Optimizing Prediction of Reservoir Properties with Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and the Subsurface Trend Analysis Method
Machine Learning in Oil and Gas Conference, Virtual, November 9-11, 2020
Mark-Moser, Mackenzie K.↗
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Ocean and Geohazard Analysis
2021 Carbon Management and Oil and Gas Research Project Review Meeting, Virtual, August 23-27, 2021
Mark-Moser, Mackenzie K.↗
Feedstock and Catalyst Impact on Bio-Oil Production and FCC Co-Processing to Fuels
NREL’s thermochemical biomass conversion research is focused on ex-situ upgrading of biomass fast-pyrolysis (FP) vapors as an efficient and economical route to completely biogenic pyrolysis-based fuel precursors, potential fuels, and value-added chemicals depending on catalyst choice and process conditions. In this approach, biomass vapors are generated via fast pyrolysis with destabilizing vapor components (char, inorganics, tar aerosols) removed by hot gas filtration to produce conditioned vapors more responsive to catalytic upgrading. A Davison Circulating Riser (DCR), a petroleum industry standard for fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst evaluation, was coupled with a custom pyrolyzer system designed to produce consistent composition pyrolysis vapors as feed to the DCR. The coupled system is shown below (Figure 1). Pyrolysis vapors, derived from pure hardwood and softwood, were upgraded using commercially available and laboratory modified zeolite-based catalysts. Upgraded oils were analyzed via 31P and 13C NMR spectroscopy, GCxGC-TOF/MS, carbonyl and ultimate analysis (CHNO), and micro distillation to assess both oil chemistry and distillation behavior as they relate to catalyst and feedstock type for producing fungible hydrocarbon product liquids. Measured process parameters identified from technoeconomic process analysis included achieving oil oxygenate contents of 20% or less, carbon-conversion efficiencies of 30% or more, and catalyst coking rates of 10% or less. A proprietary modified zeolite catalyst from Johnson Matthey produced oils that met these requirements. Using the DCR equipped with a proprietary nozzle system, a second approach focused on reducing the carbon intensity of petroleum-derived hydrocarbon fuels by FCC co-processing these CFP oils with petroleum vacuum gas oil (VGO) to produce biogenic carbon containing fuels. The vapor-phase upgrading results demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of producing refinery-compatible hydrocarbon fuel intermediates entirely from biomass-derived fast-pyrolysis vapors using an industry-accepted DCR system for catalytic upgrading. The co-processing results demonstrated the feasibility of using CFP oils with VGO feeds in FCC refinery operations to produce biogenic carbon containing fuels.
bio-oil↗
Electrochemical Corrosion Analysis of Stainless Steels in LALM Pyrolysis Bio-Oil with Organic Corrodents
Pyrolysis bio-oils are corrosive to low alloy steels, e.g., 2.25Cr-1Mo, 5Cr-1Mo, and 9Cr-1Mo grades. To identify the alloys with sufficient bio-oil compatibility, several commercial stainless steels were examined in bio-oil using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to semi quantitatively assess their corrosion resistance. Low-Ash Low-Moisture (LALM) bio-oil, produced from a forest residue feedstock by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO, was used as a test liquid for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Three organic corrodents, formic acid, catechol, and lactobionic acid, were added into LALM bio-oil to produce test liquids with intentionally increased corrosivity. Corrosion reaction resistance, determined from the impedance data, was used to evaluate the corrosion compatibility of each stainless steel in LALM bio-oil and LALM bio-oil + organic corrodent(s). The results from corrosion reaction resistance indicated that the critical Cr content of stainless steels for corrosion resistance would be greater than 14 wt % if Ni and Mo contents are low but can be as low as 12–13 wt % with appreciable amounts of Ni and Mo.
