticity algorithm. To improve the performance of the iterative solution scheme, a consistent algorithmic stiffness tangent modulus was developed. First, the elastic-plastic constitutive behavior of the proposed methodology is verified using the standard non-porous biaxial compression test with strain softening behavior. Next, it is verified that the poro-elastic-plastic model correctly simulates the evolution of the stimulated zone and the subsequent change in the flow and fluid pressure for several hydraulic fracturing examples under various far-field in-situ stress conditions. Lastly, the non-local poro-elastic-plastic model is shown to be mesh-independent and capable of capturing a wide range of complex fracturing behavior.

ACS Style

Erfan Sarvaramini; Maurice B. Dusseault; Mohammad Komijani; Robert Gracie. A non-local plasticity model of stimulated volume evolution during hydraulic fracturing. International Journal of Solids and Structures 2018, 159, 111 -125.

AMA Style

Erfan Sarvaramini, Maurice B. Dusseault, Mohammad Komijani, Robert Gracie. A non-local plasticity model of stimulated volume evolution during hydraulic fracturing. International Journal of Solids and Structures. 2018; 159 ():111-125.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Erfan Sarvaramini; Maurice B. Dusseault; Mohammad Komijani; Robert Gracie. 2018. "A non-local plasticity model of stimulated volume evolution during hydraulic fracturing." International Journal of Solids and Structures 159, no. : 111-125.

Journal article
Published: 23 August 2018 in The Extractive Industries and Society
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Unconventional natural gas resources recovered using hydraulic fracturing (HF) is contributing to national energy self-sufficiency and could be a significant factor in the global transition to a low carbon economy. Using an integrated risk management framework, we conduct a comparative analysis of practices and review recommendations of a regulatory, economic, advisory, community-based, or technological nature for British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. Lessons learned from international assessments of risk issues are also considered. Overall, there is much less emphasis on potential impacts on human health than on the environment. The analysis also identifies a need for a strong and adequately resourced regulatory framework that works in concert with enhanced technological requirements; evidence-based emissions standards; regulated and/or community-based setbacks and buffer zones; operational surveillance, reporting, and disclosure of value-chain activities in an accessible and transparent way; community participation in the development of these mechanisms; and provision for legacy sites. Economic options such as performance-based taxes and fees, industry-funded studies, the role of carbon taxes, and cost allocations to protect or improve determinants of health are the least advanced option. This analysis provides support for the development of a risk management policy agenda with respect to broad and persistent HF risk management issues.

ACS Style

Patricia Larkin; Robert Gracie; Maurice Dusseault; Daniel Krewski. Ensuring health and environmental protection in hydraulic fracturing: A focus on British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. The Extractive Industries and Society 2018, 5, 581 -595.

AMA Style

Patricia Larkin, Robert Gracie, Maurice Dusseault, Daniel Krewski. Ensuring health and environmental protection in hydraulic fracturing: A focus on British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. The Extractive Industries and Society. 2018; 5 (4):581-595.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Patricia Larkin; Robert Gracie; Maurice Dusseault; Daniel Krewski. 2018. "Ensuring health and environmental protection in hydraulic fracturing: A focus on British Columbia and Alberta, Canada." The Extractive Industries and Society 5, no. 4: 581-595.

Journal article
Published: 14 July 2018 in Applied Sciences
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Reinforced concrete is the most commonly used material in urban, road, and industrial structures. Quantifying the condition of the reinforcing steel can help manage the human and financial risks that arise from unexpected reinforced concrete structure functional failure. Also, a quantitative time history of reinforcing steel condition can be used to make decisions on rehabilitation, decommissioning, or replacement. The self-magnetic behavior of ferromagnetic materials is useful for quantitative condition assessment. In this study, a ferromagnetic rebar with artificial defects was scanned by a three-dimensional (3D) laser scanner. The obtained point cloud was imported as a real geometry to a finite element software platform; its self-magnetic behavior was then simulated under the influence of Earth’s magnetic field. The various passive magnetic parameters that can be measured were reviewed for different conditions. Statistical studies showed that 0.76% of the simulation-obtained data of the rebar surface was related to the defect locations. Additionally, acceptable coincidences were confirmed between the magnetic properties from numerical simulation and from experimental outputs, most noticeably at hole locations.

ACS Style

Milad Mosharafi; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice B. Dusseault. Simulation of Real Defect Geometry and Its Detection Using Passive Magnetic Inspection (PMI) Method. Applied Sciences 2018, 8, 1147 .

