This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Geothermal energy is a reliable and mature energy source, but it represents less than 1% of the total renewable energy mix. While the enhanced geothermal system (EGS) concept faces technical validation challenges and suffers from public acceptance issues, the development of unconventional deep-well designs can help to improve their efficiency and reliability. Modelling single-EGS-well designs is key to assessing their long-term thermal performances, particularly in unconventional geological settings. Numerical results obtained with the T2WELL/EOS1 code have been validated with available experimental data from a deep borehole heat exchanger (DBHE), where a temperature of 358
Theo Renaud; Lehua Pan; Hannah Doran; Gioia Falcone; Patrick Verdin. Numerical Analysis of Enhanced Conductive Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6918 .
AMA StyleTheo Renaud, Lehua Pan, Hannah Doran, Gioia Falcone, Patrick Verdin. Numerical Analysis of Enhanced Conductive Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (12):6918.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTheo Renaud; Lehua Pan; Hannah Doran; Gioia Falcone; Patrick Verdin. 2021. "Numerical Analysis of Enhanced Conductive Deep Borehole Heat Exchangers." Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6918.
This paper presents the results of an intercomparison of multiphase flow laboratories. Conducted as part of EMPIR project 16ENG07 – MultiFlowMet II, the primary focus of the investigation was to determine the influence of laboratory-specific factors on the reproducibility of measurements made by multiphase flow metres (MPFMs). To minimise these effects as much as possible, a portable transfer package was designed, including the MPFM, a transparent viewing section, and a straight pipe section with a length of 100 internal pipe diameters. A reproducibility parameter, ζ, was developed to quantify both the reproducibility of the transfer package. Across the three laboratories, metrological compatibility was achieved for the majority of test points. By presenting the ζ values as functions of the gas volume fraction (GVF) and water liquid ratio (WLR), it was possible to identify flow regimes that may be more susceptible to reductions in reproducibility.
A.J. Elliott; G. Falcone; D. van Putten; T. Leonard; K. Haukalid; B. Pinguet. Investigating reproducibility in multiphase flow metrology: Results from an intercomparison of laboratories. Flow Measurement and Instrumentation 2021, 79, 101951 .
AMA StyleA.J. Elliott, G. Falcone, D. van Putten, T. Leonard, K. Haukalid, B. Pinguet. Investigating reproducibility in multiphase flow metrology: Results from an intercomparison of laboratories. Flow Measurement and Instrumentation. 2021; 79 ():101951.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA.J. Elliott; G. Falcone; D. van Putten; T. Leonard; K. Haukalid; B. Pinguet. 2021. "Investigating reproducibility in multiphase flow metrology: Results from an intercomparison of laboratories." Flow Measurement and Instrumentation 79, no. : 101951.
Monaghan, Manning, and Shipton
Sean Watson; Gioia Falcone; Rob Westaway. Reply to Comment by Alison A. Monaghan, David A.C. Manning, and Zoe K. Shipton on ‘Repurposing Hydrocarbon Wells for Geothermal Use in the UK: The Onshore Fields with the Greatest Potential, by Watson et al. (2020)’. Energies 2020, 13, 6382 .
AMA StyleSean Watson, Gioia Falcone, Rob Westaway. Reply to Comment by Alison A. Monaghan, David A.C. Manning, and Zoe K. Shipton on ‘Repurposing Hydrocarbon Wells for Geothermal Use in the UK: The Onshore Fields with the Greatest Potential, by Watson et al. (2020)’. Energies. 2020; 13 (23):6382.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSean Watson; Gioia Falcone; Rob Westaway. 2020. "Reply to Comment by Alison A. Monaghan, David A.C. Manning, and Zoe K. Shipton on ‘Repurposing Hydrocarbon Wells for Geothermal Use in the UK: The Onshore Fields with the Greatest Potential, by Watson et al. (2020)’." Energies 13, no. 23: 6382.
