Mudit Vajpayee | Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (original) (raw)

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Conference Presentations by Mudit Vajpayee

15th World Renewable Energy Congress , 2016

Historically, the coproduced brine has been an inconvenience and a disposal issue for oilfield op... more Historically, the coproduced brine has been an inconvenience and a disposal issue for oilfield operators and it is estimated that an average of 25 billion barrels of hot brine is produced annually from oil and gas wells within the United States alone. This paper focuses on brine or coproduced fluids (hot aqueous fluids produced during oil and gas production) as a potential source for electricity generation, which could be generated from the thermal energy available in the produced fluid using Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plants. A study has been done on the feasibility of applying this process in Kalol Field, North Cambay Basin. Two wells, KL-#A1 and KL-#A2 drilled in K-XII sand were selected based on their high water-cut and bottom-hole temperature (BHT), a prerequisite for the application of this technology. Reservoir temperature of K-XII sand is 82 oC at 1470m. Organic Rankine Cycle Power Plant was proposed to utilize thermal energy of their well fluid to generate electricity. Study and compilation of all possible factors that determine the efficiency of this plant was carried out. ORC plant uses a closed cycle to generate electricity with R245fa (Pentafluoropropane) as working fluid. Problems existing with the use of coproduced fluids were identified and their solutions developed. K-XII sand is the bottom-most pay-zone of the multi-layered Kalol oil field and has favorable reservoir temperature and wells drilled in that have a good geothermal gradient for application of this technology. The flow rate of Co-produced hot water was 341 BOWPD, combined from the two wells. From wellhead, the well fluid stream passes to KnockOut Drum (KOD). After separation through KnockOut Drum and Filters, the temperature of the water was measured to be 67 oC, decreasing a 10% from wellhead temperature of 75 oC and 35 oC was set as rejection temperature of the fluid, exiting the ORC plant. Inlet temperature of brine entering the ORC power plant was around 65 oC. Using correlation developed by 2006 MIT study, cycle efficiency came to be 3.75%. It was calculated around 3 KW of electric power could be generated on-field using above ORC plant, which could be used to offset on-field electricity consumption or can be supplied to local grid. After success of initial phase, this technology could be up-scaled to apply on entire Kalol field (from just 2 wells) and determine electricity generation potential of entire Kalol field, which would be much higher and economical, by application of this technology. This can provide an attractive payback at oil and gas sites where cost of power leans on the higher side, and where producers see the environmental value in electricity from waste heat, either as a public relations benefit or acting on corporate social responsibility metrics.

Papers by Mudit Vajpayee

Generating Electricity Using Co-Produced Brine from Oil & Gas Wells Evaluating Prospect in Mehsana Asset North Cambay Basin Gujarat

Day 1 Mon, November 14, 2016, 2016

Historically, the co-softhyphen;produced hot water has been an inconvenience and a disposal issue... more Historically, the co-softhyphen;produced hot water has been an inconvenience and a disposal issue for oilfield operators. This paper focuses on brine or coproduced fluids (hot aqueous fluids produced during oil and gas production) as a potential source for electricity generation, which could be produced from the thermal energy available in the produced fluid. Oil and Gas (O&G) industry today is in possession of thousands of established wells with known temperatures and flows which can be used for producing emissions-free and cost-competitive electricity using binary cycle units. Power generation from coproduced fluids using a binary-cycle power plant is underway at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center in Wyoming and being considered in locations in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Arkansas. Although currently there is no electricity generated from coproduced fluids in India, various studies, suggest that the oil and gas fields in the Cambay Basin basin have a promising geotherma...

Cationic/Nonionic Mixed Surfactants as Enhanced Oil Recovery Fluids: Influence of Mixed Micellization and Polymer Association on Interfacial, Rheological, and Rock-Wetting Characteristics

Energy & Fuels, 2019

American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications, 2019

In this study, the efficacy of ionic/nonionic mixed surfactant systems as a promising chemical ro... more In this study, the efficacy of ionic/nonionic mixed surfactant systems as a promising chemical route toward enhanced oil recovery applications is investigated. The critical micelle concentration of the (CTAB + Tween 60) surfactant system was confirmed using conductivity studies and surface tensiometry. Thermodynamic analyses revealed that both adsorption and micellization processes in mixed surfactant compositions are more pronounced/effective as compared to pure surfactant solutions. Addition of polymer resulted in improved micellar stability in mixed surfactant systems by steric interactions. Ultralow interfacial tension values were obtained for mixed surfactant systems using a spinning drop technique. In the presence of carboxymethylcellulose (polymer), the viscosity of surfactant slugs are improved, leading to sweep efficiency during oil displacement process. Viscoelasticity investigations reveal that elastic modulus (G′) dominate over viscous modulus (G″) at an angular frequency of >1 rad/s, showing their capability to displace trapped oil through low permeability regions. Mixed surfactant solutions exhibit favorable sessile drop spreading onto oil-saturated rock surfaces and alter wetting characteristics to the water-wet state. Surfactant adsorption onto sand reduced significantly in mixed surfactant systems. Flooding studies revealed that nearly 20% of the original oil in place was recovered by (mixed surfactant/polymer) chemical fluid injection after a conventional secondary recovery process. In summary, mixed surfactant + polymer fluids constitute an effective driving fluid for the extraction of crude oil previously trapped within mature petroleum reservoirs.