AMA Style

Milad Mosharafi, SeyedBijan Mahbaz, Maurice B. Dusseault. Simulation of Real Defect Geometry and Its Detection Using Passive Magnetic Inspection (PMI) Method. Applied Sciences. 2018; 8 (7):1147.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Milad Mosharafi; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice B. Dusseault. 2018. "Simulation of Real Defect Geometry and Its Detection Using Passive Magnetic Inspection (PMI) Method." Applied Sciences 8, no. 7: 1147.

Journal article
Published: 03 July 2018 in Journal of Applied Mechanics
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Microseismic imaging of the hydraulic fracturing operation in the naturally fractured rocks confirms the existence of a stimulated volume (SV) of enhanced permeability. The simulation and characterization of the SV evolution is uniquely challenging given the uncertainty in the nature of the rock mass fabrics as well as the complex fracturing behavior of shear and tensile nature, irreversible plastic deformation and damage. In this paper, the simulation of the SV evolution is achieved using a nonlocal poromechanical plasticity model. Effects of the natural fracture network are incorporated via a nonlocal plasticity characteristic length, ℓ. A nonlocal Drucker–Prager failure model is implemented in the framework of Biot's theory using a new implicit C0 finite element method. First, the behavior of the SV for a two-dimensional (2D) geomechanical injection problem is simulated and the resulting SV is assessed. It is shown that breakdown pressure and stable fracturing pressure are the natural outcomes of the model and both depend upon ℓ. Next, the post-shut-in behavior of the SV is analyzed using the pressure and pressure derivative plots. A bilinear flow regime is observed and it is used to estimate the flow capacity of the SV. The results show that the flow capacity of the SV increases as ℓ decreases (i.e., as the SV behaves more like a single hydraulic fracture); however, for 0.1m≤ℓ≤1m, the calculated flow capacity indicates that the conductivity of the SV is finite. Finally, it is observed that as ℓ tends to zero, the flow capacity of the SV tends to infinity and the SV behaves like a single infinitely conducting fracture.

ACS Style

Erfan Sarvaramini; Maurice B. Dusseault; Robert Gracie. Characterizing the Stimulated Reservoir Volume During Hydraulic Fracturing-Connecting the Pressure Fall-Off Phase to the Geomechanics of Fracturing. Journal of Applied Mechanics 2018, 85, 101006 .

AMA Style

Erfan Sarvaramini, Maurice B. Dusseault, Robert Gracie. Characterizing the Stimulated Reservoir Volume During Hydraulic Fracturing-Connecting the Pressure Fall-Off Phase to the Geomechanics of Fracturing. Journal of Applied Mechanics. 2018; 85 (10):101006.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Erfan Sarvaramini; Maurice B. Dusseault; Robert Gracie. 2018. "Characterizing the Stimulated Reservoir Volume During Hydraulic Fracturing-Connecting the Pressure Fall-Off Phase to the Geomechanics of Fracturing." Journal of Applied Mechanics 85, no. 10: 101006.

Journal article
Published: 30 April 2018 in Energies
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Passive cooling systems, such as wind towers, can help to reduce energy consumption in buildings and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Wind towers can naturally ventilate buildings and also can create enhanced thermal comfort for occupants during the warm months. This study proposes a modern wind tower design with a moistened pad. The new design includes a fixed column, a rotating and movable head, an air opening with a screen, and two windows at the end of the column. The wind tower can be installed on roof-tops to take advantage of ambient airflow. The wind tower’s head can be controlled manually or automatically to capture optimum wind velocity based on desired thermal condition. To maximize its performance, a small pump was considered to circulate and spray water on an evaporative cooling pad. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of airflow around and inside the proposed wind tower is conducted to analyze the ventilation performance of this new design of wind tower. Thereby, the velocity, total pressure, and pressure coefficient distributions around and within the wind tower for different wind velocities are examined. The simulation results illustrate that the new wind tower design with a moistened pad can be a reasonable solution to improve naturally the thermal comfort of buildings in hot and dry climates.

ACS Style

Madjid Soltani; Alireza Dehghani-Sanij; Ahmad Sayadnia; Farshad M. Kashkooli; Kobra Gharali; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice B. Dusseault. Investigation of Airflow Patterns in a New Design of Wind Tower with a Wetted Surface. Energies 2018, 11, 1100 .