Geothermal is a renewable energy source that can be untapped through various subsurface technologies. Closed geothermal well solutions, such as deep geothermal heat exchangers (DBHEs), consist of circulating a working fluid to recover the available heat, with less dependency on the local geological settings than conventional geothermal systems. This paper emphasizes a double numerical method to strengthen the assessment of DBHE performances. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) commercial software and the 1D coupled wellbore-reservoir geothermal simulator T2Well have been used to investigate the heat transfer and fluid flow in a vertical DBHE in high geothermal gradient environments. The use of constant water properties to investigate the energy produced from DBHEs can lead to underestimating the overall heat transfer at high temperature and low mass flow rate. 2D axisymmetric CFD modelling improves the understanding of the return flow at the bottom of the DBHE, readjusting and better estimating the pressures losses commonly obtained with 1D modelling. This paper highlights the existence of convective cells located at the bottom of the DBHE internal tubing, with no significant effects due to the increase of injected water flow. Both codes are shown to constrain the numerical limitations to access the true potential of geothermal heat extraction from DBHEs in high geothermal gradient environments and demonstrate that they can be used for geothermal energy engineering applications.
Theo Renaud; Patrick G. Verdin; Gioia Falcone. Conjugated Numerical Approach for Modelling DBHE in High Geothermal Gradient Environments. Energies 2020, 13, 6107 .
AMA StyleTheo Renaud, Patrick G. Verdin, Gioia Falcone. Conjugated Numerical Approach for Modelling DBHE in High Geothermal Gradient Environments. Energies. 2020; 13 (22):6107.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTheo Renaud; Patrick G. Verdin; Gioia Falcone. 2020. "Conjugated Numerical Approach for Modelling DBHE in High Geothermal Gradient Environments." Energies 13, no. 22: 6107.
Accurate predictions of flow patterns in liquid-liquid flow are critical to the successful design and operation of industrial and geo-energy systems where two liquids are jointly transported. Unfortunately, there is no unified flow pattern map, because all published maps are based on limited ranges of dimensional parameters. Dimensional analysis was performed on oil-water horizontal flows, to obtain some relevant dimensionless parameter groups (DPG) for constructing flow pattern maps (FPM). The following combinations of DPG were used: (i) the ratio of mixture Reynolds number to Eötvös number versus water fraction, (ii) the ratio of Weber number to Eötvös number versus water fraction, (iii) the mixture Froude number versus water fraction, (iv) the water Froude number versus oil Froude number, (v) the ratio of gravity force to viscous force versus water fraction. From twelve published experimental studies, 2696 data points were gathered and analysed covering a variety of flow patterns including stratified, stratified mixed, dispersed oil in water, dispersed water in oil, annular and slug flows. Based on the performed analysis, it was found that flow patterns could occupy more than one isolated region on the DPG-based flow pattern map. None of the combinations of DPG can mark out all the considered flow patterns, however, some combinations of DPG are particularly suitable for marking out the regions associated with some flow patterns.
Olusegun Samson Osundare; Gioia Falcone; Liyun Lao; Alexander Elliott. Liquid-Liquid Flow Pattern Prediction Using Relevant Dimensionless Parameter Groups. Energies 2020, 13, 4355 .
AMA StyleOlusegun Samson Osundare, Gioia Falcone, Liyun Lao, Alexander Elliott. Liquid-Liquid Flow Pattern Prediction Using Relevant Dimensionless Parameter Groups. Energies. 2020; 13 (17):4355.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOlusegun Samson Osundare; Gioia Falcone; Liyun Lao; Alexander Elliott. 2020. "Liquid-Liquid Flow Pattern Prediction Using Relevant Dimensionless Parameter Groups." Energies 13, no. 17: 4355.
