Aref Seyyed Najafi

Oil Sands Tailings Specialist

 

M. Eng. Reservoir Engineering
PhD Candidate, Chemical Engineering

Phone: (Cell) +1 (780)788-0024
Email: arefs@ualberta.ca

Research and Teaching Interests

Prior to pursuing my graduate studies, I was engaged as a process engineer in oil and gas industry. One of leadership experiences I had was the position of a Head of Non-Predictable Accident Control Team and Safety and Fire Fighting Department with a top petrochemical company. This position involved not only strong leadership and management skills, but also evaluation and strong problem solving skills.

Another valuable experience I had was the position of a R&D consultant and a manager representative for an implementation of Quality and Environmental Management Systems (ISO9000, ISO14000) with a leading petrochemical company. My responsibilities included to conduct studies on energy management and on minimization of a gas emission for environmental safety.

It is worth mentioning that I was a founder and a managing director of an engineering service company. This also was a valuable experience in terms of leadership, financial management, administration and organization.

My industrial experience helped me to develop knowledge and skills of a large scale industrial application of an engineering science as well as a range of skills necessary for leadership responsibilities. But most importantly, I had developed a sense of connection between science and its industrial application and how the science, including the engineering science is important for development of new technologies and improving industrial outcome.

 

 2 Research Philosophy

As a result of my Ph.D. program and industrial experience, I have formed certain beliefs about the nature and role of academic research in applied science. I believe that excellent research demands long term vision, constructive collaboration, hard work, and creative thinking. Long term vision motivates the exploration of new and promising areas. However, it is the collaboration between researchers and industrial partners that produces applicable results. We cannot overcome inherent difficulties of research without persistency and hard work. However, hard work is not enough. It needs to be complemented with creative thinking to produce innovative results. 

Within this context, I desire to conduct research that is theoretically well-founded, and readily applicable to real-world applications.

 

3 Ph.D. Research Accomplishments

During the four and half years of research experience in the Oil Sands Research Group at the University of Alberta I have gained deep knowledge and expertise in areas of fluid mechanics, colloid and interface sciences and non-conventional oil production processes.

Earlier the group of Dr. Masliyah has convinced the oil sand operators that research in a university environment can lead to more efficient commercial bitumen extraction processes, as well as mathematical simulations, which are commonly used in the design of new and operation of current bitumen extraction plants.

My Ph.D. research project was concentrated on gas – bitumen interactions, particularly for possible usage of CO2 in the extraction process. My research goal was to study fundamental factors affecting gas – bitumen attachment process, which is a key factor in optimization of bitumen extraction process for high efficiency and low cost. My major contributions during this research were development of two techniques: 1) novel method of measuring electrophoretic mobility of gas nano-bubbles and 2) pressure pulse technique as a novel method for a single micro-bubble generation. Among my other contributions are 3) experimental determination and modeling of sliding velocity of a single micro-bubble and induction time measurement.

1) Novel method of measuring electrophoretic mobility of gas nano-bubbles:

In zeta potential measurements, it is a challenge to make gas bubbles remained in suspension with a very limited movement using a electrophoretic mobility method.

Using the concept of nano-bubble nucleation in a supersaturated solution, I have developed a simple and reliable method to generate a stable nano-bubble suspension.

I found that compared with other existing methods, the reproducibility of zeta potential measurement of bubbles using this method was improved significantly. With the proposed technique, zeta potential measurements of gas bubbles can become routine. Such measurements would assist in a better understanding of air bubble-bitumen attachments in bitumen extraction.

2) Pressure pulse technique as a novel method for a single micro-bubble generation:

In studies on bubble-surface interaction, the elimination of bubble deformation can be very challenging. One possibility to minimize gas bubble deformation is to reduce the size of the bubble.

I invented a pressure pulse technique to control gas flow in a micropipette. With such a set up, I was able to generate gas bubbles of desired size at the tip of the micropipette. I further analyzed properties of the gas bubbles generated with this method and discovered that a size of a bubble depends on tip size, inclination of the micropipette and other factors. This study demonstrated that the use of the pressure pulse is a convenient and reliable method to generate single micro-size bubbles.