AMA Style

Madjid Soltani, Alireza Dehghani-Sanij, Ahmad Sayadnia, Farshad M. Kashkooli, Kobra Gharali, SeyedBijan Mahbaz, Maurice B. Dusseault. Investigation of Airflow Patterns in a New Design of Wind Tower with a Wetted Surface. Energies. 2018; 11 (5):1100.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Madjid Soltani; Alireza Dehghani-Sanij; Ahmad Sayadnia; Farshad M. Kashkooli; Kobra Gharali; SeyedBijan Mahbaz; Maurice B. Dusseault. 2018. "Investigation of Airflow Patterns in a New Design of Wind Tower with a Wetted Surface." Energies 11, no. 5: 1100.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2018 in Energies
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In this paper, we characterized the natural fracture systems and inferred the state of in situ stress field through an integrated study in a very complex and heterogeneous fractured carbonate reservoir. Relative magnitudes and orientations of the in-situ principal stresses in a naturally fractured carbonate heavy oil field were estimated with a combination of available data (World Stress Map, geological and geotectonic evidence, outcrop studies) and techniques (core analysis, borehole image logs and Side View Seismic Location). The estimates made here using various tools and data including routine core analysis and image logs are confirmatory to estimates made by the World Stress Map and geotectonic facts. NE-SW and NW-SE found to be the dominant orientations for maximum and minimum horizontal stresses in the study area. In addition, three dominant orientations were identified for vertical and sub-vertical fractures atop the crestal region of the anticlinal structure. Image logs found useful in recognition and delineation of natural fractures. The results implemented in a real field development and proved practical in optimal well placement, drilling and production practices. Such integrated studies can be instrumental in any E&P projects and related projects such as geological CO2 sequestration site characterization.

ACS Style

Ali Shafiei; Maurice B. Dusseault; Ehsan Kosari; Morteza N. Taleghani. Natural Fractures Characterization and In Situ Stresses Inference in a Carbonate Reservoir—An Integrated Approach. Energies 2018, 11, 312 .

AMA Style

Ali Shafiei, Maurice B. Dusseault, Ehsan Kosari, Morteza N. Taleghani. Natural Fractures Characterization and In Situ Stresses Inference in a Carbonate Reservoir—An Integrated Approach. Energies. 2018; 11 (2):312.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Shafiei; Maurice B. Dusseault; Ehsan Kosari; Morteza N. Taleghani. 2018. "Natural Fractures Characterization and In Situ Stresses Inference in a Carbonate Reservoir—An Integrated Approach." Energies 11, no. 2: 312.

Journal article
Published: 26 January 2018 in Energies
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Thermal oil recovery techniques, including steam processes, account for more than 80% of the current global heavy oil, extra heavy oil, and bitumen production. Evaluation of Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs (NFCRs) for thermal heavy oil recovery using field pilot tests and exhaustive numerical and analytical modeling is expensive, complex, and personnel-intensive. Robust statistical models have not yet been proposed to predict cumulative steam to oil ratio (CSOR) and recovery factor (RF) during steamflooding in NFCRs as strong process performance indicators. In this paper, new statistical based techniques were developed using multivariable regression analysis for quick estimation of CSOR and RF in NFCRs subjected to steamflooding. The proposed data based models include vital parameters such as in situ fluid and reservoir properties. The data used are taken from experimental studies and rare field trials of vertical well steamflooding pilots in heavy oil NFCRs reported in the literature. The models show an average error of <6% for the worst cases and contain fewer empirical constants compared with existing correlations developed originally for oil sands. The interactions between the parameters were considered indicating that the initial oil saturation and oil viscosity are the most important predictive factors. The proposed models were successfully predicted CSOR and RF for two heavy oil NFCRs. Results of this study can be used for feasibility assessment of steamflooding in NFCRs

ACS Style

Ali Shafiei; Mohammad Ali Ahmadi; Maurice B. Dusseault; Ali Elkamel; Sohrab Zendehboudi; Ioannis Chatzis. Data Analytics Techniques for Performance Prediction of Steamflooding in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs. Energies 2018, 11, 292 .

AMA Style

Ali Shafiei, Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, Maurice B. Dusseault, Ali Elkamel, Sohrab Zendehboudi, Ioannis Chatzis. Data Analytics Techniques for Performance Prediction of Steamflooding in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs. Energies. 2018; 11 (2):292.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Shafiei; Mohammad Ali Ahmadi; Maurice B. Dusseault; Ali Elkamel; Sohrab Zendehboudi; Ioannis Chatzis. 2018. "Data Analytics Techniques for Performance Prediction of Steamflooding in Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoirs." Energies 11, no. 2: 292.

