Investigating the utilization of surfactant in liquid unloading experiments of a propped fracture

The United States currently leads global production of oil and gas fundamentally in part due to its successful large shale plays. Advancements in technology and research have allowed the US to apply production techniques that increase recovery from these unconventional reservoirs; one of these principally being fracing. Through fracing, large fractures are created in the highly impermeable rock, thus increasing the amount of surface area for hydrocarbon flow and unlocking profitable production. After these fractures are created, the high amount of production only continues for a relatively short amount of time, after which production steeply slows down. Most companies react to this by drilling and fracing a new well in a different location. If these fractures could be improved so that the reduction in productivity is slowed down, companies would not have to drill as many well thereby saving money and causing less environmental disturbances. An idea to mitigate the productivity decline is by quickly unloading the built-up liquid in a newly created fracture. If suspended in a fluid for a period of time, gravitational forces cause proppant to settle in the lower part of the fracture. As the liquid slowly seeps into the formation, closure stresses from the surrounding rock begin to exceed pressure in the fracture and the upper part of the fracture closes off due to a lack of proppant. The surface area of the fracture promoting hydrocarbon flow is then drastically reduced. The closed off fracture could also potentially close off routes of flow if it is a critical pathway. A hypothesis is that if the built-up fluid in the fracture is unloaded quickly, the fracture will have a more homogenous distribution and will promote better fluid flow, thus slowing down the productivity decrease that is normally observed. Surfactants are already used for a variety of applications in the oil and gas industry. This thesis involves conducting experiments using surfactants to remove the built-up fluid in a fracture. Investigations are performed with different combinations of fluids typically used in industry. A fracture model made out of plastic plates is filled with proppant and a test fluid, and air is injected at the bottom of the fracture. The volume of liquid that exits the fracture is recorded as time passes. Results show that surfactant significantly improves the volume of unloaded liquid, even when in contact with oil at So = 30% in the fracture. Results from these experiments are not meant to be directly applied to the field, as experiments are not conducted at reservoir conditions. They are intended as a preliminary investigation into the potential of surfactant additives in hydraulic fracturing fluidPetroleum and Geosystems Engineerin

Electrified heat and transport: energy demand futures, their impacts on power networks and what it means for system flexibility

Demand electrification, system flexibility and energy demand reduction (EDR) are three central tenets of most energy system decarbonisation pathways in the UK and other high-income countries. However, their combined impacts on local energy systems remain understudied. Here, we investigate the impact of different UK energy demand future scenarios on the loading of local electricity networks, and the ability of electrified demand to act flexibly in (i) mitigating the need for network reinforcement and (ii) shifting demand around according to variable tariffs reflecting wider system needs. These scenarios are used to drive spatially- and temporally-explicit technology uptake and energy demand modelling for heating and transport in a localised context, for application to a local electricity network. A particular case study energy network in Scotland, representative of many networks in the UK and Northern Europe, is selected to demonstrate the method. On the basis of the presented case study, which considered a typical winter demand day, energy futures based on EDR policies were found on average to reduce evening transformer loading by up to 16%. Further reductions of up to 43% were achieved with flexible smart charging and up to 69% with the use of vehicle-to-grid. Therefore, we find that policies focused on EDR can mitigate the need for reinforcement of electricity networks against the backdrop of demand electrification. However, flexibility in electricity demand contributes a larger difference to a network’s ability to host electrified heat and transport than relying solely on EDR. When used in tandem, policies that simultaneously pursue EDR and electricity system flexibility are shown to have the greatest benefits. Despite these benefits, peak electricity demand is very likely to increase significantly relative to the current baseline. Therefore, widespread reinforcement is required to local electricity networks in the net-zero transition and, accordingly, urgent investment is required to support the realisation of the UK’s legally-binding climate goals

Analyzing the presence of homosexually-themed language amongst association football fans in the United Kingdom

This article is based on the views of 2,663 association football fans, collected via an online survey from March 2020 to April 2020, regarding the presence of homosexually-themed language at men’s professional football matches across the United Kingdom. The results indicate that whilst 95 would support a gay player at their club, 41 have heard language they interpret as malicious or toxic, while 37 believe it is not intentionally hostile and ascribe it as playful and humorous banter. The article subsequently addresses what appears to be a paradox: football fans challenge popular accusations that they are homophobic but also recognize the presence of homosexually-themed language that emphasizes heteronormativity, irrespective of how it is interpreted by other fans

Electrifying railway station parking : enhancing Scotland's sustainable mobility

Recognising the importance of mass electrification of transport demand and the reduction of energy demand, the Scottish Government has committed to reducing car kilometres travelled by 20% by 2030. This necessitates a reduction in the number of daily car journeys and an overall change in attitude towards how cars are used. With an expected increase in the number of commuters using multi-modal travel and low carbon public transport infrastructure there is an increasing need for EV charging infrastructure to support the transition between different travel options. At present, there are 162 EV chargers installed across 17% of Scotland’s rail stations with 64% of rail stations accommodating vehicle parking. This study considers the hypothesis that rail stations located in different geographic areas with different levels of available parking will have unique EV charging infrastructure requirements leading to varying impact on distribution networks. A geospatial analysis of existing EV charging installations is first carried out, followed by a statistical hosting capacity assessment of the network infrastructure located at two rail station sites. The research provides valuable insights for local government, distribution network planners, and stakeholders in the transport sector, facilitating the development of sustainable integrated mobility ecosystems

