DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Efficient cuttings transport and hole cleaning is very important for obtaining an effective drilling operation. In inclined and horizontal drilling, hole cleaning issues is a common and complex problem. This project explains the impact of various drilling parameters and how they affect the required flow velocity and flow rate required for effective cuttings transport, cuttings transport is controlled by many variables such as well inclination angle, hole and drill-pipe diameter, rotation speed of drill pipe (RPM), drill-pipe eccentricity, rate of penetration (ROP), cuttings characteristics like cuttings size and porosity of bed and drilling fluids characteristics like flow rate, fluid velocity, flow regime, mud type and non - Newtonian mud rheology.
The following existing models were used which includes Larsen, Rubiandini, Moore, Hopkin, zeidler model, analysis was made on them based on the same parameters and prediction was obtained from the analysis, parameters used included ROP, mud weight, cutting size and mud rheology
The analysis shows that the larsens model gave the best slip velocity for lifting cuttings and effective hole cleaning.
The larsens model was therefore improved to get better results.

Multiphase flow is defined as the simultaneous flow of two or more phases (e.g., gas, oil, water, or solid). When operating petroleum production facilities such as pipelines, this is a normal flow. As a result of complexity, the physical phenomenon governing them than that of single-phase flow, a production engineer's ability to effectively conduct a research on this system would necessitate a thorough understanding of the system to aid in its optimal operation. The study's objective is to create a CFD model using the ANSYS version 19.1 platform, validate the model with experimental data, and review studies and the employed model to estimate the critical velocity of a sand particle in a slurry flow and the particle's erosional effect for a pipe of a particular diameter (0.07m) Based on literature reviews and comparative studies, the Eulerian model with Reynold Stress Model (RSM) turbulence closure was chosen as the best model to analyze multiphase fluid flow. The research combines validation work in all feasible scenarios to evaluate the creation of the CFD model with a parametric analysis to look at the effects of various factors on particle deposition. Pipe diameters of 0.02 – 0.07m, continuous phase flow rates of 0.1-1 m/s, and other parameters were investigated. In conclusion, ANSYS version 19.1 platform is a valid way of analyzing multiphase flow in pipelines, proven using historical experimental data. Laminal flow is suitable for suitable fine particle and yields minimal erosion when its velocity is above the particle critical velocity. While coarse particles are transmitted by turbulence flow, with reducing erosion as the velocity increases above the critical velocity

As reservoir pressure declines during production, naturally flowing wells eventually require artificial lift intervention to sustain economically viable production rates. Gas lift, one of the most widely adopted artificial lift methods, operates in two primary modes: continuous and intermittent injection. Selecting the optimal mode is critical for maximizing production while minimizing operational costs, yet many operators rely on costly trial-and-error field implementations rather than systematic evaluation. This study addresses this challenge by conducting a comprehensive, simulation-based comparative analysis of intermittent and
continuous gas lift performance for a naturally flowing well using PROSPER (Production and System Performance Analysis) software. The case study well is completed at a true vertical depth of 11,500ft with 2.441-inch tubing and has a productivity index of 2.01 STB/day/psi. Under natural flow conditions, the well produces 264.2 STB/day at a reservoir pressure of 4,500 psia
representing only 6.2% of its absolute open flow potential of 4,733.8 STB/day. The model was validated through nodal analysis by matching inflow performance relationships with vertical lift performance curves. Both gas lift methods were systematically evaluated through rigorous simulation. Continuous gas lift optimization revealed a design injection rate of 4.53 MMscf/day
producing 1,369.58 STB/day, though economic considerations favored an optimized rate of 1.0 MMscf/day yielding 1,100 STB/day, representing a 76% increase over natural flow. Intermittent gas lift design employed five gas lift valves with optimized spacing and achieved dramatically superior performance: 2,827.76 STB/day at a cycle frequency of 6.76 cycles/hour with only
0.026 MMscf/day gas injection, which is a 90.7% increase over natural flow and 61.1% improvement over continuous gas lift. The results demonstrate that intermittent gas lift provides superior production performance, exceptional gas utilization efficiency, and enhanced economic value for the studied well. This study validates that systematic, simulation-based evaluation using PROSPER enables confident, data-driven artificial lift selection, eliminating costly field trail-and-error methods.