Journal article
Published: 14 September 2017 in Applied Sciences
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Knowledge about the permeability of surrounding rock (salt rock and mudstone interlayer) is an important topic, which acts as a key parameter to characterize the tightness of gas storage. The goal of experiments that test the permeability of gas storage facilities in rock salt is to develop a synthetic analogue to use as a permeability model. To address the permeability of a mudstone/salt layered and mixed rock mass in Jintan, Jiangsu Province, synthetic mixed and layered specimens using the mudstone and the salt were fabricated for permeability testing. Because of the gas “slippage effect”, test results are corrected by the Klinkenberg method, and the permeability of specimens is obtained by regression fitting. The results show that the permeability of synthetic pure rock salt is 6.9 × 10−20 m2, and its porosity is 3.8%. The permeability of synthetic mudstone rock is 2.97 × 10−18 m2, with a porosity 17.8%. These results are close to those obtained from intact natural specimens. We also find that with the same mudstone content, the permeability of mixed specimens is about 40% higher than for the layered specimens, and with an increase in the mudstone content, the Klinkenberg permeability increases for both types of specimens. The permeability and mudstone content have a strong exponential relationship. When the mudstone content is below 40%, the permeability increases only slightly with mudstone content, whereas above this threshold, the permeability increases rapidly with mudstone content. The results of the study are of use in the assessment of the tightness of natural gas storage facilities in mudstone-rich rock salt formations in China.

ACS Style

Hongwu Yin; Hongling Ma; Xiangsheng Chen; Xilin Shi; Chunhe Yang; Maurice B. Dusseault; Yuhao Zhang. Synthetic Rock Analogue for Permeability Studies of Rock Salt with Mudstone. Applied Sciences 2017, 7, 946 .

AMA Style

Hongwu Yin, Hongling Ma, Xiangsheng Chen, Xilin Shi, Chunhe Yang, Maurice B. Dusseault, Yuhao Zhang. Synthetic Rock Analogue for Permeability Studies of Rock Salt with Mudstone. Applied Sciences. 2017; 7 (9):946.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hongwu Yin; Hongling Ma; Xiangsheng Chen; Xilin Shi; Chunhe Yang; Maurice B. Dusseault; Yuhao Zhang. 2017. "Synthetic Rock Analogue for Permeability Studies of Rock Salt with Mudstone." Applied Sciences 7, no. 9: 946.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2016 in Petroleum
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In the current research, a new approach constructed based on artificial intelligence concept is introduced to determine water/oil relative permeability at various conditions. To attain an effective tool, various artificial intelligence approaches such as artificial neural network (ANN), hybrid of genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization (HGAPSO) are examined. Intrinsic potential of feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) optimized by different optimization algorithms are composed to estimate water/oil relative permeability. The optimization methods such as genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization and hybrid approach of them are implemented to obtain optimal connection weights involved in the developed smart technique. The constructed intelligent models are evaluated by utilizing extensive experimental data reported in open literature. Results obtained from the proposed intelligent tools were compared with the corresponding experimental relative permeability data. The average absolute deviation between the model predictions and the relevant experimental data was found to be less than 0.1% for hybrid genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization technique. It is expected that implication of HGAPSO-ANN in relative permeability of water/oil estimation leads to more reliable water/oil relative permeability predictions, resulting in design of more comprehensive simulation and further plans for reservoir production and management

ACS Style

Mohammad Ali Ahmadi; Sohrab Zendehboudi; Maurice B. Dusseault; Ioannis Chatzis. Evolving simple-to-use method to determine water–oil relative permeability in petroleum reservoirs. Petroleum 2016, 2, 67 -78.

AMA Style

Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, Sohrab Zendehboudi, Maurice B. Dusseault, Ioannis Chatzis. Evolving simple-to-use method to determine water–oil relative permeability in petroleum reservoirs. Petroleum. 2016; 2 (1):67-78.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohammad Ali Ahmadi; Sohrab Zendehboudi; Maurice B. Dusseault; Ioannis Chatzis. 2016. "Evolving simple-to-use method to determine water–oil relative permeability in petroleum reservoirs." Petroleum 2, no. 1: 67-78.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2014 in Environmental Geosciences
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ACS Style

Maurice Dusseault; Richard Jackson. Seepage pathway assessment for natural gas to shallow groundwater during well stimulation, in production, and after abandonment. Environmental Geosciences 2014, 21, 107 -126.