 

3) Determination of sliding velocity of a single micro-bubble:

I have chosen bubble sliding velocity and induction time as two dynamic parameters for studies on gas bubble-flat surface interactions. I used a high speed CCD video imaging system to monitor a complete trajectory of bubble movement, from the moment of releasing of a bubble from micropipette through the movement towards an inclined solid collector surface and until the moment, when the bubble contacted the collector surface. Using software all observations were converted to numerical values for sliding velocity and induction time.

I was able to show that the sliding velocity of gas bubbles under an inclined collector surface is a strong function of water chemistry, type of gases and other factors. These studies provided excellent information on gas-bitumen interaction that would assist in the understanding of gas-bitumen attachment under diverse conditions. 

Main oil/target of this research was comparison of CO2 gas bubble and other gases such as air, oxygen and hydrogen, for possible application in flotation process and oilsands extraction. The chemical interaction of CO2 bubble and bitumen and solid surface was a part of this challenge.

Outcomes of my Ph.D. research include 8 first-author research papers published or under review in some of the most reputable journals and conference materials in this field. Some of these publications outline novel technologies and methods, which are extensively used as a part of experimental approaches and teaching materials in our department since then.

 

4 Present  Research  interests

My present research interests include: 1. CO2 capture and reuse, 2. Oil/tar sands extraction and 3. Emulsion stability.

Relevance: In spite of all the achievement and progress in research areas of open pit mining and in situ operations, there are several issues, which remain to be clarified in order to move forward in technological development. Some examples of the challenges are:

  • cost of operation and maintenance;

  • overall recovery;

  • water use, energy use & natural gas dependence;

  • air emissions;

  • environmental footprint.

These factors lead to the necessity to improve current technologies or to develop new form of sustainable energy. Production from heavy oil resources and oilsands processing is linked to CO2 emission as well as requires enormous amount of water and energy resources. It is my goal to use combination of my knowledge and experience to establish a quality research on valuable subjects such as (i) CO2 capture and reuse for enhanced oil recovery process; (ii) improvement of oil/tar sands extraction technologies and (iii) mechanism of breaking the emulsion stability during oil separation processes. Each of these research subjects is summarized below. I would expect outcomes of my research to be not only of great interest and application on industrial scale but also improve the quality of industrial technologies in terms of economy and environment.

 

4-1 CO2 Capture and reuse

4-1-1 Rationale: Conversion of oil sands bitumen to crude oil, and refining of conventional crude oils require large amounts of energy as well as release large amounts of CO2 into the environment.

As it was mentioned earlier, gas emission still remains one of the major challenges in oil and gas industry. Earlier CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) was developed to control the CO2 level. One of successful cases was the operation of the Sleipner project in Norway, where injection of some 10 million tons of CO2 without leakage was reported. Another case is IEA GHC Weyburn Midale CO2 storage and monitoring project in Canada, where 5 million tons of CO2 were injected into a depleted oil field.

These examples suggest that a research on increase of productivity in the area of CO2 capture and reuse is a promising study field not only in terms of saving energy and environment but also in term of successful industrial outcomes.

I would divide the research on CO2 capture and reuse in 2 phases:

1-      Development of novel methods and techniques to capture the CO2. My deep understanding and knowledge of the operation process in the oil/targeted industries are assets for carrying out this research.

2-      Reuse of captured and collected CO2 for enhanced oil recovery purposes for both, heavy oil and conventional oil reservoirs, Vapor Extraction (VAPEX) or Expanding Solvent - SAGD (ES-SAGD)  for heavy oil production and CO2  flooding in order to produce remaining hydrocarbon in the depleted reservoirs.

4-1-2 Objectives: The objectives of this research are: (i) to capture and control green house gas emissions; (ii) to support interests in longer-term development of natural resources, such as oil, gas, coal, oil sands; and (iii) to turn a waste into a resource by enhanced oil recovery and enhanced gas recovery.

4-1-3 Research Plan:

Phase 1:

1a. Experimental research on CO2 capture using different separation techniques including absorption, adsorption, membrane. Identification of an optimal method is expected.

1b. Lab-scale design and development of a pilot plant to capture CO2 from flue or vent gas or air. This can be planned as below:

  • Development of new technique or improving existing methods applicable to oil and gas and coal industry applications;

  • Characterization of proposed technique and determination of adaptability of the technique under operating conditions;

  • Process engineering analysis of oil/targeted industry processes dealing with gas separation;

  • Assessment of CO2 separation in oil/targeted industry with respect to energy and the environment;

  • Setting up a lab-scale operational pilot plant to evaluate performance and demonstration; and, in case of success, commercializing the technique.

