Mukul M. Sharma (msharma@mail.utexas.edu) is the Program Manager of the Natural Gas Engineering research program.
Natural gas represents a fossil energy source of growing importance over the coming decades. Reseach is currently being conducted in these main areas: gas condensate reservoirs, tight gas sands, and naturally fractured reservoirs.
Research Projects
Mapping of In-Situ Velocity Field - Quoc P. Nguyen
A novel gas tracer method has been introduced for the first time to visualize
the in-situ velocity distribution of a gas mixture. This method has been
successfully used in the determination of stationary gas in porous media during
the injection of a gas or a dispersed gas-liquid system. It overcomes major
limitations encountered in the conventional tracer method (i.e. based on the
effluent analysis), such as uncertainties in the description of medium
heterogeneity. This method has also found potential applications in: (1)
understanding better dispersion phenomena in porous media, (2) characterization
of heterogeneity, and (3) determination of directional permeability to gases.
Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (ECBM) - Quoc P. Nguyen
Nitrogen and CO2 ECBM appears to be among significant recent developments in
enhanced hydrocarbon recovery. However, this technology is still under
development due to major challenges faced at both field and laboratory levels.
Laboratory investigation suffers from swelling of coal samples during CO2
injection that challenges the characterization of coupled processes of CO2
absorption and CH4 desorption. In the field, the magnitude of the coal-bed
methane and CO2 sequestration potential critically depends on assumptions with
respect to the availability of suitable coal seams and the extent to which CO2
may replace coal-bed methane. This project is aimed at a better understanding
of these aspects, thus providing a better guideline for the process design and
operation at the field level. It is mainly focused on the characterization of
the gas sorption processes under non-equilibrium conditions, the effect of
water saturation and wettability change on productivity and quality of
produced methane, and simulation of ECBM using more sophisticated geological
models.
Related Research
Well Deliverability in Gas Condensate Reservoirs - Joint Industry Sponsored project, Principal Investigators: Gary A. Pope and Mukul M. Sharma
The main objectives are: (1) to more accurately predict the productivity of
gas condensate wells, (2) to develop strategies for remediation of productivity
impairment, and (3) to develop tools and methods for optimal reservoir
performance. This compositional simulation image shows condensate banks forming
near gas-condensate wells operating below the dew point pressure. The
productivity is often reduced by a factor of 2 or 3 due to the liquid blockage
of the gas caused by condensate as well as water.Please see the Well Deliverability in Gas Condensate Reservoirs page for more information.
The Physical Behavior and Numerical Solution of Enriched-Gas Drives
Well Testing
Planned Research Initiatives
- Gas Hydrates
- Coal Bed Methane