One potential opportunity for the decarbonisation of heat supply in the UK is the repurposing of onshore hydrocarbon wells for the production and/or storage of geothermal heat. This paper reports an investigation into the most favourable candidate sites for such repurposing, taking into consideration the available thermal energy outputs and technological options for heat use. A GIS mapping model was generated, combining public domain data on onshore wells and production data from onshore fields, provided by the UK Oil and Gas Authority, with available subsurface temperature data. This model has thus integrated information on location, depth, operational status, and bottom-hole temperature for onshore hydrocarbon wells with production rates from onshore fields in the UK. Of the 2242 onshore hydrocarbon wells thus reported, 560 have the potential to be repurposed, 292 of which are currently operating. Using aggregated water production data for all operating wells in each field, the fields with the greatest potential for geothermal repurposing are ranked. Two of these, the Wytch Farm and Wareham fields, are selected for more detailed analysis. Wytch Farm, the largest onshore oilfield in western Europe, produces water at ~65 °C that might yield a feasible thermal power output of ~90 MW. If an end use could be found where it might substitute for burning of natural gas, the value of this output would be ~£90,000 per day or ~£30 million per year. However, this field is located in a protected landscape where local development would be restricted by planning regulations. The Wareham field is not in a protected landscape, but the low temperature, ~44 °C, and low flow rate limit the scope of potential end uses. Nonetheless, these and the other highly ranked fields have potential heat outputs that are significant compared with other geothermal heat projects, thus offering the possibility of making useful contributions to the decarbonisation of UK energy use.
Sean Watson; Gioia Falcone; Rob Westaway. Repurposing Hydrocarbon Wells for Geothermal Use in the UK: The Onshore Fields with the Greatest Potential. Energies 2020, 13, 3541 .
AMA StyleSean Watson, Gioia Falcone, Rob Westaway. Repurposing Hydrocarbon Wells for Geothermal Use in the UK: The Onshore Fields with the Greatest Potential. Energies. 2020; 13 (14):3541.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSean Watson; Gioia Falcone; Rob Westaway. 2020. "Repurposing Hydrocarbon Wells for Geothermal Use in the UK: The Onshore Fields with the Greatest Potential." Energies 13, no. 14: 3541.
The increase in global electricity demand, along with its impact on climate change, call for integrating sustainability aspects in the power system expansion planning. Sustainable power generation planning needs to fulfill different, often contradictory, objectives. This paper proposes a multi-objective optimisation model integrating four objective functions, including minimisation of total discounted costs, carbon emissions, land use, and social opposition. Other factors addressed in the model include renewable energy share, jobs created, mortality rates, and energy diversity, among others. Single-objective linear optimisations are initially performed to investigate the impact of each objective function on the resulting power generation mix. Minimising land use and discounted total costs favoured fossil fuels technologies, as opposed to minimising carbon emissions, which resulted in increased renewable energy shares. Minimising social opposition also favoured renewable energy shares, except for hydropower and onshore wind technologies. Accordingly, to investigate the trade-offs among the objective functions, Pareto front candidates for each pair of objective functions were generated, indicating a strong correlation between the minimisation of carbon emissions and the social opposition. Limited trade-offs were also observed between the minimisation of costs and land use. Integrating the objective functions in the multi-objective model resulted in various non-dominated solutions. This tool aims to enable decision-makers identify the trade-offs when optimising the power system under different objectives and determine the most suitable electricity generation mix.
Taimur Al Shidhani; Anastasia Ioannou; Gioia Falcone. Multi-Objective Optimisation for Power System Planning Integrating Sustainability Indicators. Energies 2020, 13, 2199 .
AMA StyleTaimur Al Shidhani, Anastasia Ioannou, Gioia Falcone. Multi-Objective Optimisation for Power System Planning Integrating Sustainability Indicators. Energies. 2020; 13 (9):2199.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTaimur Al Shidhani; Anastasia Ioannou; Gioia Falcone. 2020. "Multi-Objective Optimisation for Power System Planning Integrating Sustainability Indicators." Energies 13, no. 9: 2199.
