Date of Award
6-1993
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Geological and Environmental Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Duane R. Hampton
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Experiments were conducted in laboratory sand tanks to evaluate filter pack design criteria in an effort to improve free-product hydrocarbon recovery from sand aquifers. Filter sands were prepared and installed in the test tanks to examine the relative efficiency of two different grain sizes and two different grain-size distributions to imbibe kerosene from the formation sand and release it to their respective wells. Treatments of different chemical products were applied to other filter sands to create a hydrophobic coating on the grains. The hydrophobic coatings were tested on filter sands of different grain sizes and grain-size distributions and compared to tests on untreated sands. These studies showed that for untreated sand packs, a coarse, well-sorted sand performed better at recovering hydrocarbons than other sands tested, and that hydrophobically-treated sands were more efficient than untreated sand packs.
Recommended Citation
Heuvelhorst, Hugh Garret, "Laboratory Studies of Filter Pack Grain-Size Distributions and Hydrophobic Treatments to Enhance the Recovery of Free-Phase Floating Hydrocarbons" (1993). Masters Theses. 778.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/778