AMA Style

Maurice Dusseault, Richard Jackson. Seepage pathway assessment for natural gas to shallow groundwater during well stimulation, in production, and after abandonment. Environmental Geosciences. 2014; 21 (3):107-126.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maurice Dusseault; Richard Jackson. 2014. "Seepage pathway assessment for natural gas to shallow groundwater during well stimulation, in production, and after abandonment." Environmental Geosciences 21, no. 3: 107-126.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2014 in International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
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ACS Style

Mirhamed Sarkarfarshi; Farshad A. Malekzadeh; Robert Gracie; Maurice B. Dusseault. Parametric sensitivity analysis for CO2 geosequestration. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 2014, 23, 61 -71.

AMA Style

Mirhamed Sarkarfarshi, Farshad A. Malekzadeh, Robert Gracie, Maurice B. Dusseault. Parametric sensitivity analysis for CO2 geosequestration. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 2014; 23 ():61-71.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mirhamed Sarkarfarshi; Farshad A. Malekzadeh; Robert Gracie; Maurice B. Dusseault. 2014. "Parametric sensitivity analysis for CO2 geosequestration." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 23, no. : 61-71.

Journal article
Published: 04 July 2013 in Computational Geosciences
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Primary drainage in a water-wet saturated medium in the absence of capillarity is typically a combination of shock (discontinuous) and rarefaction (continuous) waves. Using nonlinear relative permeability functions for the host fluid and the invading fluid leads to the existence of a shock wave front, and the degree of nonlinearity of the relative permeability functions has an inverse relationship with the size of the shock wave (i.e., difference of saturation between upstream and downstream of the shock wave), whereas for linear relative permeability functions, the shock wave size approaches 0. Injection of a lower-viscosity immiscible phase such as gas or solvent into a water-wet porous medium in the presence of large capillary pressure leads to development of an extended and growing saturation transition zone that follows the discontinuous shock wave front. In this article, a semianalytical solution for the position of equisaturation contours (isosats) in the transition zone in the presence of gravity is obtained for a set of linearized relative permeability functions. The capillary (diffusive) and buoyancy terms are neglected, and the generalized convective equation for mass conservation is obtained. The set of equations is then reduced to a one-dimensional steady-state differential equation through forcing the isosat formulation to obey mass conservation. This scheme allows the isosat distribution to be solved, and the case of injection into an axisymmetric geometry for a confined planar configuration is solved and presented. A finite element model was developed to demonstrate the reasonable agreement between analytical and numerical solutions.

ACS Style

Farshad A. Malekzadeh; Maurice B. Dusseault. A solution for the transition zone isosats in two-phase primary drainage in the presence of gravity. Computational Geosciences 2013, 17, 757 -771.

AMA Style

Farshad A. Malekzadeh, Maurice B. Dusseault. A solution for the transition zone isosats in two-phase primary drainage in the presence of gravity. Computational Geosciences. 2013; 17 (5):757-771.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Farshad A. Malekzadeh; Maurice B. Dusseault. 2013. "A solution for the transition zone isosats in two-phase primary drainage in the presence of gravity." Computational Geosciences 17, no. 5: 757-771.

Book chapter
Published: 01 January 2013 in Heavy-oil and Oil-sand Petroleum Systems in Alberta and Beyond
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On a worldwide basis, approximately 70 to 80% of the 9 to 10 trillion bbl original oil in place of viscous oil reserves (in-situ u > 100 cp) occur in unconsolidated sandstones, with high porosity and permeability. The remaining viscous oil reservoirs are hosted within fractured carbonates. Both types of viscous oil reservoirs are characterized by highly variable in-situ reservoir conditions. Different technologies are best for different lithostratigraphic and geometric conditions. New and emerging production and drilling technologies (i.e., horizontal wells, multilaterals, logging while drilling, and others), along with production-technology sequencing, allow tailoring of the drilling and production schemes to each specific reservoir considering the inherent geologic variability of these unconventional reservoirs. Geotailoring for viscous oil production generates a need for geoscience and engineering screening criteria. Oil sands, including the Athabasca Oil Sands in northern Alberta, are the second largest hydrocarbon resource on earth. In the last decade, engineering technology has evolved that can now economically produce the bitumen resource in the oil sands. This volume showcases the geology of oil sands from around the world. It highlights the Athabasca Oil sands of northern Alberta and the geochemistry of the associated bitumen resource, but points directionally toward the development of other oil-sand deposits in the world. A novel feature is the ‘case study’ approach. Although much of the perspective is sedimentological and/or stratigraphic, the substance of the book should fine wide appeal to Earth scientists working in all geoscience domains.