The objective of this study is to comprehensively evaluate established correlations for two-phase (gas-liquid) flow through Venturi tubes. Two-phase flow metering plays a critical role in the oil and gas industry and several commercial metering solutions incorporate a Venturi. However, despite its significance, there is no widely accepted standard for two-phase flow metering applications. In this paper, sixteen differential pressure correlations are critically assessed from literature and international standards, focusing on the Venturi tube. The discussions are supported by an independent dataset obtained from a two-phase flow test rig with an installed Venturi tube (following ISO 5167-4 2005) to assess correlations' performance within their own respective application range. The wide literature review and the obtained comparison results trended to inform that the homogeneous model performs better in most scenarios.
Xiaolei Liu; Liyun Lao; Gioia Falcone. A comprehensive assessment of correlations for two-phase flow through Venturi tubes. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 2020, 78, 103323 .
AMA StyleXiaolei Liu, Liyun Lao, Gioia Falcone. A comprehensive assessment of correlations for two-phase flow through Venturi tubes. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering. 2020; 78 ():103323.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiaolei Liu; Liyun Lao; Gioia Falcone. 2020. "A comprehensive assessment of correlations for two-phase flow through Venturi tubes." Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 78, no. : 103323.
Jack Pegram; Gioia Falcone; Athanasios Kolios. Job role localisation in the oil and gas industry: A case study of Ghana. The Extractive Industries and Society 2020, 7, 328 -336.
AMA StyleJack Pegram, Gioia Falcone, Athanasios Kolios. Job role localisation in the oil and gas industry: A case study of Ghana. The Extractive Industries and Society. 2020; 7 (2):328-336.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJack Pegram; Gioia Falcone; Athanasios Kolios. 2020. "Job role localisation in the oil and gas industry: A case study of Ghana." The Extractive Industries and Society 7, no. 2: 328-336.
The decarbonisation of the energy sector can be a key contributor in the transition to a low-carbon economy. New low-CO2 energy production technologies are becoming available in the international market, contributing to building diversified portfolios of projects with very different features. Apart from technology-related features, the deployment of an energy production plant also depends on the availability of resources of the country/installation site, socio-economic implications, environmental impact and integration with the existing power grid. Decision makers should take all these factors into consideration when determining which project is more likely to move forward. Several studies have proposed the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to facilitate the decision-making process when selecting viable and sustainable energy projects. However, fewer studies exist that provide a detailed assessment of these KPIs. The scope of this paper is to critically review and investigate a set of multi-disciplinary KPIs, allowing a holistic comparison across different types of energy projects. The identified KPIs were classified as physical, economic, environmental and social. They were subsequently analysed to assess their limitations, determine inter-connections and identify the need for additional indicators to capture risks and opportunities within a mixed energy market. This paper can be the basis for the development of an integrated framework, allowing a fairer assessment of competing energy projects by relevant stakeholders.
Martin Colla; Anastasia Ioannou; Gioia Falcone. Critical review of competitiveness indicators for energy projects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2020, 125, 109794 .
AMA StyleMartin Colla, Anastasia Ioannou, Gioia Falcone. Critical review of competitiveness indicators for energy projects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2020; 125 ():109794.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMartin Colla; Anastasia Ioannou; Gioia Falcone. 2020. "Critical review of competitiveness indicators for energy projects." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 125, no. : 109794.
Theo Renaud; Patrick Verdin; Gioia Falcone. Numerical simulation of a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger in the Krafla geothermal system. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 2019, 143, 1 .
AMA StyleTheo Renaud, Patrick Verdin, Gioia Falcone. Numerical simulation of a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger in the Krafla geothermal system. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. 2019; 143 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTheo Renaud; Patrick Verdin; Gioia Falcone. 2019. "Numerical simulation of a Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger in the Krafla geothermal system." International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 143, no. : 1.
