Supervisors - Prof. David Flynn, Heriott Watt University and Prof. Rebecca Cheung, University of Edinburgh
PhD Student - Jamie Blanche, Heriot-Watt University
Status - Closed
Bots in Rocks will design and develop both a new in-rock sensor technology and an innovative deformation tracking sensor system. These will significantly increase quality and quantity of descriptors for quantification of petroleum reservoir rock deformation and of fluid flow responses; both are crucial to inform efficient and economic hydrocarbon reservoir production. These advances apply equally to subsurface carbon storage. Current experimental capabilities produce sparse, typically post-test data that is difficult, expensive and time consuming to obtain. In terms of in-situ sensing “Bots in Rocks” will develop intelligent nanoparticles that are tailored to react to their immediate local environment, thereby, providing data on fluid flow and pore fluid conditions. The “bots” will be used in the laboratory under realistic subsurface conditions. To analyse the entire rock sample in real-time, an innovative radar based sensor will be used to monitor and track rock deformation. A tuneable radar system will enable the detection of defects of varying size, and through signal processing techniques, will be able to track crack propagations and deformation zone localisations. Individually and collectively, the two sensor developments will provide access to new and previously inaccessible data, significantly increasing data density, data quality and experimental throughput. This data will directly (for rocks studied) and indirectly (through better scientific knowledge) upgrade the basic building blocks of hydrocarbon reservoir management, It is difficult to overestimate the potential impact of this study and follow-on projects: The increased knowledge gained from Bots in Rocks will allow improved design and placement of injection and production wells, and decrease the risk of over or under design of surface facilities. This will in turn improve both productivity and recovery factors and thereby represents a potentially transformational opportunity for the oil and gas industry.