Research

Research Facilities

Established in 1984, the Petroleum Development Laboratory (PDL) is a state of the art research laboratory conducting energy related research at the 海角论坛. The primary function of PDL is to explore the various aspects of enhanced oil and gas recovery research. In addition to addressing the unique challenges confronting the petroleum industry, it provides excellent laboratories to supplement petroleum engineering courses.

Research Areas

Reservoir characterization, modeling and simulation

Alaska has a wide range of conventional and unconventional energy resources. UAF's petroleum engineering faculty conduct applied and fundamental research aimed at better understanding of the distribution, character and behavior of these reservoirs. Ongoing projects include:

  • frozen reservoirs
  • Modeling fluvial reservoirs of Cook Inlet
  • Reservoir behavior of low temperature geothermal reservoirs
  • CO2 sequestration and EOR

Rock and Fluid Properties

Understanding the behavior of both the host rock and the reservoir fluid is critical for maximizing the productivity of the reservoir. Research on rock and fluid properties includes:

  • Relative permeability of frozen reservoirs
  • Solid organic deposition and flow assurance of reservoir fluids
  • PVT/phase behavior and compositional analysis
  • Gas hydrates
  • Viscous and heavy oil

(Contact: Dr. A. Dandekar)

Drilling and Completions

UAF faculty work with the Alaska petroleum industry on drilling techniques used and problems encountered in Alaska's extreme environment.
These topics include:

  • Optimization of drilling fluids for coiled tube and horizontal drilling
  • D
    evelopment and testing of drag reducing fluids, surfactant and polymeric fluids, slurries and foams
  • Development of effective low and high temperature cements

Enhanced Oil Production methods

Effective secondary and tertiary recovery methods are vital for optimizing recovery from established hydrocarbon reservoirs. UAF faculty are working with Alaskan petroleum industry to develop new techniques to enhance recovery from identified hydrocarbon resources such as heavy and viscous oil and gas hydrates.
Research topics include:

  • CO2 miscible and immiscible flooding
  • Low salinity water flooding
  • Heavy and viscous oil recovery methods
  • Gas hyd