In the Niger-Delta region, one of the primary concerns for petroleum extraction is determining the most efficient and cost-effective method of oil recovery. This study focuses on comparing two popular techniques: waterflood and dumpflood. Using data from 2017 to 2020, we analyzed both methods in terms of their costs, production rates, and economic returns. The financial evaluations were conducted using metrics like Net Present Value (NPV) and Return on Investment (ROI). Results indicate that during the period studied, waterflood yielded a higher NPV and ROI than dumpflood. However, while waterflood appears to be the more economically viable option based on these metrics, other factors such as environmental impact, reservoir conditions, and operational challenges should also be considered when making a final decision. Further research and detailed examination of these techniques in different scenarios will provide a clearer picture of their long-term viability.

Hydrocarbon contamination of land, water, air, vegetation and human is a widespread global
environmental concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of goat manure
for the bioremediation of used engine oil polluted soil. 10kg soil sample was collected from a
site free of used engine oil contamination (from an agricultural land in The Department of
Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of engineering, University of Benin, Ugbowo campus, Benin
City, Edo State in Nigeria) using a 22-cm hand-dug soil auger and stored in labeled black
polythene bag. The sample was air dried, grinded and sieved through 2mm mesh before use. Before contamination, the soil sample was subjected to chemical digestion using 1:1 ratio of
0.25M hydrochloric acid and Nitric acid. Thereafter, it was characterize to determine the physio- chemical properties. The physio-chemical properties determined include; Total Heterotrophic
bacterial, Moisture content Soil, pH, Electrical conductivity, Total hydrocarbon content (THC), Total organic carbon, Total nitrogen content in addition to the soil composition including percent
sand, Total Phosphorus, Lead (Pb) and Iron (Fe). The used engine oil was added gradually into
the bowl containing the unpolluted sieved soil sample and was properly mixed. The used engine
oil was to serve as the pollutant. The soil samples were left for 4days for stabilization before the
commencement of treatment process. The experiment was monitored for a period of eight (8)
weeks under which appreciable level of remediation had been obtained. Result obtained shows
that there was a gradual increase in pH, Electrical conductivity(EC) and Total Heterotrophic
bacterial(THB), and also a gradual decrease in total nitrogen content(TNC), total organic
carbon(TOC), total phosphorus(TP), lead(Pb), Iron(Fe) and total hydrocarbon content(THC). The result explicitly showed that goat manure is a good substrate for bioremediation of used
engine oil polluted site with calculated engine oil removal efficiency of 62.67%. The kinetic
IV
modeling shows that the experimental data fitted well with pseudo-second order kinetic model. On predicting the rate of hydrocarbon loss with time the non-linear regression model gave higher
coefficient of determination of 0.9874 compared to the linear regression model that gave 0.9665.

Oil pipeline vandalism is the ugly act of drilling or cutting into the pipelines with the intent to steal its contents. Between 2010 and 2012, a total of 2,787 pipeline line breaches were reported on pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), resulting in a loss of 157.81 metric tons of petroleum products worth about N12.53 billion naira, not even
mentioning the loss of human lives, and environmental pollution. Hence there is a dire need for Nigeria's Oil pipelines to be monitored constantly and remotely, so as to checkmate these said acts of vandalism. An Arduino Uno board, a GSM/GPS module, and a Lithium ion battery pack enclosed in a sealed anti-corrosion container makes up the surveillance system. The prototype was tested on a 10m pipeline, buried 2m deep with piezo-electric pickup sensors of threshold range from 21 to 210 attached to the pipeline. The acquired analog signals are processed by the Arduino Uno controller board into a digital signal, using a customized algorithm that quantifies the vibrational activities going on at the surface. The results obtained contain sensor node positions in a pipeline network, geographic coordinates (longitude and latitude), date, time and distance. Which are transmitted as an SMS alert (using the GSM/GPS module shield) to the control station or relevant security officials for the proactive interception of vandalism activities.

