When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...
People commonly think of the Persian Gulf oilfields gushing crude oil by the bucketload. But as Angus McDowall and Oliver Klaus report in The Wall Street Journal, engineers have had to turn to techniques that involve chemicals, such as polymers, to coax oil out of these fields.
Many Persian Gulf oilfields are wearing down after decades of production. A good number of the younger fields have heavier crude oils that make them difficult to extract. Pulling out the remaining oil from some existing fields and developing novel and more complicated techniques for oil extraction will be more expensive. Right now, crude oil from Saudi Arabia is estimated to cost less than $5 a barrel to produce. A barrel of oil from the Atlantic Ocean costs $70 per barrel.
More Gulf countries, such as Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, are investigating enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods. EOR encompasses the technologies that squeeze oil out of the ground by injecting steam, gas and chemicals many feet below the surface.
McDowall and Klaus describe an EOR process:
In the ancient and complex Marmul block in Oman, the oil is heavy and viscous. To improve the mix of oil and water in the field, the operating company, Petroleum Development Oman, which is 34% owned by Royal Dutch Shell PLC, injected polymer into the reservoir, allowing the crude to flow more freely and improving recovery by 10%.
EOR methods can boost oil recovery rates by 40 percent in some places, but the price tag for the oil gets an extra $20-60 amount added per barrel of oil. There is research interest into developing cheaper EOR ways that use renewable energy sources, such as solar, to help pump the chemicals, gas, or steam underground.
Comments
Post a Comment