Fossil Fuel and Georesource Exploration, Extraction and Utilization

Responsible development of georesources is a key thrust area for research in the John and Willie Leone Family department of Energy and Mineral Engineering.

decorative image Research in this area spans from characterization of petrophysical and dynamic transport properties of tight sands, shales, and deep saline aquifers for carbon sequestration, to understanding the physics of earthquakes, including induced seismicity, and energy geomechanics including unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs and geothermal energy, to understanding interfacial interactions of highly concentrated carbonaceous solid-water slurries that may be encountered during processes such as gasification.

Research topics and facilities in this cluster area include:

Integrated hydraulic fracturing design in presence of natural fractures
Novel expandable LCM materials and wellbore strengthening
Assessment of well integrity after hydraulic fracturing, underground blowout etc.
Experimental and Numerical investigation of Drill bit/rock interaction
Development of advanced Phase Behavior EOS based on curvature analysis of fluid interfaces
Advanced models for phase behavior, fluid displacement and component transport for design of enhanced oil recovery processes
Center for Quantitative Imaging - World class academic CT imaging facility that provides access to large-scale X-ray CT instrumentation for non-destructive, 3D sample characterization.
Reactive shale mechanics and problems associated with lost circulation
Seismic inversion and application for monitoring CO2 plume during sequestration
Optimization and feedback control of hydrocarbon recovery processes
Center for Geomechanics, Geofluids and Geohazards (G3 Center; g3center.org) - an interdisciplinary center focused on rock and fluid physics.
Mine ventilation and health risk due to dust particulates and other forms of atmospheric pollution

Research Experts

	Thandazile Moyo Assistant Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 154 Hosler Building 814-863-8852 thandazilemoyo@psu.edu
	Barbara Arnold Undergraduate Program Chair of Mining Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 152 Hosler Building 814-863-8823 bja4@psu.edu
	Luis Ayala H. Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 222 Hosler Building 814-865-4053 ayala@psu.edu
	Sekhar Bhattacharyya Undergraduate Program Chair of Mining Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 126A Holser Building 814-863-7606 sxb1029@psu.edu
	Arash Dahi Taleghani Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 206 Hosler Building 814-865-5421 arash.dahi@psu.edu
	Derek Elsworth Professor of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 231 Hosler Building 814-865-2225 elsworth@psu.edu
	Hamid Emami-Meybodi Associate Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 151 Hosler Building 814-863-3987 emami@psu.edu
	Jeremy Gernand Associate Department Head for Graduate Education John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 121 Hosler Building 814-865-5861 jmgernand@psu.edu
	William Groves Associate Professor of Industrial Health and Safety John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 223 Hosler Building 814-863-1618 wag10@psu.edu
	Russell Johns Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 119 Hosler Building 814-865-0531 rjohns@psu.edu
	Zuleima Karpyn Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 512G Penn State Innovation Hub 814-863-2273 ZKarpyn@psu.edu
	Gregory King Professor of Practice, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 123 Hosler Building 814-867-3547 grk17@psu.edu
	Ashish Kumar Assistant Professor of Mining Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 121 Holser Building awk5528@psu.edu
	Shimin Liu Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 224 Hosler Building 814-863-4491 szl3@psu.edu
	Frank Male Assistant Research Professor of Applied Research and Energy and Mineral Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 814-867-1831 frank.male@psu.edu
	Jonathan Mathews Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 126 Hosler Building 814-863-6213 jmathews@psu.edu
	Yashar Mehmani Assistant Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 6 Hosler Building 814-863-7942 yzm5192@psu.edu
	Amin Mehrabian Associate Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 102 Hosler Building 814-865-6892 amin.mehrabian@psu.edu
	Anne Menefee Assistant Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 109 Hosler Building 814-865-0033 ahmenefee@psu.edu
	Eugene Morgan Associate Head for Undergraduate Education John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering 115 Hosler Building 814-863-1642 eugene.morgan@psu.edu