The effectiveness and efficiency of “enhanced oil recovery EOR process” carried out “is” directly related “to the” increment of the reservoir inflow well performance. This Thesis adapted the Simpson rule, trapezoidal rule and equation of trendline in predicting the incremental oil from successful enhanced oil recovery processes. “Incremental oil values of Enhanced Oil Recovery projects have been obtained in the past using the” Trapezoidal rule, Simpsons rule, and equation of trendline using Microsoft excel package with both former posing “approximates the area under a curve with a straight line segment” while the later posing anti derivative of the trendline equation as an approximate value for the incremental oil. Undermining “the accuracy and significance of the incremental oil values obtained by these methods. In this work”, Simpson Rule and Trapezoidal Rule were “applied to the respective rate-time data and the concept of finite difference was introduced to account for the error term”. Experimental data was used for the analysis (Olaoye, Taiwo, & olafuyi, 2022). “Result showed more accurate predictions of Incremental oil by the” methods used in this thesis as compared to Cubic spline and Decline curve. Since, incremental oil values rightly measures the success of any EOR project by estimating accurate volumes of oil produced via such displacement mechanism, it imply that adopting the trapezoidal and Simpson Rule will aid better estimations of the economic values of projects and effective management decision making (Olaoye, Taiwo, & olafuyi, 2022). Reducing the step size(s) of the rate time curve showed more accurate results of incremental oil which is consequential in Trapezoidal rule and Simpson rule than equation of trendline, third methodology used in this thesis to fix conclusively the amount of incremental oil.

Horizontal well completions have become increasingly popular in the oil and gas industry due to their ability to access larger reservoir areas and enhance hydrocarbon recovery. However, the behavior of such wells within inclined sealing boundaries presents unique challenges and opportunities. Understanding the dimensionless pressure and derivative responses of horizontal wells in this context is crucial for optimizing reservoir management strategies.

Well testing involves carrying out investigation to ascertain the condition of a well which is intended for further production. These tests are carried out at various stages of life of the well to detect well problems which affect the productivity of a well. It simply involves measuring the parameter affecting a well and how these parameters changes with time. This is then used to predict the future performance of the well and how to best enhanced such performance. It is pertinent to carry out test on well for efficient management of the well and to be able to make better decisions as regards field operations. Several well problems such as damaged permeability, skin effect, coning problem, reduction in pressure, etc. affect the productivity of a well. The research work was carried out to determine the problems associated with a well whose history was given. The given well data was used with mathematical models to detect the state or condition of the well. Several factors affecting the life of the well were computed and these were used to improve the productivity of well From analysis of the well test data, it was seen that the well had impairment which was due to reduced permeability and thus, required stimulation for improved recovery of the hydrocarbons present. Also, there was high sand and water production which also reduced the productivity of the well. Matrix acidizing and hydraulic fracturing are two suitable stimulation methods suitable for improving the well recovery

This research presents the results of an investigation of fracture parameters and how it affects the production rate or recovery from a hydraulically fractured well. The problem that occurs without taking into consideration the important role each of these parameters play in the ultimate recover from a low permeability reservoir. In dealing with hydraulic fracturing design, it is neces sary to be able to determine the area of fracture extent to be able to calculate or estimate the productivity index of the well.
The aim of the study is to show the relationship between the fracture area which is one of the important fracture parameters and the productivity index of a well. Field data was acquired, an analytical method was applied and mathematical correlations was established to determine the parameters of interest, and Microsoft excel was employed for computational purposes to ensure error elimination. For the analysis of data, an investigation was also made to ascertain the various basic parameters and their respective values from four different wells that was fractured. Their different fracture area and productivity index were computed using the equations established and the field data acquired to attest the accuracy of the adopted correlation. Graphs were also plotted to show a clear relationship between the fracture area and productivity index. The results from the research shows that an increase in the area of fracture extent will variably increase the production rate or recovery from the well. That is the fracture area varies directly with the well’s productivity index.