The reporting of potential resources is essential to assess the future development plan and profitability of a petroleum discovery, but if the project is under appraised and production data are absent, analysts often use analogs for preliminary estimates of technically recoverable volumes. To address this, a workflow is presented for selecting appropriate analogs for unconventional plays and using them to estimate the target play's potential. The proposed technique is demonstrated with a case study of the as-yet undeveloped Bowland Shale, which is the most prominent of the shale plays in the United Kingdom (UK) and is at the early stage of its assessment. The paper describes the current shale gas activity in the UK, highlighting the enviromental constraints placed on would-be Bowland Shale developers, which impact on drilling and production operations and stem from the geographic proximity of urban developments, infrastructure and nature, which limit the size of well pad footprint in the UK where land use is high. Studies have estimated the play's in-place resources for possible future development, but there are few estimates of its corresponding recoverable volumes due to lack of production history. At the outset, a database is created with published minimum-average-maximum ranges of key parameters such as total organic carbon, maturity level, gas filled porosity, permeability, etc. that play a major role in resources estimation and recovery potential for all unconventional plays. A comparison of triangular distributions, key parameter by key parameter, between the target shale play and the analog database, is then carried out using novel graphical and statistical methods to establish a "confidence factor" relating to the analog's viability. The most appropriate analog for the Bowland Shale is chosen from an exhaustive list of North American shale gas plays. Analytical approaches are then used to transform a model of the published type well performance of the selected analog by exchanging key model parameters with those of the target shale play. The paper shows how UK operational constraints can be statistically incorporated into the workflow and have a marked effect on the estimated recovery from the Bowland Shale.
Bob Harrison; Tamara Oueidat; Gioia Falcone. Choosing an Unconventional Play Analog for the Bowland Shale and Incorporating Onshore United Kingdom Operational Constraints in Potential Recovery Estimates. SPE Europec featured at 81st EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2019, 1 .
AMA StyleBob Harrison, Tamara Oueidat, Gioia Falcone. Choosing an Unconventional Play Analog for the Bowland Shale and Incorporating Onshore United Kingdom Operational Constraints in Potential Recovery Estimates. SPE Europec featured at 81st EAGE Conference and Exhibition. 2019; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBob Harrison; Tamara Oueidat; Gioia Falcone. 2019. "Choosing an Unconventional Play Analog for the Bowland Shale and Incorporating Onshore United Kingdom Operational Constraints in Potential Recovery Estimates." SPE Europec featured at 81st EAGE Conference and Exhibition , no. : 1.
Currently, flow regime identification for closed channels has mainly consisted of direct subjective methods. This presents a challenge when dealing with opaque test sections of the pipe or at gas-liquid flow rates where unclear regime transitions occur. In this paper, we develop a novel real-time objective flow regime identification tool using conductance data and kernel methods. Our experiments involve a flush-mounted conductance probe that collects voltage signals across a closed channel. The channel geometry is a horizontal annulus, which is commonly found in many industries. Eight distinct flow regimes were observed at selected gas-liquid flow rate settings. An objective flow regime identifier was then trained by learning a mapping between the probability density function (PDF) of the voltage signals and the observed flow regimes via kernel principal components analysis and multiclass support vector machine. The objective identifier was then applied in realtime by processing a moving time-window of voltage signals. Our approach has: 1) achieved more than 90% accuracy against visual observations by an expert for static test data; 2) successfully visualized conductance data in 2-D space using virtual flow regime maps, which are useful for tracking flow regime transitions; and 3) introduced an efficient real-time automatic flow regime identifier, with only conductance data as inputs.
Edem Nsefik Eyo; Karl Ezra Salgado Pilario; Liyun Lao; Gioia Falcone. Development of a Real-Time Objective Gas–Liquid Flow Regime Identifier Using Kernel Methods. IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics 2019, 51, 2688 -2698.
