Sharif Digital Repository

The top-down in situ combustion (ISC) involves the stable propagation of the combustion front from the top vertical injector to the bottom horizontal producer. Apart from laboratory studies in conventional sandstones, no application of the process in fractured carbonates has been addressed yet. The authors modified a successful combustion tube history matched model of an Iranian low-permeable heavy oil reservoir called Kuh-E-Mond to investigate the feasibility of ISC in fractured carbonate reservoirs mimicking block-scale combustion cells. Effects of fractured geometrical properties such as orientation, location, extension, density, spacing, and dispersion were considered. Results confirmed... 

This work examines the operational parameters that may influence the performance of toe-to-heel steamflooding in a laboratory-scale simulation model built on the basis of the fluid and rock samples from a fractured, low-permeable, carbonate heavy oil reservoir in Southwestern Iran, called KEM (Kuh-e-Mond). Using vertical (V) or horizontal (H) injectors (I) and producers (P), the effects of different well configurations including VIVP, VIHP, 2VIHP, VI2HP, HIHP, and HI2HP, injectors' traversal distance, producers' traversal distance, and horizontal producer length have been investigated. In summary, the results show that 2VIHP scheme performs best in terms of oil recovery and areal/volumetric... 

Equations of State EOS are vastly being used to predict the phase behavior of reservoir fluids. The accuracy of EOS modeling technique over conventional correlation models would benefit an improved property prediction of these fluids. Once the crude oil or gas condensate fluid system has been probably characterized using limited laboratory tests, its PVT behavior under a variety of conditions can be easily studied. In this paper, the PVT behavior of gas condensate from a reservoir in South Pars retrograde gas field in Iran was modeled using the three-parameter Patel and Teja Equation of State. The multi-sample characterization method is used to arrive at one consistent model for retrograde... 

A friction damper device (FDD) is used for vibration control of an existing steel jacket platform under seismic excitation. First, the damping is presented for vibration mitigation of structures located in seismically active zones. A new method for quick design of friction or yielding damping devices is presented. The effectiveness of the damping system employing such FDDs in a jacket platform is evaluated numerically. The influence of key parameters of the damping system on the vibration suppression of the offshore structure is studied in detail. To examine the vibration control effectiveness of the FDD for the jacket platform, performance of the controlled structure under the seismic... 

Free Trade Zones (FTZs) around the world offer special advantages to investors and facilitate import/export of goods in order to boost the regional economy. Integrated coastal management in these areas faces special challenges in addition to what ordinary ICZMs usually encounter. For a successful ICZM plan, the very strong business orientation in FTZs has to be taken into account, while other important aspects such as environmental, social, and cultural issues should not be overlooked. The problem becomes more difficult where the free zone is situated in sensitive and valuable environmental circumstances.Kish Island, a free trade zone in the Persian Gulf region, has recently been the focus... 

The aim of the present study is to provide an Atlas of IRAN Offshore Renewable Energy Resources (hereafter called 'the Atlas') to map out wave and tidal resources at a national scale, extending over the area of the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. Such an Atlas can provide necessary tools to identify the areas with greatest resource potential and within reach of present technology development. To estimate available tidal energy resources at the site, a two-dimensional tidally driven hydrodynamic numerical model of Persian Gulf was developed using the hydrodynamic model in the MIKE 21 Flow Model (MIKE 21HD), with validation using tidal elevation measurements and tidal stream diamonds from... 

The effect of temperature and impeller speed on the performance of induced gas flotation (IGF) systems for the removal of oil from produced water in different ranges (5-300 g/L) of total dissolved solids (TDS) was investigated in a pilot plant study. Furthermore, it was evaluated whether the IGF pilot plant effluent could reach the 15 mg/L outlet oil content as required by Article VI of the Kuwait Convention for Persian Gulf region, before being discharged to the sea. The results showed that oil removal efficiencies up to 90% could be reached at high temperature (80°C) in just one single flotation cell without adding any chemicals. Flotation unit, however, should be followed by at least one... 

Environmental degradation due to economic activities is a key challenge facing sustainable development. The fossil fuel production sector is a very polluting industry. In this research, the future trends of pollution accumulation in the region due to direct/indirect oily discharge into the semi-enclosed area of the Persian Gulf are studied. The purpose of the study was not only to alert policy-makers about potential future threats in the region but also to conduct a trial to develop potential solutions to these problems. Four different environmental cases were studied via the principle of system dynamic modeling simulation. The cases consisted of three situations: relaxed, simple policy, and... 

The assessment of existing platforms under past environmental (wave, wind, current and etc.) loads and probable future loads (earthquake) is a relatively new process and has not yet been standardized as the design has. This lack of standardization creates some difficulty in establishing performance requirements which must be developed depending upon the risks (i.e., hazards, exposures and consequences) associated with the future operation of the platform. The present criteria of the offshore structure standards for seismic assessment can be improved using Building prestandards. Recently some documents such as FEMA-356 and ATC-40 are developed for seismic assessment of buildings. However... 

As the result of safety factors considered in load and resistant values for the design of new offshore platforms, a higher resistance compared to the 100 year return period environmental loading, is achieved in the structure. This type of design is usually performed using linear methods of structural analysis. In this case the structure practically has a high reserve capacity which is disregarded in the design phase but may be considered in special cases. One of these important cases is when an existing structure is assessed and evaluated after elapse of its structural life. In this case using the platforms reserve capacity, through a non-linear analysis such as push-over, would be logical... 

The Shadegan Wetland is a Ramsar-listed wetland in the south-west of Iran at the head of the Persian Gulf. It is the largest wetland of Iran covering about 400,000 hectares. The wetland plays a significant hydrological and ecological role in the natural functioning of the northern Gulf. It also supports a very diverse flora and fauna and is the most important site in the world for Marbled Teal. The water regime is threatened by upstream abstraction of water for irrigation and the saline discharge from sugar cane industries and irrigation schemes. This will result in an overall reduction in wetland water quantity and quality, leading to a change in plant community composition. This paper... 

Iran, having two separate coastlines at its north and south of about 3000 km length, with very different characteristics, suffers from various coastal problems. While its northern coastal area is over-populated and its sensitive and unique habitats must be protected from destruction, most of its southern coastal areas are undeveloped and deserted. Intense oil and gas exploitation activities in the Caspian Sea region and occurrence of two wars in the Persian Gulf during the last two decades have rendered hydrocarbon pollution a major issue for this country's marine and coastal environment. Biodiversity is under threat in some areas and natural resources are deteriorating. To overcome the...