WIP Core Research

WIP Core Research is conducted for Members and results are freely accessible to all Members. A set of initial research topics have been identified.

WIP Members will have an advisory role in establishing and guiding the research directions of WIP Core Research. Members have access to restricted sections of the WIP website where preliminary technical information and reports are available.

CCS Data Analytics & Digitalization: A data-driven approach

Start: In Progress

It is the production of energy that is responsible for almost 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, Fossil fuels including oil & gas are not only the primary source of world energy consumption now but also they are expected to remain the main source until 2030 and further on for a while.
Bring emissions down towards net zero simultaneously with meeting the energy demand, will be one of the world’s biggest challenges in the years ahead. CCS is the only technology that can effectively reduce CO2 emissions, while the technological components are all in use, they do not currently function together in the manner required for large-scale CCS. That is why developing a solution strategy addressing all the issues with large-scale CCS will be a great boost for this key industry.
This study will utilize data-driven approach to conduct a strategic and integrated analysis, reflected in a model. The resulting analysis will be used to offer consultancy to CCS project managers.
By addressing the uncertainties in CCS projects and applying the latest technological advances from research and laboratory scales, this study will enhance confidence in the pertaining projects. Not only will we calculate the success/failure probability of individual projects, but we will also recommend the necessary data for (1) Storage Risk Mitigation Strategy and (2) Increasing Project Success Chance.

Well Integrity Assessment for Underground CH4/Hydrogen Storage

Start: In Progress

Hydrogen has the highest energy content per mass of any conventional fuel, hence it can be used as a very effective energy carrier or directly as a clean fuel. Regardless, the demand for large-scale underground hydrogen storage(UHS) is most important than ever, and therefore the call for the scale of its application is now industrial. While the oil & gas industry has considered hydrogen inert to cement/reservoir rock, there is a considerable knowledge gap in the area when talking about industrial-scale UHS, particularly in a combination with natural gas(methane). Since three years together with the industry, the chair of drilling and completion at Montanuniversität Leoben has developed projects to probe into the matter and to establish a non-destructive methodology for the cement/rock integrity assessment.

Effect of Hydrogen on Downhole Cements - A Fundamental Study

Start: In Progress

Hydrogen is nowadays commonly considered a promising way of storing energy from renewable energy sources, helping overcome capricious weather as well as seasonal variations, hence increasing the efficiency of renewable energy sources. Underground Hydrogen Storage (UGHS) promises great potential due to its vast storage capacities. However, to make UGHS a feasible process, fundamental research investigating not just the integrity of reservoir and cap rocks, but also downhole materials used in boreholes against hydrogen is essential. Especially the effect hydrogen might have on the mineralogical phase composition and subsequently on the physical and mechanical parameters of downhole cement is still very scarcely known. This research, which is part of a Ph.D. program of Montanuniversität Leoben on H2 production and storage, aims to contribute to a better fundamental understanding of this issue.

Real-Time Monitoring of the Effect of CO2 on the Cement Sheath

Time Frame: In Progress - July 2022

The increasing interest of our Partners in CCUS applications led the WIP-Team to the development of our Cement Testing Methodology to study the effects of supercritical CO2 on Wellbore cements. Two eries of experiments are conducted, with the first sequence consisting of micro-CT scans, mineralogical investigations and compressive strength testing. This series is correlated with the results of our in-situ test cell, which allows continuous monitoring of ongoing changes within the cement using CT-scans in regular intervals

Flow Digitalization

Start: In Progress

Displacement flow of complex fluid in a confined geometry where one fluid pushes the other fluid in the flow direction frequently occurs in many natural and industrial systems. An understanding of the displacement ability and flow characteristics of these fluids is necessary to design and monitor the performance of the unit, process, and transportation operations.

Casing Leaks

Start: ongoing, will start as Level 1

The project is focused on the behavior of different settable fluids in the Experimental Casing Leak Setup and how well they perform in a simulation of a casing leak. The goal is to find ways to improve cement or find a settable fluid that is better than cement, which would be used for the remediation of the casing leaks.

For the experiment, pipe sizes of variable lengths are used, and different settable fluid is pumped with a variable flow rate. This data will be further analyzed, and the best solution will be presented.

Method and System for Detecting Undesirable Drilling Events

Start: In Progress

Due to the recent increase in drilling operations complexity, the frequency of undesirable downhole events occurring while drilling a well is in ascend trend leading to substantial growth in nonproductive time(NPT). Consequently, overall drilling costs become sky-high, a moment in which earlier and precise detection of the downhole drilling problems becomes a crucial factor in cost reduction.
The ultimate objective of this project is to develop a arrangement and method for real time detecting and verifying the presences of the most common undesirable drilling events.

We3D Innovative Additive Manufacturing Applications in Downhole Operations

Start: In Progress

The permanent closing of wells corresponds to a major requirement of the oil and gas industry. The economic potential of achieving these closings using a downhole WAAM process is large. Thus, the feasibility of welding under high pressures, with various contaminants and limited space are conducted.
The project’s goal is to produce high-quality 3D alloy components, innovative methods and technologies using WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) at downhole conditions. All this is to be done whilst simultaneously reducing the cost, environmental impact, and time taken.

Towards Drilling Automation: A platform to plan, perform, and monitor the drilling operation automatically

Start: In Progress

The drilling industry is permanently seeking to reduce operational costs by improving the efficiency of the drilling process. The complexity and uncertainty of the drilling process and limited information during the well construction lead to difficulty in applying standard control methods and detecting and monitoring the actual ongoing state of the operation. All these represent challenges in order to achieve a fully autonomous drilling sequence.