AMA StyleEdem Nsefik Eyo, Karl Ezra Salgado Pilario, Liyun Lao, Gioia Falcone. Development of a Real-Time Objective Gas–Liquid Flow Regime Identifier Using Kernel Methods. IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics. 2019; 51 (5):2688-2698.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEdem Nsefik Eyo; Karl Ezra Salgado Pilario; Liyun Lao; Gioia Falcone. 2019. "Development of a Real-Time Objective Gas–Liquid Flow Regime Identifier Using Kernel Methods." IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics 51, no. 5: 2688-2698.
Job role localization is the replacement of expatriates by competent host country nationals. This study investigates the viability of localizing job roles in the oil and gas industry in two stages. The first stage addresses the global level using a survey about local content issues. The second stage focuses on the national level using interviews to investigate how national factors can affect job role localization in Ghana, one of Africa’s oil and gas producing nations. The findings show that different stakeholders often share opinions about local content issues. At the national level there are many national context specific factors that affect job role localization including legislations, culture, attitudes and experience within the labour market. This study finds that localization is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. Oil and gas companies must adapt their localization strategies to the national context where they are operating.
Jack Pegram; Gioia Falcone; Athanasios Kolios. Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Job Role Localization in the Oil and Gas Industry: Global Experiences and National Differences. Energies 2019, 12, 1154 .
AMA StyleJack Pegram, Gioia Falcone, Athanasios Kolios. Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Job Role Localization in the Oil and Gas Industry: Global Experiences and National Differences. Energies. 2019; 12 (6):1154.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJack Pegram; Gioia Falcone; Athanasios Kolios. 2019. "Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Job Role Localization in the Oil and Gas Industry: Global Experiences and National Differences." Energies 12, no. 6: 1154.
Geothermal energy has been used by mankind since ancient times. Given the limited geographical distribution of the most favorable resources, exploration efforts have more recently focused on unconventional geothermal systems targeting greater depths to reach sufficient temperatures. In these systems, geothermal well performance relies on efficient heat transfer between the working fluid, which is pumped from surface, and the underground rock. Most of the wells designed for such environments require that the casing strings used throughout the well construction process be cemented in place. The overall heat transfer around the wellbore may be optimized through accurate selection of cement recipes. This paper presents the application of a three-phase analytical model to estimate the cement thermal properties. The results show that cement recipes can be designed to enhance or minimize heat transfer around wellbore, extending the application of geothermal exploitation.
Adonis Ichim; Catalin Teodoriu; Gioia Falcone. Estimation of Cement Thermal Properties through the Three-Phase Model with Application to Geothermal Wells. Energies 2018, 11, 2839 .
AMA StyleAdonis Ichim, Catalin Teodoriu, Gioia Falcone. Estimation of Cement Thermal Properties through the Three-Phase Model with Application to Geothermal Wells. Energies. 2018; 11 (10):2839.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAdonis Ichim; Catalin Teodoriu; Gioia Falcone. 2018. "Estimation of Cement Thermal Properties through the Three-Phase Model with Application to Geothermal Wells." Energies 11, no. 10: 2839.
Job role localization is a strategic local content solution used by countries bearing natural resource stocks to maximize the long-term benefits of exploring and producing them. Currently, there is significant variation in how countries and organizations plan and implement local content and job role localization strategies; hence, this paper aims to gather, classify, and discuss relevant literature with a view to identify best practices for future application. After a multi-dimensional discussion of key terms relevant to the topic, the drivers and theoretical underpinnings of local content are examined, followed by an assessment of job role localization literature qualifying enablers and barriers to localization. A critical discussion on the means of evaluating local content policies summarizes the findings of this critical review.
Jack Pegram; Gioia Falcone; Athanasios Kolios. A Review of Job Role Localization in the Oil and Gas Industry. Energies 2018, 11, 2779 .
AMA StyleJack Pegram, Gioia Falcone, Athanasios Kolios. A Review of Job Role Localization in the Oil and Gas Industry. Energies. 2018; 11 (10):2779.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJack Pegram; Gioia Falcone; Athanasios Kolios. 2018. "A Review of Job Role Localization in the Oil and Gas Industry." Energies 11, no. 10: 2779.
