About this Workshop

Abstract

The ability to detect and manipulate materials at the nanoscale level has enabled a great deal of advancement in disciplines that span from biology to engineering. There are many opportunities where nanotechnology can make an impact in oil and gas exploration and production technology. In this workshop, we will focus on exploring the concept of reservoir nanoagents, which has emerged in recent years as one of the promising areas for the application of nanotechnology. Nanoagents can be passive or active. These are intended to roam the hydrocarbon reservoir, reporting about its properties and supporting discovery procedures and recovery processes. Progress in developing reservoir nanoagents should be accelerated in a number of key areas to facilitate its adoption in the field.

This workshop will focus on finding the means to address fundamental challenges in the realisation of the reservoir nanoagents’ concept. Key points for discussion include:

• Understanding the colloidal stability challenge in a variety of formations and reservoir fluids
• Identifying and proposing solutions to mobility and retention issues in the reservoir medium
• Assessing the state-of-the-art in the field, including emerging industry standards for estimating field relevance from laboratory tests
• Managing reservoir nanoagents scalability for field use and application
• Determining the extent to which the E&P industry can draw upon lessons learnt from other industries (e.g. biomedical imaging field)
• Sharing current progress in reservoir nanoagent development and field experimentation
• Developing approaches for real-time nanoagents detection and readout
• Exploring other potential applications such as mapping hydraulic fractures, formation damage, as well as matrix permeability, wettability and saturation conditions in heterogeneous formations

Who Should Attend

• Drilling, Production, and Reservoir engineering specialists and waterflood practitioners looking to design the next generation drilling, completion, stimulation, and EOR Fluids and tracer programs
• Colloids and material scientists and researchers seeking R&D opportunities in a challenging but highly rewarding field in the upstream oil and gas
• Advanced materials and specialty chemical manufacturers seeking R&D and business opportunities in a high-growth, high-value arena

 

Workshop Guidelines

Format

Three (3) days of informal discussions prompted by selected keynote presentations and discussions. Workshops maximise the exchange of ideas among attendees and presenters through brief technical presentations followed by extended Q&A periods. Focused topics attract an informed audience eager to discuss issues critical to advancing both technology and best practices. The majority of the presentations are in the form of case studies, highlighting engineering achievements and lessons learnt. In order to stimulate frank discussion, no proceedings are published and the press is not invited to attend.

Documentation

• Proceedings will not be published; therefore, formal papers and handouts are not expected from speakers.
• Work in progress, new ideas, and interesting projects are sought.
• Professionally-prepared visual aids are not required; handwritten view graphs are entirely acceptable.
• Note-taking by participants is encouraged.

Attendance

Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Steering Committee encourages attendance from those who can contribute to the workshop most effectively either in discussions or with posters. A mix of attendees in terms of geographic origin, companies, and disciplines will be encouraged.

Workshop Deliverables

• The Steering Committee will appoint a “scribe” to record the discussions and to produce the full workshop report for SPE.
• This report will be circulated to all attendees as the workshop deliverable within 4–6 weeks following the workshop. The copyright of the report is with SPE.
• PowerPoint presentation materials will be posted on a specific SPE URL address after the workshop. Provision of the materials by the speakers will signify their permission for SPE to do so.

Commercialism

In keeping with workshop objectives and the SPE mission, commercialism in posters or presentations will not be permitted. Company logos must be limited to the title slide and used only to indicate the affiliation of the presenter and others involved in the work.

Attendance Certificate

All attendees will receive an attendance certificate attesting to their participation in the workshop. This certificate will be provided in exchange for a completed Workshop Questionnaire.

Continuing Education Units

Attendees at this workshop qualify for SPE Continuing Education Units (CEU) at the rate of 0.1 CEU per hour of the workshop.