RESEARCH TOPIC


Berna Hascakir
(Visiting PhD student from Middle East Technical Univ., Ankara, Turkey)
(Co-advised with Dr. S. Akin - Primary Adviser)

"Investigation of Productivity of Heavy Oil Carbonate Reservoirs and Oil Shales Using Electrical and Electromagnetic Heating Methods"


Depletion of conventional petroleum reserves and increase of hydrocarbon fuel demands require effective and economical recovery of unconventional heavy oil and bitumen resources. Therefore, I concentrate on the recovery of unconventional oil reserves (heavy oil, paraffinic oil, and oil shale) by using retort and microwave methods, experimentally. While retort is a conventional electrical heating method, microwave is a new and quick technology in order to recover unconventional reserves. I also focus on modeling the experimental results by using a commercial reservoir simulator to ascertain if these experiments can be modeled accurately. My research not only deals with the oil recovery but also the environmental aspects of the process, especially in terms of air pollution.



RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS



  1. Hascakir, B., Babadagli, T. and Akin, S.: “Experimental and Numerical Simulation of Oil Recovery from Oil Shales by Electrical Heating,” Energy and Fuels, vol. 22, no. 6, Sept. 5, 2008, 3976-3985.

  2. Hascakir, B., Babadagli, T. and Akin, S.: “Experimental and Numerical Modeling of Heavy-Oil Recovery by Electrical Heating,” SPE 117669, 2008 SPE Int. Thermal Oper. and Heavy-Oil Symp., Calgary, AB, Canada, 20-23 Oct.

  3. Hascakir, B., Babadagli, T. and Akin, S.: “Field Scale Analysis of Heavy-Oil Recovery by Electrical Heating,” accepted for publication in SPE Res. Eval. and Eng., 2009.
Berna's recent work on "Oil Recovery from Shales" (Hascakir, B., Babadagli, T. and Akin, S.: “Experimental and Numerical Simulation of Oil Recovery from Oil Shales by Electrical Heating,” Energy and Fuels, vol. 22, no. 6, Sept. 5, 2008, 3976-3985.) received remarkable attention in the media. Here are some of them and interviews with Dr. Babadagli on this subject:

  1. Biology online: New hope for tapping vast domestic reserves of oil shale

  2. Green Car Congress: Researchers Develop Process That Could Result in Higher Yield from Oil Shale).

  3. Bio-Medicine: ACS PressPac

  4. Science Daily: Proposed Extraction Process May Have Economic, Environmental Benefits

  5. e! Science News: Proposed Extraction Process May Have Economic, Environmental Benefits

  6. Chi vó non pó: Novas esperanças para a exploração de vastas reservas domésticas de xisto betuminoso

  7. Welt der Physik: Mit Eisenpartikeln wollen Forscher den Schichtgesteinen leichter die nutzbaren Ölkomponenten entreißen – gigantische Reserven locken

  8. PHYSORG.com: New hope for tapping vast domestic reserves of oil shale