Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) integration with CCUS and NET ZERO Innovation applications for depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and aquifers

About the Project

These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying.

Net Zero technology research is a new theme of developing novel innovations with the advent of hydrogen and decarbonisation projects across all the sectors. Usage of hydrogen for mitigating the energy demand while minimising the carbon emissions is promising option in the implementation of the NET ZERO Energy Transition schemes. Recently 21 CO2 storage projects awarded by UK government to operating companies for the underground storage of CO2 in the depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and aquifers.

Dr Jadhawar led the hydrogen innovation research project titled, “Underground hydrogen and carbon dioxide storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs” in a consortium of industrial partners and funded by Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC)). Hydrogen bank technology was developed in this project, (along with other innovations in the pipeline) while integrating the hydrocarbon field development and exploitation techniques to incur additional returns on investment. University of Aberdeen set 2040 target in achieving net zero energy transition ambitions contributing to the national objectives. More details about our research can be found at the following:

• University of Aberdeen Hydrogen "Bank" Research
• Hydrogen 'bank' could see production advantage for Scotland
• Hydrogen Bank Technology featuring in University's Sustainable Development Goals SDG-Report-2023
• https://www.abdn.ac.uk/research/interdisciplinary/energy-transition/spe-offshore-europe-2023/

We aim to expand our IP with further expansion of research ideas through doctoral research. Applications for prospective PhD studentships are invited to undertake innovation research in the following areas.

Doctoral projects will exploit these activities combined with various research and development approaches while utilising the existing infrastructure of depleted oil and gas reservoirs/field (repurposing options). This project aims investigate number of aspects through the experimental and numerical simulation approaches amongst the following topics (but not limited to)

1. Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and aquifers, Salt Caverns
2. Hydrogen and CO2 storage: Experimental and reservoir modelling evaluations for fluid-fluid and rock-fluid geochemical and geo-mechanical evaluations, hydrodynamic porous media flow effects, infrastructure (wells) integrity issues; optimization of hydrogen storage and withdrawals, development of the storage units for UHS and CCUS scope.
3. Enhanced hydrocarbon (oil and gas) recovery: Advanced techniques standalone and/or combined with above (1) including hybrid traditional approaches (EOR/EGR)
4. Gas hydrates in porous media: CO2 storage strategies, Energy recovery technologies (e.g.: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c02839).
5. Geothermal Energy in Net Zero Applications
6. Development of Machine learning and AI tools/applications
7. Plug and abandonment of Hydrogen and CO2 storage wells, monitoring and risk assessments.

Please get in touch with Dr Prashant Jadhawar (Prashant.Jadhawar@abdn.ac.uk) and Dr Jefferson Gomes (jefferson.gomes@abdn.ac.uk) for informal queries.

Decisions will be based on academic merit. The successful applicant should have, or expect to obtain, a UK Honours Degree at 2.1 (or equivalent) in petroleum, chemical/oil and gas/energy/mechanical/computational engineering.

The student must have a strong appetite for applied research with a boarder insight into and/or willingness to adapt practical petroleum engineering concepts covering geology/ geosciences, thermodynamic and kinetic behaviour of gases in porous media and reservoir engineering/ simulation fundamentals, corrosion, materials characteristics, mechanical engineering aspects. Knowledge/Experience of Reservoir simulation and the respective simulation tools with the programming languages and code development will be advantageous.

Application Procedure:

Formal applications can be completed online: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php.

You should apply for PhD in Engineering to ensure your application is passed to the correct team for processing.

Please clearly note the name of the lead supervisor and project titleon the application form. If you do not include these details, it may not be considered for the studentship.

Your application must include: A personal statement, an up-to-date copy of your academic CV, and clear copies of your educational certificates and transcripts.

Please note: you do not need to provide a research proposal with this application.

If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don't hesitate to contact us at researchadmissions@abdn.ac.uk

Funding Notes

This is a self-funding project open to students worldwide. Our typical start dates for this programme are February or October.

Fees for this programme can be found here Finance and Funding | Study Here | The University of Aberdeen

References

1. Saeed, M., & Jadhawar, P. 2024. Modelling underground hydrogen storage: A state-of-the-art review of fundamental approaches and findings. Gas Science and Engineering, volume 121, 205196, ISSN 2949-9089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgsce.2023.205196
2. Saeed M., and Jadhawar, P. 2024. Optimizing underground hydrogen storage in aquifers: The impact of cushion gas type, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, ISSN 0360-3199, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.08.352.
3. Jadhawar, P. and M. Saeed. 2023. Optimizing the operational efficiency of the underground hydrogen storage scheme in a deep North Sea aquifer through compositional simulations. Journal of Energy Storage, volume 73, Part A, 108832. ISSN 2352-152X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2023.108832.
4. Jadhawar, P. and M. Saeed. 2024. "Mechanistic evaluation of the reservoir engineering performance for the underground hydrogen storage in a deep North Sea aquifer." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol 50, Part D, p558-574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.07.272
5. Saeed, M.; Jadhawar, P.; Bagala, S. 2023. Geochemical Effects on Storage Gases and Reservoir Rock during Underground Hydrogen Storage: A Depleted North Sea Oil Reservoir Case Study. Hydrogen. 4, 323-337. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrogen4020023
6. Jadhawar, P. and Saeed, Motaz. 2023. Low salinity polymer EOR flooding in sandstone reservoirs: Upscaling from nano-to-macro-scale using the Maximum Energy Barrier. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 220: 111247 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2022.111247 (Triple-layer surface complexation modelling evaluations)