Phase 2:

Planning towards managing captured gas and possible reuse of it would be a parallel project. This would be concentrated on:

  • CO2-reservoir fluids interactions, such as miscibility and solubility at different reservoir and operation conditions;

  • CO2-Solid surface interactions and effect of CO2 on solid surface wettability and porous media chemistry;

  • Effect of CO2 on fluid flow parameters, such as permeability and capillary pressure;

  • Setting up a lab scale reservoir pilot to mimic the CO2 flooding;

  • Predicting output of such EOR operation with reservoir simulation software and experimental data.

 

 4-2 Oil/tar sands extraction

4-2-1 Rationale: Oil/tar sands (also referred as oilsands) are a combination of clay, sand, water and bitumen. Oil/tar sands and bitumen cannot be pumped from the ground in its natural state. Therefore in-situ techniques SAGD and VAPEX are used for oil/tar sands extraction and bitumen production. Much of the world's oil (more than 2 trillion barrels) is in the form of oil/tar sands.

Oil/tar sands can be processed and extracted by: CHWE (Clark Hot Water Extraction Process); OSLO HWE (Oslo Hot Water Extraction Process); OSLO CWE (Oslo Cold Water Extraction Process); AOSTRA-Takiuk Process; ZEFTE (Zero Fine Tailings Extraction Process); BITMIN (Counter Current Desander Process) and other processes.

All these processes have energy usage and storage associated problems. In particular, there are requirements of thermal and/or mechanical energy in the process as well as requirement for indefinite storage space because of large quantities of generated tailings. Another important issue is an environmental concern: storage and containment of the waste waters, which contain generated toxic naphthenates, oil residues, and fine tailings, has become an integral part of the process.

4-2-2 Objectives: To find alternative and more efficient solutions for current energy, storage and environment associated problems in oil/tar sands processing and bitumen extraction industry through establishing fundamental research and analyzing novel and existing approaches.

4-2-3 Research Plan:

  • Identification and characterization of sand, fines, clays and bitumen;

  • Detailed study of bitumen liberation and an effect of wettability alteration on liberation rate;

  • Optimization of physical and chemical conditions of the bitumen-sand separation process;

  • Assessing, risks, problems and validity of laboratory results on an industrial scale.

 

4-3 Emulsions stability

4-3-1 Rationale: Oil emulsions can occur in oilsands extraction and heavy oil production and can lead to many production problems including difficulties in the separation of oil and water in production facilities in oilsands extraction and formation blockage in heavy oil production. These emulsions can be very stable due to the presence of rigid films formed by polar compounds such as asphaltenes and resins, and other fine solids. Effective separation of crude oil and water is essential to ensure the quality of separated phases at the lowest cost. Crude-oil dehydration is generally accomplished by a combination of mechanical, electrical, thermal and chemical methods. The addition of chemical additives is by far the most common method for emulsion breaking: the chemicals disrupt the interfacial film and enhance emulsion breaking.

4-3-2 Objectives: To understand the mechanism of emulsion stability phenomena and to provide recommendations for reduction of treatment costs and optimization of the oil-water separation in the field.

4-3-3 Research Plan:

  • In-depth analyzing the main physicochemical properties of emulsions and characterization of the behavior and composition of emulsion samples;

  • Determination of bulk properties (viscosity, density) and chemical composition of the crude oils;

  • Determination of salinity and geochemical analysis of separated water;

  • Characterization of residual emulsions using, for example, Karl Fisher titration to determine the water content; DSC, optical microscopy and/or cryo-scanning electron microscope (cryo-SEM) to assess the size and polydispersity of the dispersed droplets;

  • Determination of stability of chemical demulsifies in residual emulsions;

  • Determination of rheological behavior and fine solids content of emulsions;

  • Determination of viscoelasticity properties of the films and interfacial tension measurements.

