Postgraduate Student
Education & Biography
2018 β Present: PhD student in Petroleum Engineering β Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, UK
2017 β 2018: MSc Petroleum Engineering β Heriot-Watt University, UK
2014 β 2017: BEng Mechanical Engineering β Heriot-Watt University, UK
Research Interests
- Pore Structure of Mudrocks
- Fluid Transport in Mudrocks and Shales
- Pore Network Modelling
- Pore Scale Modelling
Dual PhD project
We aim at combining a variety of methods for an integrated assessment of flow in mudrocks and shales:
- Small scale (d<~2nm): Low pressure sorption (CO2, N2) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to determine surface area, pore size distribution and effective diffusion (via fractals); high pressure gas adsorption to determine gas storage capacity
- Intermediate scale (d>~2nm<10ΞΌm): Focused Ion Beam SEM in combination with SANS and N2 sorption to characterise pore structure; permeability tests on sample plugs
- Large scale (d>10ΞΌm): Fracture hydraulic conductivity measurements and nano/ΞΌCT scanning on sample plugs
Pore-scale gas flow will be simulated on shale pore-network models that are constructed from characterisations to be obtained from FIB images and small angle scattering/gas adsorption measurements to perform mechanistic modelling with respect to pore geometry and topology, and fluid transport mechanisms. The results can then be used to interpret laboratory flow measurements by
numerical inversion on X-ray tomograms of small shale sample plugs.
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π§ Email: gb168@hw.ac.uk