Geothermal energy is a constant and independent form of renewable energy and plays a key role towards the world’s future energy balance. In particular, deep geothermal resources are largely available across continents and can help countries become less dependent on energy imports and build a broader base in their future energy mix. However, despite its significant potential, the total contribution of the geothermal sector to global power generation remains relatively small. The International Energy Agency has recommended devising plans to address technology-specific challenges to achieve faster growth and improving policies tackling pre-development risks for geothermal energy. Reaching considerable depths is a requirement to exploit deep geothermal resources, but experience gained to date from the implementation of complex, engineered deep geothermal projects has unveiled technical and economic challenges, lower-than-expected performance and poor public image. There is therefore an urgent need for alternative, more sustainable well designs. This paper critically assesses conventional and unconventional deep geothermal well concepts, focusing on the basic Borehole Heat Exchanger (BHE) concept. The discussions are supported by numerical simulations of a BHE design that includes heat conductive fillers to enhance the heat exchange with the surrounding formation, while avoiding direct fluid interaction with the latter.
Gioia Falcone; Xiaolei Liu; Roy Radido Okech; Ferid Seyidov; Catalin Teodoriu. Assessment of deep geothermal energy exploitation methods: The need for novel single-well solutions. Energy 2018, 160, 54 -63.
AMA StyleGioia Falcone, Xiaolei Liu, Roy Radido Okech, Ferid Seyidov, Catalin Teodoriu. Assessment of deep geothermal energy exploitation methods: The need for novel single-well solutions. Energy. 2018; 160 ():54-63.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGioia Falcone; Xiaolei Liu; Roy Radido Okech; Ferid Seyidov; Catalin Teodoriu. 2018. "Assessment of deep geothermal energy exploitation methods: The need for novel single-well solutions." Energy 160, no. : 54-63.
Online monitoring of Water-Liquid Ratio (WLR) in multiphase flow is key in petroleum production, processing and transportation. The usual practice in the field is to manually collect offline samples for laboratory analysis, which delays data availability and prevents real time intervention and optimization. A highly accurate and robust sensing method is needed for online measurements in the lower end of WLR range (0%-5%), especially for fiscal metering and custody transfer of crude oil, as well as to ensure adequate flow assurance prevention and remedial solutions. This requires a highly sensitive sensing principle along with a highly precise measurement instrument, packaged together in a sufficiently robust manner for use in the field. In this paper, a new sensing principle is proposed, based on the open-ended microwave cavity resonator and near wall surface perturbation, for non-intrusive measurement of WLR. In the proposed concept, the electromagnetic fringe field of a cylindrical cavity resonator is used to probe the liquid near the pipe wall. Two of the cylindrical cavity resonance modes, TM010 and TM011 are energized for measurements and the shift in the resonance frequency is used to estimate liquid permittivity and the WLR. Electromagnetic simulations in the microwave frequency range of 4 GHz to 7 GHz are used for proof-of-concept and sensitivity studies. A sensor prototype is fabricated and its functionality demonstrated with flowing oil-water mixtures in the WLR range of 0-5%. The frequency range of the proposed sensors is 4.4 − 4.6 GHz and 6.1 − 6.6 GHz for modes TM010 and TM011, respectively. The TM011 mode shows much higher sensitivity (41.6 MHz/WLR) than the TM010 mode (3.8 MHz/WLR). The proposed sensor consists of a 20 mm high cylinder, with a diameter of 30 mm and Poly-Ether-Ether-Ketone (PEEK) filler. The non-intrusiveness of the sensor, along with the high sensitivity in the resonance shift, makes it attractive for practical applications.
Prafull Sharma; Liyun Lao; Gioia Falcone. A microwave cavity resonator sensor for water-in-oil measurements. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 2018, 262, 200 -210.
