Lab Facility

High-pressure and high-temperature equipment to measure and model rock-fluid interactions during operations such as Enhanced Oil Recovery, Underground Hydrogen and CO2 Storage, and Hydraulic Fracturing. 

HPHT Core Flooding Apparatus

The core flooding system is designed to perform tests on core plug samples to aid the reservoir engineer in determining the effect of chemical products on the recovery or the flow path of fluids in different samples. Some of the tests available with the system include liquid permeability, effective permeability, and acidization test that involve flowing fluids that are compatible with the materials of construction. Maximum confining pressure and pore pressure can be up to 700 bars or 10,000 psig. Temperature can be up to 150°C or 300°F maximum. The system can handle core samples with 1 and 1.5 inches in diameter and core length up to 6 inches.

The main components of the system are dual-injection pumps, two accumulators, confining and back pressure pumps, hydrostatic core holder, heating systems, back pressure regulator, pressure transducers, differential pressure transducers, and electrical connections. The pressure control system including oven, pumps, valves, core holder, and transducers are mounted on specific cabinets. 

HPHT Visualization Cell

This visualization cell is custom designed specifically for the University of Alberta base in our unique testing needs. The visualization cell is designed to allow a fluid to hydrostatically load and penetrate a rock sample. The cell is equipped with sight glasses at either end of the sample for viewing sample and fluid. The subsystems that make up this system include:

1. Visualization Cell 
2. Imaging System
3. Panel Assembly

The system includes a single core holder with two 2.1-inch diameter optical grade sight glasses at opposing ends to allow for imaging of the core during the experiment. The visualization cell has 2 inlets/outlets on the top and bottom of the cell. These inlets/outlets are plumped to isolation valves on the panel assembly. There is 1 additional port on the side of the cell to allow connection of a thermocouple. A pressure relief valve is also connected to the inlet/outlet lines to prevent over-pressurization of the cell. The maximum operating pressure and temperature of the system are 6,000 psig and 200C, respectively.

HPHT Reactor

This setup is a reactor which is mainly composed of a reaction chamber, mixer, heating jacket, and a control system for adjusting the temperature and rotational rate of the mixer. We measure the liquid viscosities of mixtures of carbon dioxide, C1, C2, C3, and C4 with bitumen over a wide range of solvent solubilities and temperatures using this reactor.

The setup includes a high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) reactor. The reactor has a thermal jacket to maintain a constant temperature. The reactor is equipped with a mixer to accelerate equilibration. A controller provides readouts of the cell pressure and temperature.

Spinning Drop Tensiometer (KRUSS)

Microemulsions are widely used in application fields such as enhanced oil recovery. As mixtures of liquids, their tendency to form and stay stable is characterized by the interfacial tension (IFT). This spinning drop tensiometer helps to precisely measure very low IFT of microemulsion/oil systems.

In this equipment, a rotating drop in a bulk phase is deformed into a shape governed by the IFT, which is calculated by image analysis. This system is equipped with quick and easy to use sample handling, flexible heating options as well as a drop-tracking camera.

Viscometer

To measure liquid viscosity under atmospheric pressure, we use Brookfield Cone/Plate Viscometer. The geometry of this instrument gives researchers a sophisticated instrument for routinely determining absolute viscosity of fluids in small sample volumes.

This viscometer provides a wide variety of shear rates and viscosity ranges, which can be further extended using interchangeable cone spindles. Only small sample volume of around 2 cc is required that permits rheological evaluations to be made on materials where sample availability is limited. Due to the small sample size, set temperatures up to 200oC can be achieved rapidly.