 

5 Summary of Research statement

My goal is to establish a quality research in the area of chemical and petroleum engineering with particular emphasis on the following areas: (i) CO2 capture and reuse, (ii) oil/tar sands processing and bitumen extraction; (iii) emulsions stability. My industrial background and graduate training in the wide area of chemical and petroleum engineering allow me to establish a connection between challenges in current industrial technologies including their impact on the environment with possible solutions that in many cases can be found through fundamental research followed by laboratory and industrial applications. It is therefore no wonder that many basic research projects in universities can be highly supported by industrial companies. The research subjects described above raise and try to find solutions to many actual industrial challenges. Therefore industrial collaboration and financial support to promote such studies would be highly expected. These in turn would lead to quality training of research personnel and production of valuable publications necessary for the excellence in academic environment.

 

6 teaching Philosophy

Most of my present teaching involves instructing undergraduate and graduate students in the mass transfer, chemical reactor analysis and chemical engineering laboratory. The goal of my teaching is to train knowledgeable, accountable and professional engineering students. Whenever possible, I try to use my industrial background to show similarities and differences between an engineering laboratory and a large-scale industrial facility.

I like to raise a question and to engage the students to participate in discussions and solutions. We spend a great deal of time at my white board discussing derivations and analyzing data. In my opinion, this is the time when the most long-lasting learning takes place. I make sure that my students see a big picture but at the same time connect fundamental science and applied techniques. When a student sees the way in which quantitative theory relates to his/her own work, the concepts become an integral part of how they perceive the world from that point forth. I consider this the most important contribution that I can make.

I often receive positive feedbacks from my students in support of my teaching goals and methods.

 

7 teaching background

2005 – 2008    Teaching Assistant at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alberta. Courses:

·         CHE 318 (Mass Transfer);

·         CHE 354 (Chemical Reactor Analysis);

·         CHE 351 (Chemical Engineering Laboratory);

·         CHE 454 (Chemical Engineering Project Laboratory).

 

1992 – 1996    Teaching Assistant at the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum University of Technology, Iran. Courses:

·         Rock and Fluid Properties;

·         Petroleum Geology;

·         Physics.

 

1994 - 1995     Part-time teacher of Algebra at Banitorf High School, Ahwaz, Iran.

 

 

8 Present teaching interests

8-1 Oil/tar Sands Engineering

It is when Dr. Masliyah has convinced the oil sand companies that research in a university environment can lead to more efficient commercial bitumen extraction processes that the Oil Sands Research Group was established at the University of Alberta. For a long time it was the only academia-based oil sands research unit in North America. These days the University of Alberta is still one of very few who offers oil sands engineering course. Among 50 graduates in Oil Sands Research Group under supervision of Dr. Masliyah 5 individuals are on faculty in internationally recognized top universities.

I am offering to establish, to teach and to lead the course “Fundaments of Oilsands Extraction”, which is essential for education in Oil Sands Engineering. In addition I would love to teach following related courses:

·         Advanced Fluid Mechanics;

·         Colloids and Interfaces;

·         Fluid Particle Dynamics.

 

8-2 Petroleum Engineering

My degrees in Petroleum Engineering (B.Sc.) and Petroleum Reservoir Engineering (course-based M.Eng.) in combination with my industrial expertise in petroleum and gas engineering granted me with competence to teach a broad range of subjects in petroleum engineering.

I am interested in the teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Petroleum Engineering. Some of particular areas of interest for me are:

  • Heavy Oil Recovery;

  • Petroleum Reservoir Fluids;

  • Petroleum Production Operations;

  • Enhanced Oil Recovery;

  • Fundamental Reservoir Engineering;

  • Water Flooding.

 

It is worth mentioning that during enrollment in the Instructional Skills Teaching Program at the University of Alberta, I have mastered specifications of the teaching and classroom environment at North American Universities.

 

9 Summary of Teaching statement

My extensive knowledge and skills in chemical engineering acquired during my Ph.D. research and teaching in the University of Alberta, in combination with an excellent school of course-based M.Eng. Program in Petroleum engineering in the University of Calgary, which I completed with excellent credentials, are comprised in a strong experience, which gives me a confidence to teach in a wide area from Chemical to Petroleum Engineering in the top universities worldwide. In addition, my experiences in academic and industrial environments helped me to develop a vision of a strong scholar/industrial fellow and a role model with deep knowledge and sharp problem solving skills. I take this vision into consideration in preparation for my teaching classes and to facilitate the professional growing of my students.

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