Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia)

The continuous evolution of technologies in subsurface petroleum exploration and characterization makes imperative the creation of multidisciplinary up-to-date technical workflows aimed to represent complex reservoirs with robust reliability. The objective of this chapter is to promote an innovative and integrated collection of the latest technologies available for the study of naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. We assembled some of the present-day advanced technologies ranging from high-resolution digital core analysis, borehole fracture characterization, numerical deformation and geomechanics modeling, stochastic fracture modeling and the numerical simulation of dual-porosity, dual-permeability fractured reservoirs. The efficient application of robust fracture models in field development is also discussed. This chapter is intended to serve as a practical and structured handbook for professionals working on subsurface reservoir modeling, with emphasis on fractured reservoirs in the petroleum industry.

Abstract There are numerous gas-condensate fields that are maturing with rising liquid levels around the wellbores which reduces gas production and escalates corrosion. Cost-effective approaches are needed to revive and prolong gas production. Foamers are among the most inexpensive methods to remove liquid loading. Combinational foamer and corrosion inhibitor products are used to prevent corrosion and enhance productivity. However, there are many difficulties in combining different production chemicals, especially to create a stable homogeneous product for high temperatures application. In this paper, the development of combination corrosion inhibitor - foamer products that have high temperature stability above 350°F and high flash point above 45 °C are described. The products have corrosion inhibition efficiency above 75% to protect mild steel under severe sour corrosion conditions up to 300°F and partial pressures of 100 psi CO2 and 100 psi H2S. Foaming performance in different liquid compositions is discussed. In addition, the selection of candidate wells for treatment with a newly created software is introduced. The software uses liquid loading equations and incorporates the reduction of surface tension and liquid density by the combination product. Calculations for field use of the product are presented.

The safe operation of oil and gas pipelines relies on reliable detection and monitoring of internal metal loss. This study numerically and experimentally investigates the performance of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors for monitoring severe localized internal metal loss in a pipeline section, with a focus on optimal sensor placement. A defective metallic pipe segment with a wall thickness of 10 mm and localized internal metal loss of 8.3 mm was evaluated under simulated operational conditions in a flow loop setup. FBG sensors were tested and installed in three configurations: directly on the bare pipe, at the interface between the pipe and a composite wrap, and on the external surface of the wrap. An additional nearby FBG served as a reference to account for temperature and flow/pressure-induced variations. Results show that the sensor placed at the interface, bonded to the bare pipe, and protected by the wrap, exhibited the highest strain sensitivity due to metal loss. This demonstrates the potential of FBG-based sensing as a non-intrusive, real-time solution for monitoring pipeline integrity.

Abstract Global warming is primarily driven by the rapid accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising materials for mitigating CO₂ emissions due to their tunable porosity, large surface area, and structural flexibility. Among them, MIL-53(Al) has attracted widespread interest owing to its excellent thermal and chemical stability. Recent studies show that modifying MOFs with secondary metals can significantly enhance their CO₂ adsorption performance. In this work, a one-pot synthesis method was employed to incorporate calcium (Ca), functioning as a Lewis basic metal, into the MIL-53(Al) framework to produce a series of bimetallic materials: MIL-53(Al, Ca)-1, -2, and − 3. These materials were further treated with NaOH to yield MIL-53(Al, Ca, Na)-1, -2, and − 3. Introducing Ca into the framework increased the affinity toward CO₂—a Lewis acidic gas—thereby enhancing adsorption. All materials were characterised and compared with pristine MIL-53(Al). CO₂ adsorption was evaluated at 273 K under both low pressure (up to 100 kPa) and high pressure (up to 980 kPa), while N₂ adsorption was measured at 273 K and 100 kPa. N₂ uptake decreased significantly with increasing Ca content, from 0.7177 mmol·g⁻¹ for MIL-53(Al) to 0.173 mmol·g⁻¹ for MIL-53(Al, Ca)-3 and MIL-53(Al, Ca, Na)-3. Moderate Ca incorporation improved CO₂ adsorption: at 100 kPa, MIL-53(Al, Ca)-1 and MIL-53(Al, Ca, Na)-1 achieved 4.09 and 3.56 mmol·g⁻¹, respectively, compared with 2.19 mmol·g⁻¹ for MIL-53(Al). However, excessive Ca loading (samples − 3) reduced CO₂ uptake due to structural distortion and reduced surface area. Despite this, the highly Ca-modified samples (-3) exhibited superior CO₂/N₂ selectivity. These findings demonstrate that controlled Ca incorporation can tune the adsorption behaviour and separation efficiency of MIL-53-type MOFs, offering a promising pathway for designing high-performance adsorbents for CO₂ capture and CO₂/N₂ separation. Graphical Abstract

