We have over 20 research laboratories and four teaching research facilities in our department. These resources allow in-depth investigations for our graduate students and hands-on lab experiences for our undergraduate students.
For more in-depth information on any lab, please reach out to the faculty contacts listed.
Research Laboratories
Acid Fracture Research Laboratory
Function: study acid fracture conductivity behavior as functions of important parameters
Location: RICH 808
Contacts: Dr. Dan Hill and Dr. Ding Zhu
Acid Stimulation Laboratory
Function: study new and better methods involving the matrix acidizing of carbonate rocks
Location: RICH 809
Contacts: Dr. Dan Hill and Dr. Ding Zhu
Advanced Instruments Lab
Function: detect, classify, analyze, and image rock samples, sediments and fluids
Location: RICH 512
Contact: Dr. Hamidreza Samouei
Chaparral Fischer CO2 EOR Laboratory
Function: study ways to improve oil recovery from naturally fractured conventional and unconventional reservoirs
Location: RICH 803
Contact: Dr. Hadi Nasrabadi
Chevron Petrophysical Imaging Laboratory
Function: uses a Toshiba Aquilion RXL Computerized Tomography (CT) Scanner for measuring the porosity, fluid density and saturation changes in rock samples during enhanced oil recovery flooding experiments with different liquids and gases. This versatile scanner is available to other departments or research facilities. Email Fabian Carrascal-Delgado for more information.
Location: RICH 823
Contact: Dr. Hadi Nasrabadi
Corrosion and Foam Stability Lab
Function: study the corrosive effects of chemicals and other substances, and study foam stability for use as drilling and fracturing fluids, proppant delivery, corrosion inhibitors, etc.
Location: RICH 1010
Contact: Dr. Hamidreza Samouei
Evaluation of Oilfield Chemicals Laboratory
Function: test oilfield chemicals used both before and after production operations
Location: RICH 822
Contact: Dr. Hamidreza Samouei
Fiber Optics Fracture Diagnostics Lab
Functions: study fracture propagation by conducting experiments on samples with fiber optic cable instruments to measure low frequency strain responses, and study hydraulic fracture growth in the field by monitoring calibrated low-frequency distributed acoustic sensor (LF-DAS) responses
Location: RICH 621
Contacts: Dr. Dan Hill and Dr. Ding Zhu
Formation Damage Studies Lab
Function: study rheology properties of drilling fluids, damage caused by drilling fluids, and fluid samples under heat and pressure
Location: RICH 814
Contact: Dr. Hamidreza Samouei
Geomaterials for Geo-energy and Geo-environmental Sustainability Laboratory
Function: study multiscale chemo-mechanics of rock-fluid interactions under different environmental conditions
Location: RICH 812
Contact: Dr. Sara Abedi
High Pressure/High Temperature Drilling Laboratory
Function: study the effect of gas on the rheological properties of drilling fluids in order to develop an extreme high pressure, high temperature gas kick behavior simulator
Location: RICH 509
Contacts: Dr. Jeff Spath
Hydraulic Fracture Conductivity Laboratory
Function: study hydraulic fracturing issues and make significant contributions to the understanding of unconventional resources development
Location: RICH 613
Contacts: Dr. Dan Hill and Dr. Ding Zhu
Yuri F. Makogon Gas Hydrates and Source Rock Petrophysics Laboratory
Function: study natural gas hydrates in bulk phase and in porous media; nano-scale characterization of source rocks; multi-component multi-physics measurements of fluid storage and transport in source rocks; molecular simulation of hydrocarbon mixtures phase change and transport under nano-confinement; and modeling of complex hydraulic fracturing fluids under subsurface conditions
Location: RICH 721
Contact: Dr. I. Yucel Akkutlu
Matrix Acidizing Laboratory
Function: used to simulate the acidizing process and study wormhole efficiency under different conditions
Location: RICH 1001F, 1001G
Contacts: Dr. Dan Hill and Dr. Ding Zhu
Multiphase Flow Loop Tower Lab
Function: study and verify various aspects of two-phase flow in riser drilling
Location: Richardson building, basement to tenth floor
Contact: TBD
Nano Research Lab for Oil and Gas Applications
Function: study promising uses of nanotechnology for oilfield applications in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs
Location: RICH 1001B, 1001C
Contact: TBD
Oilfield Chemistry Rock-Fluid Interaction Lab
Function: study gas injection using CO2 and other modified natural gasses for improving oil recovery from naturally fractured conventional and unconventional reservoirs; study foam stability using nanoparticles and surfactants, and characterize gravity segregation in naturally fractured reservoirs; study and formulate affordable injection fluids that ensure high performance while favorably altering rock properties for secondary and tertiary modes of recovery
Location: RICH 614, 802
Contact: Dr. Hadi Nasrabadi
Productivity Enhancement Lab
Function: study key factors for well productivity improvement through optimized acid stimulation strategies, enhanced oil recovery flood experiments, etc.
