Project description: Extraction of heavy oil is of increasing interest for the North Sea and worldwide. This project will aim to better understand relevant environmental science, and thereby improve the efficiency and assess the impact, of the THAI-CAPRI in-situ combustion-based, recovery process for heavy oil and bitumen deposits (such as the Athabasca tar-sands).

Improving the efficiency of THAI requires greater understanding of various types of multi-phase flow, through the heavy oil deposits, and this work also provides parameters for reservoir-scale models. The project will use CFD, Lattice-Boltzmann and Monte-Carlo simulation methods to study flow problems, particularly migration of heavy oil mobilised by heat and/or combustion gases, and injection of nanoparticulate, downhole-upgrading catalysts in the gaseous oxidant. Very little information is currently available on these types of flows for geological porous media. Obtaining this information will improve design and operation of the recovery process.

Work in collaboration with the University of Birmingham will focus on studies of pyrolysis and combustion reactions of heavy oil and bitumen within rock samples, including tar-sands and cracks within cap-rock cores (shales) to incorporate into modelling. Samples will be examined physically (e.g. XRay microtomography, TGA) and chemically (e.g. solvent extraction followed by HPLC) following reaction to determine distribution of coke and fracturing.

Applications are invited for a fully funded, 4 year NERC PhD studentship in the Fluid & Particle Process Group of the Faculty of Engineering. This award is available to UK/EU students only, due to funding restrictions.

The studentship will cover full PhD tuition fees and (for UK students) a tax-free stipend for four years.http://www.pet.hw.ac.uk/research/nerc-cdt-oil-gas-studentships.htm.  The studentship is expected to start in October 2015.

Funding Notes:

There is a deadline of 31st January 2015 for applications to the NERC CDT projects across all institutions. Interviews will be held in February - March 2015 and candidates who are offered a project must convey their decision regarding that offer to the relevant institution by 10 a.m. on Wednesday 18th March, 2015.

Details of eligibility for NERC studentships can be found in the Research Councils UK Training Grants Terms and Conditions document available at http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/funding/grantstcs/.

Students should have an excellent degree (at least 2.1 class) in an Engineering discipline, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or an Earth Sciences discipline with significant fluid mechanics content. Students should have an interest in experimental fluid mechanics and mathematical modelling. You should be enthusiastic, keen to learn and motivated. Previous experience with MatLab and/or Experimental Techniques (e.g. image analysis, data acquisition) would be an advantage.

Informal enquiries prior to making an application may be addressed to Dr Sean Rigby (sean.rigby@nottingham.ac.uk). 

Application forms and notes of guidance can be obtained online, from:http://pgstudy.nottingham.ac.uk/apply-for-postgraduate-courses.aspx and select the “Engineering Faculty” in the online application system.