In the CSM courses, emphasis is placed on the fundamentals of engineering and science and how these fundamentals are currently applied to solve field problems. Guidance for these students is shared by faculty from the Petroleum Engineering, Geology, and Engineering Departments. I hope to discover the talent, inspire the determination, and nurture the acquisition of knowledge in young people. The integration of knowledge from many disciplines is an appealing feature of petroleum engineering. For example, one of my research interests is multi-phase flow through porous material as described by relative permeabilities.
Relative permeabilities are important ingredients of reservoir engineering calculations.
The relative permeability of a phase indicates capacity for flow of that phase through the pore spaces of a rock, which are occupied in part by other phases. To understand or explore all of these relationships, students must integrate molecular concepts, fluid mechanics, surface chemistry and physics, numerical techniques, and electro-mechanical design. This research combines perspectives of chemistry, engineering, and geology in the setting of hydrocarbon production. In all of my work, whether rock-fluid properties, liquid lifting in gas wells, composition gradients in hydrocarbon reservoirs, natural gas hydrates, or whatever else, I enjoy building practical solutions from fundamental concepts and helping students grow into productive engineers. I am thrilled by fresh insights and discovery.