ACS Style

Maurice B. Dusseault. Screening Criteria and Technology Sequencing for In-situ Viscous Oil Production. Heavy-oil and Oil-sand Petroleum Systems in Alberta and Beyond 2013, 1 .

AMA Style

Maurice B. Dusseault. Screening Criteria and Technology Sequencing for In-situ Viscous Oil Production. Heavy-oil and Oil-sand Petroleum Systems in Alberta and Beyond. 2013; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maurice B. Dusseault. 2013. "Screening Criteria and Technology Sequencing for In-situ Viscous Oil Production." Heavy-oil and Oil-sand Petroleum Systems in Alberta and Beyond , no. : 1.

Book chapter
Published: 06 September 2012 in Global Energy Assessment (GEA)
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ACS Style

Hans-Holger Rogner; Roberto F. Aguilera; Cristina L. Archer; Ruggero Bertani; S.C. Bhattacharya; Maurice B. Dusseault; Luc Gagnon; Helmut Haberl; Monique Hoogwijk; Arthur Johnson; Mathis L. Rogner; Horst Wagner; Vladimir Yakushev; Doug J. Arent; Ian Bryden; Fridolin Krausmann; Peter Odell; Christoph Schillings; Ali Shafiei; Ji Zou. Energy Resources and Potentials. Global Energy Assessment (GEA) 2012, 425 -512.

AMA Style

Hans-Holger Rogner, Roberto F. Aguilera, Cristina L. Archer, Ruggero Bertani, S.C. Bhattacharya, Maurice B. Dusseault, Luc Gagnon, Helmut Haberl, Monique Hoogwijk, Arthur Johnson, Mathis L. Rogner, Horst Wagner, Vladimir Yakushev, Doug J. Arent, Ian Bryden, Fridolin Krausmann, Peter Odell, Christoph Schillings, Ali Shafiei, Ji Zou. Energy Resources and Potentials. Global Energy Assessment (GEA). 2012; ():425-512.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hans-Holger Rogner; Roberto F. Aguilera; Cristina L. Archer; Ruggero Bertani; S.C. Bhattacharya; Maurice B. Dusseault; Luc Gagnon; Helmut Haberl; Monique Hoogwijk; Arthur Johnson; Mathis L. Rogner; Horst Wagner; Vladimir Yakushev; Doug J. Arent; Ian Bryden; Fridolin Krausmann; Peter Odell; Christoph Schillings; Ali Shafiei; Ji Zou. 2012. "Energy Resources and Potentials." Global Energy Assessment (GEA) , no. : 425-512.

Journal article
Published: 31 December 2011 in Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering
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Geological CO2 sequestration has been proposed to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Massive CO2 injection into subsurface formation involves interactions among pressure and temperature change, chemical reactions, solute transport, and the mechanical response of the rock; this is a coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical–chemical (THMC) process. Numerical modeling of CO2 injection around the wellbore area can provide information such as changes in rock properties as well as stress and pressure changes, and this helps better predict injectivity evolution and leakage risk. In this paper, a fully coupled THMC model based on finite element methods is presented to analyze the transient stress, pressure, temperature and chemical solute concentration changes simultaneously around an injection well. To overcome these numerical oscillations in solving the transient advection–diffusion equations involved in the heat transfer and solute transport processes, we employ a stabilized finite element approach, the subgrid scale/gradient subgrid scale method (SGS/GSGS). A hypothetical numerical experiment on CO2 saturated water injection into a carbonate aquifer is conducted and preliminary results show that the fully coupled model can successfully analyze stress and pressure changes in the rock around a wellbore subjected to thermal and chemical effects.

ACS Style

Shunde Yin; Maurice B. Dusseault; Leo Rothenburg. Coupled THMC modeling of CO2 injection by finite element methods. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 2011, 80, 53 -60.

AMA Style

Shunde Yin, Maurice B. Dusseault, Leo Rothenburg. Coupled THMC modeling of CO2 injection by finite element methods. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 2011; 80 (1):53-60.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shunde Yin; Maurice B. Dusseault; Leo Rothenburg. 2011. "Coupled THMC modeling of CO2 injection by finite element methods." Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 80, no. 1: 53-60.