Microelectrode Array for Electrochemical Sensing of Localized Corrosion

65233 Oil well formation damage, which begins during well drilling and continues through well stimulation and the rest of an oil well¿s life, is detrimental to both oil production rate and ultimate recovery. In particular, stimulation techniques for both old and new oil wells must minimize damage, must be compatible with the formations that are exposed to them, and must overcome the presence of highly viscous crude oil which hampers production. This project will develop acoustic energy technology to stimulate oil production by lowering the viscosity of high-viscosity oils. A lowered viscosity will allow oil to flow better, resulting in increased productivity. Phase I will: (1) conduct preliminary design and fabrication of the acoustic energy device; (2) test and optimize acoustic energy treatment of viscous oils; (3) test the ¿optimized¿ system using real crude oils; and (4) determine preliminary process economics. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by awardee: The acoustic energy treatment for reducing the viscosity should be more efficient and less costly than current baseline technologies for oil well stimulation. The potential market for such a technique could be well in excess of $100 million/year.