Research

The University of Oklahoma's Petroleum Engineering Department stands as a beacon of excellence within the realm of petroleum engineering research in the United States.  With a rich history and a longstanding reputation for leadership in the field, the department has continuously pushed the boundaries of knowledge and innovation.  At the heart of its research efforts lies the Well Construction Technology Center (WCTC), an established technology research center dedicated to advancing the frontiers of drilling, cementing, completions, and coiled tubing operations in the oil and gas industry. One of the promises of the WCTC's success lies in its extensive portfolio of research projects, which have been supported by service companies, major oil companies, and government agencies.  These projects, spanning various areas of petroleum engineering, have consistently demonstrated the center's ability to tackle challenges of significant complexity and relevance to industry needs.  Among the notable research projects undertaken by the WCTC are:

Development of Multistage Straddle Packer: This project aims to develop a unique full-scale testing facility for evaluating novel multistage straddle packers developed for geothermal wells under high-temperature and high-differential pressure conditions. In addition to the testing facility, theoretical and numerical studies will be conducted to support the packer's design and development.

Development of Novel Isolation System for Geothermal Wells: This project aims to develop a unique full-scale testing facility for evaluating novel open-hole isolation systems developed for geothermal wells under high-temperature and high-differential pressure conditions. In addition to the testing facility, theoretical and numerical studies will be conducted to support the design and development of the packer. The testing facility developed within this project will be the only nationwide specifically designed for long-term testing under geothermal conditions.

Development of Compatibility Assessment Model for Existing Pipelines for Handling Hydrogen Containing Natural Gas: This project develops a machine learning model to assess hydrogen embrittlement in pipelines transporting hydrogen. It involves building a database from existing data and new measurements, evaluating various analytics methods, and creating software to determine if existing pipelines need modifications to handle hydrogen safely.

Rheology and Carrying Capacity of Fibrous Wellbore Cleanout Fluids: This project investigated the rheology and carrying capacity of fibrous wellbore cleanout fluids through experimental and rheological studies. The existing flow loop has been used to test various types of fiber-containing wellbore cleanout fluids, with a special focus on polymer-based completion fluids.

Advanced Studies on Rheology and Stability of Modern Drilling Foams: This project aimed to better understand the rheology and stability of oil- and polymer-based foams under HPHT conditions through experimental investigations. Existing flow loops were used to test various types of foams, with a special focus on oil-based and polymer-based foams.

Developing Advanced Lost Prevention and Wellbore Strengthening Materials and Methods for High-Temperature Geothermal Wells: This project advanced the development of novel polymeric materials to address lost circulation problems in geothermal wells by combining various lost circulation prevention methods with wellbore strengthening materials. The new materials included innovative expandable and programmable polymers, degradable thermoplastic composites, and ceramics mixed with LCM.

Well Integrity Assessment for Active & Inactive Wells Project: Through the establishment of a unique thermal cement laboratory, this project has facilitated the creation of a comprehensive database of thermal cement properties.  This has enabled accurate evaluation of casing-cement leak potential and post-leak behavior of casing cement systems.

Cement Repository Project: Pioneering the development of a cement repository to monitor long-term cement properties, this project has played a pivotal role in minimizing well integrity incidents and environmental impact.  By creating the world's first cement repository database, the center has enabled better prediction of well integrity, with data spanning over eight years.  This cement repository will be used in our project to calibrate and validate our detection system.

Cement Bonding Project: Advancing understanding of interfacial cement bonding between casing and cement, this project has led to the development of new methodologies for accurately assessing cement bonding properties, thereby enhancing cementing practices in the industry.

Research and Development on Critical (Sonic) Flow of Multiphase Fluids Through Wellbores in Support of Worst-Case Discharge Analysis for Offshore Wells: Advancing the understanding of sonic flow of multiphase fluids, this project has resulted in the development of new analytical, numerical, and empirical methods for predicting the critical (sonic) discharge flow rate, pressure, and velocities of multiphase fluids exiting wellbores in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Worst-Case-Discharge scenarios.

Sealing Assemblies and Cement System Project: Through scaled laboratory testing, leakage modeling, and risk assessment, this project has provided valuable insights into sealing assemblies and cement systems in shallow wells.  Developing a gas-tight cement slurry has effectively mitigated gas flow through cement sheaths.

Cement Degradation and Casing Corrosion Project: Investigating degradation of cement and casing in HPHT acidic environments, this project has contributed to developing new acid-resistant cement formulations.  The extensive experimental database generated has enhanced the understanding of the mechanical and sealing performance of different types of cement in the presence of acidic sour gases.

Fly Ash Project: Exploring the use of fly ash grout as a substitute for conventional oilfield cement, this project has developed optimized fly ash formulations for plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, offering environmentally friendly alternatives.

Downhole Separation Evaluation: Downhole separators are becoming crucial elements for artificial lift pumping techniques, particularly for wells with higher gas-liquid ratios. The efficiencies of various gravitational and centrifugal separators are tested here using a state-of-the-art flow loop with all the required pressure and flow sensors. The facility is capable of simulating the casing and tubing of a typical producing wellbore.

Liquid Loading Evaluation: The loading of liquids in producing natural gas wells is studied experimentally and theoretically. A flow loop is used to test the flow at various liquid and gas rates. The possibility of using partial tubing restrictions has been tested as a method to delay liquid loading.

Virtual Flow Meters for Geothermal Wells: It is challenging to measure multiphase flow in both petroleum and geothermal wells. This project aims to combine the collected experimental data and physical liquid-gas flow models to measure the flow rates of water and steam in high-temperature geothermal models.

Downward Multiphase Flow Data Analytics: Downward flow data are scarce in the multiphase flow world despite many applications in carbon sequestration, injection wells, nuclear reactors, etc. This project collects all the available data and combines it with a new set of experimental data. Machine learning techniques are used to provide a comprehensive predictive tool for downward flow.