Search for a new fracturing fluid as an alternative to water is one of the biggest researches bei... more Search for a new fracturing fluid as an alternative to water is one of the biggest researches being carried out in the Oil & Gas Industry. And with countries increasingly shifting to unconventional resources especially Shale Gas resources (considering the recent shale gas developments in all major countries) following the Shale Gas boom in US, this search becomes more significant. This paper presents a novel reservoir fracturing technique using 100% liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that has demonstrated quick and complete fracture fluid recovery, significant production improvements and dramatically longer effective fracture lengths with almost no usage of water. A thorough literature survey was done to analyze all the suggested alternatives to water as fracturing fluid and their relative benefits and shortcomings. The process was suggested only after this analysis. The process gels the LPG using Diester Phosphoric Acid for efficient fracture creation and proppant transport. However, once the fracture treatment is complete and the viscosity of the gelled LPG is broken, the unique properties of LPG create an ideal fluid for complete cleanup; hence removal of this fluid from the invaded zone is easily achieved along with the hydrocarbons. Following conventional hydraulic fracture treatments, effective fracture lengths are frequently observed to be much less than anticipated fracture lengths. This is seen in lower than expected production or evidenced in PVT analysis results. A precursor to the poor fracture performance is poor recovery of the fracturing fluid; often less than 50% is recovered during clean-up. In many reservoirs this unrecovered fracturing fluid remains immobile within the formation creating an obstruction to flow. This significantly compromises effective frac length and results in decreased production. This paper presents the details as to how fracturing using LPG Gel process - creates more effective fracture lengths, enabling higher initial and long term production of the well, greatly improves the recovery and upto 100% recovery of the fracturing fluid is possible, usage of water is minimized upto 0% and hence all water related problems to conventional fracturing process is solved. This process if further developed and accepted offers production, economic and

Combating climate change by mitigation of release of the anthropogenic greenhouse gases has attra... more Combating climate change by mitigation of release of the anthropogenic greenhouse gases has attracted worldwide attention towards research and policy formulations. One such approach is the geological sequestration of carbon dioxide, known as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a large scale solution to climate change, consider to have significant potential on curbing CO2 emissions. Fossil fuels will continue to be our main energy source for decades to come, and CCS can contribute with as much as 55% of the emissions reductions needed to stabilize climate change at an average of +2oC. Industry is already exploring various CCS technologies.
This paper will firstly discuss examples of various CO2 capture technologies currently in use and in development. It will also discuss various industrial sources and sequestration options. This paper also presents the technological advancement to CCS i.e. carbon recycling, which is the electro-reduction of carbon dioxide (ERC), which aims to take CO2 directly from industrial waste gases and convert it to formate salts and/or formic acid; both valu¬able chemicals used in a variety of industrial applications.
CCS is, however, suffering from a lack of maturity in terms of frame conditions, technology, economy, infrastructure and common acceptance criteria. A key factor is development and implementation of a regulatory framework that allows a market and business to emerge, depending on financial incentives through various mitigation policies and mechanisms. The framework for CO2 storage should require an integrated risk management throughout the life cycle of a CCS
project, i.e. from initial site selection, design and construction, operation including monitoring, reporting and verification, up to closure and post-closure requirements.

The paper will address these uncertainties and risks more in depth.
The viability of a carbon capture and sequestration industry will also be dependent upon the costs of capturing CO2 from industrial and natural sources. This raises the question: what are the potential costs of capturing industrial CO2? A source-to-sink analysis (Literature Survey) was done to estimate the total cost of capturing and transporting CO2 from a variety of industrial sources to potential sequestration sites. These include concentrated sources, such as ammonia and ethanol plants, as well as less-concentrated sources including power plants. The considered sequestration sites include value options such as enhanced oil and gas recovery projects, pressure maintenance in gas reservoirs, as well as sequestration in saline aquifers, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and other geologic media.
This paper hence will provide estimates of CO2 pipeline transportation costs at various distances between sources and sinks. Finally, the paper will discuss the total estimated cost, inclusive of capture, compression, and transportation, at which the CO2 can be sold to operators of enhanced oil recovery projects or other industries which could utilize the CO2. This analysis concluded that CO2 can be captured and transported approximately 100 miles at costs ranging between 1and1 and 1and3.50 per thousand cubic feet.

Given the increase of commodity prices in recent years, concerns over energy security and widenin... more Given the increase of commodity prices in recent years, concerns over energy security and widening adoption of carbon emission pricing, renewables are well positioned to play growing role in global energy mix. Geothermal energy is on the face of it. By harnessing the heat of the earth, geothermal power plants tap into a virtually inexhaustible and continuous source of energy, using a small footprint facility to provide base load electricity that is virtually CO2 and waste free. Geothermal energy is a renewable source of electricity that has the same important base load qualities coal now provides for over two thirds of the electric power generation at a fraction of the cost.

15th World Renewable Energy Congress , 2016

Generating Electricity Using Co-Produced Brine from Oil & Gas Wells Evaluating Prospect in Mehsana Asset North Cambay Basin Gujarat

Day 1 Mon, November 14, 2016, 2016

Cationic/Nonionic Mixed Surfactants as Enhanced Oil Recovery Fluids: Influence of Mixed Micellization and Polymer Association on Interfacial, Rheological, and Rock-Wetting Characteristics

Energy & Fuels, 2019

American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications, 2019