AMA StylePrafull Sharma, Liyun Lao, Gioia Falcone. A microwave cavity resonator sensor for water-in-oil measurements. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2018; 262 ():200-210.
Chicago/Turabian StylePrafull Sharma; Liyun Lao; Gioia Falcone. 2018. "A microwave cavity resonator sensor for water-in-oil measurements." Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 262, no. : 200-210.
Mature hydrocarbon fields co-produce significant volumes of water. As the produced water increases over the life of the field, the project's operating costs increase (due to greater water management expenditure), while the oil revenues decrease. Typically, these waste streams of water have temperatures of 65–150 °C. The combination of moderate temperatures and large water volumes may be suitable for electricity generation and/or district heating. Being able to capture the geothermal energy from existing hydrocarbon fields could extend their lifespan by delaying their economic cut-off point. In this paper, mature oil and gas reservoirs worldwide are critically reviewed, where waste heat recovery has already been tested, or its potential identified. A roadmap of screening criteria based on geological, reservoir, production and economic parameters is then proposed, to assess how, where and when low-temperature waste heat recovery is feasible. The roadmap is tested against the Villafortuna–Trecate oil field in Italy, where the aquifer not only provides pressure support to the reservoir, but also represents a natural, in-situ hydrothermal resource. The results suggest that a single-well could recover approximately 25 GWh of electric power over a 10-year period, with an installed capacity of 500 kW
Xiaolei Liu; Gioia Falcone; Claudio Alimonti. A systematic study of harnessing low-temperature geothermal energy from oil and gas reservoirs. Energy 2018, 142, 346 -355.
AMA StyleXiaolei Liu, Gioia Falcone, Claudio Alimonti. A systematic study of harnessing low-temperature geothermal energy from oil and gas reservoirs. Energy. 2018; 142 ():346-355.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiaolei Liu; Gioia Falcone; Claudio Alimonti. 2018. "A systematic study of harnessing low-temperature geothermal energy from oil and gas reservoirs." Energy 142, no. : 346-355.
Liquid loading is a major operational constraint in mature gas fields around the world. It manifests itself as an increasing back pressure on the reservoir due to a rising liquid column in the well, which initially decreases deliverability, then ultimately causes the gas well to cease production. Theoretically, every gas well will experience this debilitating phenomenon in the latter stages of its producing life. In this paper, both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations are presented to shed more light on the physical process of liquid loading, with a focus on reservoir responses. On the one hand, core-flooding experimental setups of different scales were designed and constructed to investigate back pressure effects on transient flow through the near-wellbore region of the reservoir. On the other hand, the modelling of a gas well undergoing controlled flow and shut-in cycles was performed to validate core-scale observations at reservoir scale, using commercial integrated numerical software that connects a transient wellbore model to a transient reservoir model. The simulated transient characteristics of short-term downhole dynamics (e.g. liquid re-injection and co-current/counter-current flows) supported the U-shaped concept observed in the experiments. The detected temporal distribution of pore fluid pressure within the reservoir medium itself (referred to as the U-shaped pressure profile) was observed both experimentally at the core-scale and numerically at the reservoir-scale. This pressure distribution can be used to explain re-injection of the denser phases into the near-wellbore region of the reservoir
Xiaolei Liu; Gioia Falcone; Catalin Teodoriu. Liquid loading in gas wells: From core-scale transient measurements to coupled field-scale simulations. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 2017, 157, 1056 -1066.
AMA StyleXiaolei Liu, Gioia Falcone, Catalin Teodoriu. Liquid loading in gas wells: From core-scale transient measurements to coupled field-scale simulations. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 2017; 157 ():1056-1066.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiaolei Liu; Gioia Falcone; Catalin Teodoriu. 2017. "Liquid loading in gas wells: From core-scale transient measurements to coupled field-scale simulations." Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 157, no. : 1056-1066.