Jun, Jiheon↗
In Situ Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis using Red Mud Catalyst: Impact of catalytic fast pyrolysis temperature and biomass feedstocks
Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) has been considered as a very promising approach for converting lignocellulosic biomass into higher-quality bio-oils followed by hydrotreating to produce fuelrange products. A reactive, robust, and low-cost catalyst is required to drive the CFP process. Red mud, a side-product produced during the refining of bauxite to alumina, appears to be an effective catalyst for in situ CFP of biomass. In this paper, we report the impact of CFP reaction temperature on the conversion of a pinyon juniper feedstock to bio-oils using red mud as the catalyst and then to fuel-range hydrocarbons by hydrotreating of the produced bio-oil. The yield and quality of the CFP bio-oil produced and the yield and quality of hydrotreated final products were determined. When the CFP process temperature was lowered from 450 to 400ºC, the bio-oil yield increased with minimal differences in the oxygen content, hydrogen-to-carbon ratio, water content, etc. In addition, CFP bio-oils at both temperatures were processed in a single-stage continuous hydrotreater without reactor plugging during the testing period (i.e., ~100 hours on stream). The yield of CFP bio-oil produced at 400ºC was lower than the yield at 450ºC. However, the overall yield, from biomass to hydrocarbon fuel, was still higher for CFP processing at 400ºC than for processing at 450ºC. This indicates the potential for enhancing overall carbon efficiency, including CFP processing and hydrotreating, by employing red mud catalysts for biomass pyrolysis and tuning the CFP parameters. Detailed analysis of bio-oil and hydrotreated products showed a lower content of lignin-derived species in both samples. Furthermore, CFP processing of three different biomass feedstocks corroborated red mud catalyst development for producing improved quality bio-oil and, when combined with hydrotreating, for the production of fuel range hydrocarbons.
Santosa, Daniel M.↗
Co-hydrotreatment of Bio-oil and Waste Cooking Oil to Produce Transportation Fuels
This paper reports the co-hydrotreatment of the heavy bio-oil fraction with waste cooking oil (WCO) using NiMo/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst, followed by the distillation of resulting deoxygenated oil and the characterization of resulting fuel cuts. The heavy BTG bio-oil fraction was obtained by removing the very reactive light-oxygenated compounds via rotary evaporation, subsequently mixed with 1-butanol. The resulting oil was blended with WCO and subjected to a two-step co-hydrotreatment process. The first step, called “stabilization,” is aimed at saturating highly reactive hydrogen-deficient compounds. The second step, called “deoxygenation,” aimed to remove bio-oil oxygen, primarily as H 2 O. This study examined the impact of varying bio-oil concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 wt.% of WCO) on the upgraded oil's yield, composition, and fuel properties. The resulting hydrotreated oil was distilled into gasoline-range, kerosene-range, and diesel-range hydrocarbons at <150 °C, 150 to 250 °C, and 250 to 350 °C, respectively. The yield of the hydrotreated oil indicates that as the bio-oil concentration increases, the amounts of coke (0.7 to 2.4 %) and water (2 to 10 wt. %) increase while the organic layer yields decrease (80 to 63 %). The coke yield was comparable to the coke yield obtained when co-processing the pyrolytic lignin fraction. This suggests that coke is formed from both the sugar oligomers and the lignin-derived oligomers. The UV-fluorescence analysis on the hydrotreated oil shows that more polycondensed and conjugated ring compounds formed as the bio-oil concentration is increased. These compounds are precursors of coke. FTIR results showed that most raw materials were converted to biofuels after the hydrotreatment. To achieve less than 1 wt. % of coke yield, blends with up to 20 wt. % pyrolysis oil should be used. An increase in bio-oil concentration leads to a slight increase in gasoline yield and a decrease in kerosene and diesel yields. The identified carbon species found in the fuel cuts include n-paraffin, iso-paraffin, cycloparaffin, and aromatics. Further, the jet fuel cut (kerosene) was characterized by density, surface tension, and viscosity. Our product conforms to the standard specifications for sustainable aviation fuels (Jet A-1). Further research is suggested to fine-tune the operating parameters for achieving reduced coke yield and enhanced kerosene yield.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Assessment of Plant and Microalgal Oil-Derived Nonisocyanate Polyurethane Products for Potential Commercialization
