CPE Faculty and Staff

Don W. Green

Deane E. Ackers Distinguished Professor
Co-Director, Tertiary Oil Recovery Project

B. S., Petroleum Engineering, University of Tulsa
M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma

Room: 4146C Learned Hall
Phone: (785) 864-2911
Fax: (785) 864-4967
E-mail: dgreen@ku.edu

Research Interests

Enhanced oil recovery processes including polymer flooding, carbon dioxide miscible flooding and thermal recovery. Improved oil recovery processes ranging from waterflooding to application of gelled polymers to control water movement in petroleum reservoirs. Management of petroleum reservoirs and simulation of oil production using reservoir simulators. Transport processes in porous media. Expansion of energy research at the University of Kansas.

The Carbon Dioxide Initiative in Central and Southwest Kansas

A program to evaluate the potential of applying carbon dioxide miscible flooding to Arbuckle and Lansing Kansas City reservoirs in Central Kansas as well as Morrow reservoirs in Southwest Kansas. The program is an interdisciplinary project involving reservoir characterization, evaluation of minimum miscibility pressures for typical crude oils; simulation of carbon dioxide flooding and economic evaluation of expected results. A major pilot test of carbon dioxide miscible flooding was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy for the period 2000-2005. Phase I, Project Evaluation, began March 7, 2000. If project evaluation is satisfactory, carbon dioxide injection is anticipated to begin in 2001 in a Lansing-Kansas City reservoir in Central Kansas.

Permeability Modification using In-Situ Gelation of Polymers

This project involves the study of polymer gels, which can be formed in porous media by the crosslinking of a high molecular weight polymer with a metal ion. The permeability of these gels is low and they are capable of reducing the flow of water substantially through the regions contacted by the gel. Projects range from the study of kinetics of gelation to the dehydration of gels after placement when exposed to pressure gradients from water or oil. One goal of the program is to improve methods of increasing the volumetric sweep of waterfloods by selective placement of gelled polymer systems that reduce the flow of water through high permeability regions. A second goal is to reduce the water flow in production wells that are producing at high water cut.

Management of Petroleum Reservoirs

Prolonging the life of existing reservoirs is a major goal of this program. Reservoir characterization is combined with modern reservoir simulation to evaluate the performance of natural or induced waterfloods in petroleum reservoirs. Potential operating strategies ranging from rearrangement of waterflood patterns to drilling of new wells are investigated using reservoir simulation. Reservoir heterogeneity is a key parameter in simulations. New methods of incorporating the effects of reservoir heterogeneity are investigated.

Links to Research Group(s)

Tertiary Oil Recovery Project (TORP)

Publication List:

Alhajeri, M. M., D. W. Green, J. Liang, R. E. Pancake, Gel Polymer Extends Arbuckle High-Water-Cut Well Life, Oil and Gas J. 104.2 (January 9, 2006) pp 34 - 43.
Nguyen, T., D. W. Green, G. P. Willhite and C. S. McCool, Effects of Gel Composition and Pressure Gradients of Water and Oil on Disproportionate Permeability Reduction of Sandpacks Treated with Polyacrylamide Chromium Acetate Gels, SPE Journal 11 (June, 2006) pp. 145 - 158.
Jain, R., C. S. McCool, D. W. Green, G. P. Willhite and M. J. Michnick, Reaction Kinetics of the Uptake of Chromium (III) Acetate by Polyacrylamide, SPE Journal, 10 (September, 2005) pp. 247 - 254.
Jin, H., C. S. McCool, G. P. Willhite, D. W. Green and M. J. Michnick, Propagation of Chromium(III) - Acetate Solutions through Dolomite Rock, SPE Journal, 8 (June, 2003) pp. 107 - 113.
Ganguly, S., G. P. Willhite, D. W. Green and C. S. McCool, The Effect of Fluid Leakoff on Gel Placement and Stability in Fractures SPE Journal, 7 (Sept., 2002) pp 309 - 315.
Willhite, G. P., H. Zhu, D. Natarajan, C. S. McCool and D. W. Green, Mechanisms Causing Disproportionate Permeability in Porous Media Treated With Chromium Acetate/HPAAM Gels, SPE Journal, 7 (March, 2002) pp.100 - 108.
Shaw, A. K., A. Singh, S. Bhattacharya, C. S. McCool, D. W. Green and G. P. Willhite, Permeability Reduction by Treatment with KUSP1 Biopolymer Systems, SPE Journal, 5 (December, 2000) pp. 371 - 376.

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Zou, B., C. S. McCool, D. W. Green, G. P. Willhite and M. J. Michnick, Precipitation of Chromium Acetate Solutions, SPE Journal, 5 (September, 2000) pp. 324 - 330.
McCool, C. S., D. W. Green and G. P. Willhite, Fluid-Rock Interaction Between Xanthan - Chromium(III) Gel Systems and Dolomite Core Material, SPE Production and Facilities, 15 (August, 2000) pp. 159 - 167.
Zou, B., C.S. McCool, D.W. Green and G.P. Willhite, "A Study of the Chemical Interactions Between Brine Solutions and Dolomite," SPE Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering 3 (June, 2000), pp. 209-215.
Raje, M., K.Asghari, S. Vossoughi, D.W. Green and G.P. Willhite, Gel Systems for Controlling CO2 Mobility In Carbon Dioxide Miscible Flooding," SPE Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering, 2 (April 1999) pp. 205-210.
Ranganathan, R., R. Lewis, C.S. McCool D.W. Green and G.P. Willhite " An Experimental Study of the In Situ Gelation Behavior of a Polyacrylamide/Aluminum Citrate "Colloidal Dispersion" Gel in a Porous Medium and Its Aggregate Growth During Gelation Reaction," SPE Journal, 3 (December, 1998) pp 337-343.
Maxcy, T.A., G.P. Willhite, D.W. Green, and K Bowman-James, "A Kinetic Study of the Reduction of Chromium (VI) to Chromium (III) by Thiourea," Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 19 (1998) pp 253-263.
Green, D.W., with G.P. Willhite, Enhanced Oil Recovery,"Society of Petroleum Engineers, Dallas, TX 1998.
Dona, C.L., D.W. Green, and G.P. Willhite: "A Study of he Uptake and Gelation Reactions of Cr(III) Oligomers with Polyacrylamide," Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 64 (1997) pp. 1381-1391.
Green, D.W. with R.H. Perry (deceased), Editors and J.O. Maloney, (Associate Editor), "Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, Seventh Edition," McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York NY, 1997.
Schoeling, L.G., D.W. Green, G.P. Willhite and W.L. Watney, "Technology Transfer Program to Assist Independent Operators," SPE 27783, peer reviewed manuscript (1995).
Zhuang, Y., C.S. McCool, G.P. Willhite and D.W. Green, "A Novel EOR Polymer. Study on Gelation of Resorcinol Formaldehyde Systems,"Chin J. Polym.Sci., 13, 59-65.