2011 Spring - WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources ...

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Faculty ReseaRChResearchers use artificialoptimize Marcellus shaleproductionBy Mary C. DillonThe Marcellus shale, an immense stretch of rock that runs deepunderground through parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and WestVirginia, is rich in natural gas. Scientists have known about the formationfor a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that they realized it couldbe one of the largest-known natural gas fields in the world. A grant for$353,934 from the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) will enable researcherswith West Virginia University’s College of Engineering and MineralResources to use data-intensive science to optimize gas production inthe region.Dr. Shahab Mohaghegh, a professor inWVU’s Department of Petroleum and NaturalGas Engineering, is leading a team ofresearchers in applying the latest technologyto reservoir modeling. Mohaghegh isa pioneer in the application of artificialintelligence and data mining (AI&DM) in thepetroleum industry.Spring 2011 ENGINEERINGWV“Traditionally, in order to increase productionDr. Shahab Mohagheghyou would build a predictive reservoir modelusing conventional technology,” Mohaghegh said. “The technology weare using is new and unconventional. It is not based on physics andmathematics, but on ‘top-down’ modeling.”Conventional reservoir simulation and modeling is a bottom-up approach.It starts with building a geological model of the reservoir that is populatedwith the best petrophysical and geophysical information available at thetime of development. Engineering fluid flow principles are then addedand solved numerically to arrive at a dynamic reservoir model. Themodel is calibrated using the production history of multiple wells, and thehistory-matched model is used to strategize field development in order toimprove recovery.4
WVU COllEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAl RESOURCESintelligence toAlums named toMarcellus task forceAccording to Mohaghegh, top-down, intelligent reservoir modelingapproaches the reservoir simulation and modeling from the oppositeangle. It integrates traditional reservoir engineering analysis with AI&DMtechnology to generate a full-field model. Using this new technologyleads to savings of both time and research resources to obtain accuratepredictive models. Over time, more wells and more historical dataenhance the results of the model.“This is very new technology that has been extensively and exclusivelyused here at WVU,” Mohaghegh said. “People in the industry are quiteinterested to see how our research in this area progresses.”GTI is a nonprofit organization with more than 65 years of experience inthe development and deployment of technology solutions that contributeto a secure, abundant, and affordable energy future. GTI programshave resulted in nearly 500 products, 750 licenses and more than 1,200associated patents.Funding for the project is provided through the Ultra-Deepwater andUnconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Researchand Development Program, authorized by the Energy Policy Act of2005. This program—funded from lease bonuses and royalties paid byindustry to produce oil and gas on federal lands—is specifically designedto increase supply and reduce costs to consumers while enhancingthe global leadership position of the United States in energy technologythrough the development of domestic intellectual capital.The Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) isunder contract with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National EnergyTechnology Laboratory to administer several elements of the program.RPSEA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit consortium with more than 180members, including 22 of the nation’s premier research universities, sixnational laboratories, other major research institutions, large and smallenergy producers, and energy consumers. The mission of RPSEA,headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, is to provide a stewardship rolein ensuring the focused research, development and deployment of safeand environmentally responsible technology that can effectively deliverhydrocarbons from domestic resources to the citizens of the UnitedStates. Additional information can be found at www.rpsea.org.•Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin recentlyannounced the formation of a Marcellusto Manufacturing Task Force. The taskforce will research and develop potentialeconomic development opportunitiesrelated to Marcellus shale and natural gasbyproducts such as ethane and ethylene.The 12-member task force includes threealums of the College of Engineering andMineral Resources: Greg Babe, presidentand CEO of Bayer Corporation and BayerMaterials Science LLC; Kevin DiGregorio,executive director, Chemical Alliance ZoneWest Virginia; and Michael John, presidentand CEO, Northeast Natural Energy.The task force has been asked to researchand analyze the feasibility of convertingethane to ethylene using thermal or steamcracking; identify potential private-sectorcompanies that specialize in constructingand operating thermal or steam crackersand develop strategies on how to attractsuch companies; and locate existinginfrastructure in the state, includingpipelines and storage facilities, which maybe upgraded to be used in conjunction withmanufacturing processes associated withethane, ethylene, and other natural gasbyproducts.Volume 7 Issue 15
Page 2 and 3: Message from the DeanDear Friends:
Page 8 and 9: Faculty ReseaRChSpring 2011 ENGINEE
Page 10 and 11: INDUstRY FEatUREBoeing’s Super Ho
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Page 14 and 15: COLLEGE NEWSWVU and NASA partnerto
Page 16 and 17: COLLEGE NEWSWVU, Slippery RockUnive
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Page 22 and 23: STUdent NEWSWVU students engagedwit
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Page 29 and 30: SupportWVU COllEGE OF ENGINEERING A
Page 31 and 32: News of noteStudentsSean Adams, a s

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