Green pathways for nonisocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) production have attracted increasing levels of interest. The reaction between 5-membered cyclic carbonate and polyamines is one of the most promising pathways to produce NIPU polymers. Though promising, major technical hurdles such as slow polymerization rate and poor performance hinder the commercialization of NIPU. In this paper, we screened several commercially available triglyceride oil feedstocks for NIPU products, focusing on polymerization kinetics and product performance for industrial application. The impact of carbonated group density on polymerization rate and mechanical strength was determined. We have demonstrated a remarkably higher reactivity of carbonated oil derived from feedstocks with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). The NIPU derived from such feedstocks also showed improved performance for industrial application. Unlike traditional polyurethane foam production that uses isocyanate and water to generate CO2 as a blowing reagent, there is no gas formation in NIPU polymerization. We have demonstrated a practical and cost-effective approach to produce NIPU foam material using bicarbonate as a blowing reagent. Furthermore, we conducted the first-ever technoeconomic analysis (TEA), revealing that profitable commercial NIPU production can be achieved when operating at sufficient production capacities.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Performance of biochar assisted catalysts during hydroprocessing of non-edible vegetable oil: Effect of transition metal source on catalytic activity
Biochar-supported catalysts were developed from nickel (Ni) - and cobalt (Co)- nitrates and hydroxides and tested for the hydrotreatment of carinata oil. Nitrate-based (from water-soluble salts) and hydroxide-based (from water-insoluble salts) catalysts of Ni and Co were prepared via wetness impregnation and aqueous dispersion methods, respectively. The catalysts were characterized using various tools such as, confocal XRF, BET specific surface area analyzer, NH3-TPD, and SEM-EDS. Synchroton method showed nitrate-sourced metals were dispersed mostly in the pores while, the hydroxide-sourced metals were distributed mainly on the catalyst surface. C = C saturation and cracking of triglycerides, decarboxylation, and hydrogenation of aromatic structures appeared to be dominant on the hydroxides of transition metals, hence took place on catalyst surface. Methanation and dehydrogenation (thus aromatization), however, seemed to be a pore phenomenon, catalyzed more over nitrate-based catalysts. A reaction network was proposed based on chemical analysis of upgraded carinata oil and erucic acid model compound. Catalytic cracking followed by hydrotreatment performed better in terms of fuel properties than other approaches in this study.
Biochar catalysts↗
Sustainable Biofuels for Low-Carbon Maritime Transportation
The marine shipping sector heavily depends on fossil fuels and is one of the largest petroleum fuel consumers [1,2]. The annual global marine fuel consumption was estimated to be around 400 million metric tons in 2019 (2.5 billion barrels). Moreover, ocean shipping is one of the most significant contributors to sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter emissions. Global shipping contributes 13% of human-caused sulfur emissions and 2.6% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. As a major source of pollutant emissions, the marine industry faces several challenges related to emission regulations. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established a framework for reducing the carbon intensity of shipping: 40% reduction relative to 2008 levels by 2030 and 70% reduction by 2050. As the aviation sector, the maritime shipping sector is difficult to decarbonize through electrification. Biofuels offer the best opportunities for decarbonizing marine shipping in the near and medium-term. Advanced biofuels such as pyrolysis bio-oil offer the low-cost potential for meeting carbon reduction goals. For instance, the pyrolysis bio-oil exhibited promising marginal CO2 abatement costs at less than $100/tonne CO2-equivalent at a heavy fuel oil price greater than $1.10/gal [1]. As a potential biofuel option for low-carbon maritime shipping, this presentation focuses on a comparative techno-economic analysis (TEA) of bio-oils produced via a fast pyrolysis-based conversion pathway. The pathway converts a 50/50 blend of forest residues and clean pine to bio-oil via three process options: fast pyrolysis without vapor upgrading, and fast pyrolysis with vapor phase upgrading over ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst and Pt/TiO2 catalyst. The process configuration and operation variation led to different capital and operating costs, as well as the resulting raw bio-oil’s yield and quality, e.g., the water content, total acid number, and carboxylic acid number. The study also determined the minimum upgrading of bio-oils required to enable blending with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), with the associated costs reflected in TEA. This study shows that bio-oil could be a cost-effective fuel option for decarbonizing maritime shipping. Further research is required with respect to biofuel blending properties, such as compatibility with existing fuel system infrastructure and suitable engine performance.
BIOMASS FUELS↗
Clean Energy in Oil & Gas Consortium: Compressor Station Case Study
JISEA conducted analysis of technical and economic potential of incorporating low-emissions energy sources into various oil and gas operations in different locations to assist the oil and gas industry with decision-making. The case study analysis presented here evaluated renewable energy opportunities at an all-electric compressor station located in Texas.