A high-resolution geospatial and socio-technical methodology for assessing the impact of electrified heat and transport on distribution network infrastructure

There is an increasing need to decarbonise both heating and transport sectors in the UK, and the uptake of low carbon technologies (LCTs) will be central to this. The impact of LCTs on electricity network infrastructure varies both spatially and temporally, and is driven by the diversity in technology type, consumer behaviour, variable weather patterns, variation of the building stock and the incumbent network assets. In recognition of this diversity and household energy variability, LCT adoption and utilisation will be influenced by the distribution of socio-economic factors within a local area. This has the potential to impact network decision-making across different regions. As such, there is a requirement to consider socio-technical and socio-spatial dimensions when modelling LCT impact on network infrastructure. This research, presented within a UK context, demonstrates a novel high-resolution methodology that enables assessment of electrified heat and transport impact on transformer headroom using socio-economic indicators to inform the application of LCT consumption. This includes mapping of spatially linked datasets to identify relationships between consumption and social deprivation. These relationships are used as inputs to a heat pump modelling methodology that converts gas demand to equivalent electrical heat demand. This approach is compared with a generalised trial data approach to ascertain the impact of incorporating socio-economic elements. Electric vehicles are then introduced, where charging is based on socially disaggregated behaviour in the form of travel diaries showing the combined impact of different LCTs. Findings are considered from the perspective of the distribution network operator and other key stakeholders

Fan Reflections on Sexuality in Women's Football in the United Kingdom

This article presents the responses of 1,432 male association football fans, collected via an online survey from March 2020 to April 2020, regarding their views on sexuality in women's football in the United Kingdom. The analysis focuses on two broad themes that emerged from the data: (1) the association of women footballers with masculinity and how they subsequently transgress the traditional characteristics of femininity; and (2) a reduced stigma surrounding sexuality in women's football given its lower profile in terms of coverage and the smaller number of fans in comparison to men's football. The article concludes by outlining how there is less homonegativity concerning sexuality in women's football in the United Kingdom, primarily because the heteromasculine position of male fans is not challenged, but fans also reaffirm the stereotypes and myths of non-heterosexual women playing a sport like football

Hypervitaminosis A is prevalent in children with CKD and contributes to hypercalcemia.

Vitamin A accumulates in renal failure, but the prevalence of hypervitaminosis A in children with predialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not known. Hypervitaminosis A has been associated with hypercalcemia. In this study we compared dietary vitamin A intake with serum retinoid levels and their associations with hypercalcemia

Electron-beam annealing of Josephson junctions for frequency tuning of quantum processors

Superconducting qubits are a promising route to achieving large-scale quantum computers. A key challenge in realising large-scale superconducting quantum processors involves mitigating frequency collisions. In this paper, we present an approach to tuning fixed-frequency qubits with the use of an electron beam to locally anneal the Josephson junction. We demonstrate the ability to both increase and decrease the junction barrier resistance. The technique shows an improvement in wafer scale frequency targetting by assessing the frequency collisions in our qubit architecture. Coherence measurements are also done to evaluate the performance before and after tuning. The tuning process utilises a standard electron beam lithography system, ensuring reproducibility and implementation by any group capable of fabricating these Josephson junctions. This technique has the potential to significantly improve the performance of large-scale quantum computing systems, thereby paving the way for the future of quantum computing.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Electrified heat and transport : energy demand futures, their impacts on power networks and what it means for system flexibility

Demand electrification, system flexibility and energy demand reduction (EDR) are three central tenets of most energy system decarbonisation pathways in the UK and other high-income countries. However, their combined impacts on local energy systems remain understudied. Here, we investigate the impact of different UK energy demand future scenarios on the loading of local electricity networks, and the ability of electrified demand to act flexibly in (i) mitigating the need for network reinforcement and (ii) shifting demand around according to variable tariffs reflecting wider system needs. These scenarios are used to drive spatially- and temporally-explicit technology uptake and energy demand modelling for heating and transport in a localised context, for application to a local electricity network. A particular case study energy network in Scotland, representative of many networks in the UK and Northern Europe, is selected to demonstrate the method. On the basis of the presented case study, which considered a typical winter demand day, energy futures based on EDR policies were found on average to reduce evening transformer loading by up to 16%. Further reductions of up to 43% were achieved with flexible smart charging and up to 69% with the use of vehicle-to-grid. Therefore, we find that policies focused on EDR can mitigate the need for reinforcement of electricity networks against the backdrop of demand electrification. However, flexibility in electricity demand contributes a larger difference to a network’s ability to host electrified heat and transport than relying solely on EDR. When used in tandem, policies that simultaneously pursue EDR and electricity system flexibility are shown to have the greatest benefits. Despite these benefits, peak electricity demand is very likely to increase significantly relative to the current baseline. Therefore, widespread reinforcement is required to local electricity networks in the net-zero transition and, accordingly, urgent investment is required to support the realisation of the UK’s legally-binding climate goals