SOCORRO, N.M. – The Petroleum Engineering Department and PRRC recently launched a new project to test downhole sensors for oil field production entitled: “Development and field scale applications of smart management for productivity enhancement during unconventional oil and gas well development.”

Dr. Jihoon Wang secured a $1.2 million grant from the South Korean government for a three-year project. Dr. Tan Nguyen -- P.I. of the project and the team -- has been constructing the testing facility at the Production and Drilling Research Project (PDRP) on campus.

The ever-expanding outdoor lab will test the failures of electrical submersible pumps and oil field tubing using new developed smart sensors.

PRRC will provide technical supports on field tests. In addition, the team will perform advanced analysis on ESP failures and pipeline leakages using AI/ML technologies with field scale applications. 

South Korean scientists have developed a new generation of fiber optic sensors that potentially detect downhole pumps and oil field tubing failures.

However, these new sensors have not been tested for usage in the petroleum industry. Wang and Nguyen submitted a proposal that won in a highly competitive bidding process.

“We have the labs and facilities that can recreate downhole conditions and that set us apart from the competition,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen said the project will support two graduate students for two years of laboratory testing and one year of field testing. The project commenced earlier this fall and will continue through spring 2022. Nguyen said this project could likely lead to more collaborations with the Korean partners.

The NMT team has built a laboratory to test these novel electrical, submersible sensors. Once the tests on campus are finished, they will conduct field testing with industrial partner Strata Production Co. in the Permian Basin.

Representatives of the Korean government visited New Mexico Tech in mid-October and were highly impressed with the facilities. They will return in November to visit the Strata Production site near Carlsbad. 

– NMT –