Baker Hughes↗
Use of a Lewis acid, a Brønsted acid, and their binary mixtures for the hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulose
The main objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of a Lewis acid, Brønsted acid, and their combined use on the hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass. Hydrothermal liquefaction of teak wood was conducted at 250, 300 and 350 °C for 15, 30 and 60 min. Hydrothermal liquefaction of teak wood was carried out at 300 °C for 30 min (the best optimum conditions) without and with the use of Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 , HClO 4 , and HClO 4 /Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 at various loadings (2–10 mmol/15 g wood). The highest bio-oil yield was obtained with the non-catalytic run. All tested catalysts have negative effect on bio-oil yields. The bio-oil yields generally decreased with increasing the catalyst loadings. The deoxygenation degree in bio-oils changed depending on the type of catalyst and loading. A high degree of de-oxygenation took place with Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 catalysts. An increased catalyst loading led to decreased aromatic contents of bio-oils catalyzed by either Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 or HClO 4 . The use of a catalyst increased total naphtha fractions in bio-oils. The highest heating value of the bio-oil was estimated to be approximately 30 MJ/kg. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the bio-oils from the non-catalytic and catalytic runs contained aldehydes, ketones, phenols, acids, esters and alcohols. Furthermore, the relative yields of the oxygenated compounds were affected by catalyst type.
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
Impact of Polymer Rheology on Gel Treatment Performance of Horizontal Wells with Severe Channeling
Summary Gel treatment has been a cost-effective method to control the conformance of a reservoir with severe heterogeneity problems. The water channels in such reservoirs can be classified as open fractures or high permeability porous media with pore-throat network. Many simulation studies have been conducted to discuss gel treatment performance for conformance control. However, nobody considered the polymer rheology difference in open fractures and porous media in simulation. Previous simulation studies also ignored the residual resistance factor as a function of rock permeability rather than a constant parameter. In this study, a conceptual simulation model was established to simulate the linear flow system for the reservoir with horizontal wells considering the two factors mentioned above. The results demonstrate that the gel treatment always provides the better placement results in the open fracture type channel than pore-throat network type channel. Moreover, it is very necessary to consider residual resistance factor as a function of permeability, which is based on the experimental results and can provide much greater plugging efficiency in the higher permeable channels than constant residual resistance factor. Sensitivity analysis studies and multifactor analysis indicate that increasing oil viscosity and permeability ratio has a strong positive influence on conformance control results, which indicate in-situ gel treatment can be better applied in heavy or viscous oil reservoirs with fracture-like channels. Besides, the results also indicate that in reservoirs with severe channeling problem where channel velocity was high, the differences of gelant placement and profile improvement in models with two different types of channels could be enlarged greatly.
Engineering↗
Geological characterization and ROZ potential of the Tar Springs Sandstone
This report focuses on regional and field scale geological characterization of the Tar Springs in Illinois using well records, including drilling and completion reports, well logs, and core data (core descriptions/core analyses) to analyze and interpret geological variations. In addition, oil saturation indicators (oil shows, oil saturation from core analysis, and drill stem test data) were analyzed to determine the ROZ potential of the Tar Springs Sandstone
02 PETROLEUM↗
Creating Accurate Methane Emission Inventories through Data-Driven Airborne Survey Strategies: Methods and Results from the Haynesville, Anadarko, and Permian Basins
Significantly reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector can decrease the rate of climate change over the next two decades, buying critical time for a global energy transition. However, emissions inventories that can be used by oil and gas operators and environmental regulators to identify optimal methane emission mitigation strategies are either based on conservative emission factor methods, or are inconsistent between studies due to differences in sampling strategies or survey technologies. We developed a new approach for methane emissions survey design that yields representative basinwide methane emissions inventories by surveying a subset of total assets in a given oil and gas basin. We identify several sampling and analysis principles, including large sample sizes, balanced sampling across oil and gas production, careful survey area definition, and a unified protocol for analysis, to be vital to producing an unbiased estimate of basin-scale emissions that can be reconciled with future studies. We further present results from deploying this strategy in two oil and gas producing regions in the United States: the Haynesville Basin in Texas and Louisiana, and the Woodford Shale in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma. Aerial surveys were performed in 2023 using the Insight M LeakSurveyor™ technology. Preliminary results from methane emissions detected by Insight M indicate that aerially detected emissions above roughly 30 kg(CH4)/hr by themselves contribute a fractional loss rate of 1.13% of gross gas production across oil and gas operations in the Haynesville Basin, with aerially detected emissions equivalent to 2.67% of gross gas production in the Woodford Shale. We supplement these aerial estimates with modeled emissions that are below the LeakSurveyor’s survey sensitivity using a recently published inventory-based model of methane emissions, which we update for our survey areas. We then combine our aerial detections with modeled emissions to yield methane emission distributions and inventories that incorporate the full range of potential methane emissions from the smallest to the largest. These results can be used to identify the most effective methane mitigation strategies for our study areas, and can be reconciled with future methane emissions surveys that use different technologies.