The rising demand for sustainable energy is driving attention in biomass as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. This review explores biomass composition, pretreatment methods, and main conversion technologies, including pyrolysis, gasification, and fermentation. Biochemical methods such as enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation enable bioethanol, biobutanol, and biogas production. Conversion efficiency depends on factors like feedstock properties, pretreatment methods, and reactor configurations. Thermochemical processes, particularly pyrolysis, effectively convert lignocellulosic biomass into bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. Product distribution is strongly dependent on operating parameters such as reactor type, temperature, heating rate, and biomass feedstock properties. Under optimized fast pyrolysis conditions at 450–600 °C and rapid heating with short vapor residence time, typical yields include 60–75 wt% bio-oil, 10–20 wt% biochar, and 10–25 wt% syngas. Emerging techniques, such as microwave-assisted pyrolysis, have shown promise in improving fuel quality and reducing process residues. Overall, biomass conversion technologies represent a viable pathway toward sustainable energy production, offering significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil resources.

Mixed-oxide catalysts show distinct catalytic behavior through crucial structural interactions among oxides and metals. While extensive research has focused on the individual roles of each oxide, the structural interactions in the mixed state and their role in catalytic mechanisms remain underexplored. To understand how mixed oxides alter catalytic behavior, we studied a suite of Cu-dispersed CeO2–Al2O3 catalysts in the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. Structural analyses revealed that beyond a certain ceria loading, further addition led to negligible nanostructural ceria evolution, marking the saturation of additional CeO2–Al2O3 interfacial structure formation and a corresponding plateau in catalytic performance. This finding indicates that catalytic activity is governed by the formation of CeO2–Al2O3 interfaces that stabilize active Cu species rather than by the total ceria loading. While ceria is well-known for its redox activity due to oxygen-vacancy properties, this study suggests that it also promotes the associative pathway through synergistic interactions with adjacent alumina domains, offering insights into reaction pathways in mixed-oxide catalysts. Overall, this study demonstrates that the CeO2–Al2O3 interface dictates both catalytic activity and mechanistic preference in the RWGS reaction, providing a design principle for developing interfacially engineered, mixed-oxide-supported catalysts for efficient CO2 conversion.

Abstract This study investigates how mechanical and chemical engineering curricula worldwide are adapting to the energy transition by integrating renewable energy, carbon capture and hydrogen technologies, digitalization/AI, and sustainability. A global survey was distributed to 1000+ universities and directed to academic leaders and curriculum committees; 18 early responses were analyzed and benchmarked against a petroleum-engineering study reporting 82% of programs updated in response to energy expansion. Preliminary results indicate adaptation is underway but uneven: 72.2% of programs report partial integration, 22.2% report full integration, and 5.6% report none, with two-thirds of “partial” adopters at ≤25% curriculum coverage. Change occurs within existing structures (no reported department name changes) and spans multiple tiers: 50% cite updates across BSc + MSc + PhD. By level, BSc emphasizes broad exposure, with Sustainability 83.3%, Renewables 77.8%; MSc shows deeper technical expansion, with Sustainability 66.7%, Renewables 66.7%, CCUS/H₂ 66.7%, AI 44.4%; PhD shifts remain selective, with Renewables 38.9%, AI 38.9%, Sustainability 33.3%, with 44.4% reporting no change. These early signals suggest mechanical/chemical programs are directionally aligned with petroleum's transition topics but lag in depth, especially on CCUS/H2 at scale and explicit climate content, highlighting the need for ready-to-adopt materials and cross-level coherence to accelerate reform and better prepare engineers for emerging energy demands.