Location: RICH 720
Contact: Dr. Hamidreza Samouei
Proppant Transport Research Laboratory
Function: study proppant transport in complex fracture geometries utilizing a combination of numerical, theoretical, and experimental tools
Location: Texas A&M-Rellis
Contact: Dr. Kan Wu
Ramey Thermal Recovery Laboratory
Function: study chemical analysis and thermal recovery studies, such as in-situ combustion, steam flooding, steam-assisted gravity drainage, etc.
Location: RICH 508
Contact: Dr. Berna Hascakir
Reaction of Acids with Reservoir Rocks Laboratory
Function: study reactions between fluids and solid surfaces, such as mass transfers and chemical reactions
Location: RICH 813
Contact: Dr. Hamidreza Samouei
Rheology of Non-Newtonian Fluids Laboratory
Function: study rheological properties of complex fluids under varying conditions
Location: RICH 812
Contact: Dr. Hamidreza Samouei
Teaching Laboratories
Anadarko Petrophysics Laboratory
This lab focuses on petrophysical techniques and involves the equipment and methods listed below.
- Distillation - either of two extraction methods (Dean-Stark) or Retort Distillation can be used to determine the fluid saturation inside the cores.
- Coreflood setup - used to determine the initial permeability of the core samples using one fluid. It can also be used to determine the relative permeability to oil and water when both fluids are injected simultaneously.
- Centrifuge - used to determine the capillary pressure data for a core.
- Profile Parameter
- Sonic sifters - used to determine the particle size distribution and sieve analysis.
- Oil bath - used to determine the viscosity of liquids at higher temperatures.
- Acoustic velocity - used to determine the wave velocities on rock samples as a function of confining stress and pore pressure comprising an ultrasonic transducer assembly, and pressure vessel (core holder). Note: the pore pressure intensifier part is not currently available in the unit in lab, rock properties such as shear modulus, Poisson’s ratio, bulk modulus, and Young’s modulus are calculated from the wave velocities.
- Helium porosimeter - used to determine the porosity for core samples using simple Boyle’s law.
- Tensiometer - used to determine the surface and interfacial tension for liquids using the Wilhelmy plate method.
Location: RICH 212
BP Laboratory for Field Studies
This teaching lab provides technology and computer resources for advanced, team-based reservoir engineering courses. Equipment includes 40 new computer workstations and three SMART boards. Software includes GeoGraphix software and reservoir simulation software by Computer Modeling Group, Ltd.
Location: RICH 313
Chevron Drilling and Completions Laboratory
This teaching lab features drilling, cementing and stimulation measurement equipment. Through a hands-on approach, students learn the importance of drilling mud properties and how changes can help identify and solve potential drilling programs. The lab also features a drilling rig simulator with software that simulates realistic rig floor equipment and operations.
Location: RICH 216
Tommy E. Lohman Lab
This lab is primarily used for teaching and short-term research testing, and for the Drillbotics competition team investigations, testing, and assembly area.
Location: RICH 201