Sherwin, Evan (ORCID:0000000321804297)↗
Systematic Analysis of Drivers and Barriers of Cross-Sectorial Learning Between Nuclear and Oil and Gas Decommissioning Projects - 20139
Project and megaproject management in the energy sector have historically focused on the planning and delivery of the construction of infrastructure. Therefore, policies are predominantly oriented to support the construction of infrastructure rather than its decommissioning. However, globally, several facilities have reached (or will soon reach) their end-of-life and need to be decommissioned. These facilities span across the energy sector, including nuclear power plants and oil and gas rigs, whose decommissioning present unprecedented techno-socio-economic challenges. Moreover, globally, their decommissioning cost is estimated to reach hundreds of billions of US dollars and this budget keeps increasing, with limited knowledge-transfer across industries to mitigate the spiraling increase of this figure. Cross-sectorial knowledge-transfer is a way to tackle this matter and improve the planning and delivery of decommissioning and waste management projects. The aim of this research is to build a road-map based on cross-sectorial industrial experience, designed to promote the sharing of good practices between projects both within and across industries dealing with major decommissioning and waste management challenges. To reach this aim, the tacit knowledge of senior practitioners on several large scale nuclear and oil and gas decommissioning projects is made explicit by the means of semi-structured interviews, systematically analyzed through directed content analysis. The results of this analysis include a list of good practices that could and should be transferred to nuclear decommissioning projects, including the need to promote the adoption of incentives explicitly linked to the project deliverables, and to develop long-term plans to support smooth transition from operations to decommissioning. Suggestions about how the knowledge-transfer can be promoted within and across organizations are also discussed. In this way, this research provides practical guidance for project managers and policymakers on how to support the planning and delivery of projects with improved performance. (authors)
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
Identification and analysis of stem‐specific promoters from sugarcane and energy cane for oil accumulation in their stems
Abstract Considerable recent progress has been achieved in bioengineering oil accumulation in the vegetative tissues of plants, opening an opportunity for large scale production of biodiesel, jet fuel, lubricants, and high‐value lipid bioproducts. For the highly productive C4 crops, such as sugarcane, energy cane, Miscanthus, and fiber sorghums, the bulk of the biomass is the stem. However, little success has been made in accumulating oil in the stem. Since engineering a trait with a constitutive promoter often results in pleiotropic effects that counter trait improvement, identification of stem parenchyma‐specific promoters is a prerequisite for efficient use of the ample photoassimilates stored in mature stem parenchyma cells. In this study, we first identified two TST genes encoding homologues of tonoplast sugar transporters that were strongly and almost exclusively expressed in the stems of canes via a combination of RNA‐seq atlas analysis, in silico analysis of a sugarcane genome, phylogenetic analysis, and quantitative PCR analysis. They were further confirmed in the pith parenchyma cells of the mature stem by RNA in situ hybridization. When fused with the β‐Glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene, the promoters of two alleles, TST2b‐1A and TST2b‐1C , from one TST gene demonstrated that they could drive the GUS expression exclusively in the stem in Arabidopsis.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
A machine learning degradation model for electrochemical capacitors operated at high temperature
Electrochemical capacitors (ECs) have only recently been considered as an alternative power source for telemetry sensors of drilling equipment for geothermal or oil and gas exploration. The lifecycle analysis and modelling of ECs is underrepresented in literature in comparison to other storage devices e.g. Li-ion batteries. This paper investigates the degradation of ECs when cycled outside the manufacturer-specified operating temperature envelope and proposes a machine learning-based approach for modelling the degradation. Experimental results show that end of life, defined as a 30% decrease in capacitance, occurs at 1,000 cycles when the environmental temperature exceeds the maximum operating temperature by 30%. The life-cycle test data is then used as an input to a Gaussian process regression (GPR) algorithm to predict the capacitance fade trend. The GPR is validated on a total of nine commercial cells from two different manufacturers, achieving an average root mean squared percent error of less than 2% and a mean calibration score of 93% when referenced to a 95% confidence interval. The model can be utilized to determine the EC degradation rate at a range of operating temperature values.
42 ENGINEERING↗