1. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
Mohammad Sarmadivaleh – Petroleum Engineering Department
An Overview of Petroleum Geo-mechanic Research in Curtin
University: Highlighting Capabilities
Mohammad.Sarmadivaleh@curtin.edu.au 25.01.2017

2. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
True Triaxial Stress Cell (TTSC)
 TTSC
 NGL 50mm
 NGL Swing
 NGL Pillar
Curtin Petroleum Geo-mechanics Group
 315KN horizontal force
 1000KN vertical force
 21 Mpa pore pressure
 16 Channels Acoustic Transducer

3. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
True Triaxial Stress Cell (TTSC)
 TTSC
 NGL 50mm
 NGL Swing
 NGL Pillar
10.12.2010Curtin Petroleum Geo-mechanics Group
 315KN horizontal force
 1000KN vertical force
 21 Mpa pore pressure
 16 Channels Acoustic Transducer

4. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
True Triaxial Stress Cell (TTSC)
 TTSC
 NGL 50mm
 NGL Swing
 NGL Pillar
10.12.2010Curtin Petroleum Geo-mechanics Group
 Hydraulic Fracturing
 Active fracture sensing
 Shear behaviour of fractures
 Sanding
 CO2
 ….
Sarmadivaleh 2012
Nabipour 2014
Asadi 2011
Younessi 2011
Zhang 2016

5. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
True Triaxial Stress Cell (TTSC)
 TTSC
 NGL 50mm
 NGL Swing
 NGL Pillar
Curtin Petroleum Geo-mechanics Group
 Hydraulic Fracturing
• Initiation
• propagation
• interaction with natural fractures
• and Sensing
• Shale Fracture Architecture
Sarmadivaleh 2014
Nabipour 2014
Falahzadeh 2014
Sarmadivaleh 2012
Falahzadeh 2015

6. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
True Triaxial Stress Cell (TTSC)
 TTSC
 NGL 50mm
 NGL Swing
 NGL Pillar
• Sanding
• Sand Production Simulation under True-Triaxial Stress
Conditions
• Experimental and numerical analyses of sand
production under multiphase flow and water
breakthrough
• Investigation of the Scale Effect on Sand Production
Under True Triaxial Stress Conditions
Younessi Sinaki 2012

7. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
True Triaxial Stress Cell (TTSC)
 TTSC
 NGL 50mm
 NGL Swing
 NGL Pillar
 70Mpa stress in all direction
 >70Mpa pore pressure
 24 Channel Acoustic Transducer
 Injection SCCO2 from 6 sides
 6 Strain reading
 Uniform loading
 100C°
 Just 5cm cubic samples
(real sample from reservoir)
Curtin Petroleum Geo-mechanics Group
NGL: National
Geosequestration
Laboratory

8. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
Curtin Petroleum Geo-mechanics Group
True Triaxial Stress Cell (TTSC)
 TTSC
 NGL 50mm
 NGL Swing
 NGL Pillar
 150mm (70MPa), 100mm (162MPa), and 50 mm(645 MPa)
stress in all direction
 Up to 60-Channel Acoustic Transducer
 6 Strain reading
 100C°
 50 to 150 mm cubic samples
Once our new NGL TTSCs are fully commissioned, they will
have remarkable capabilities including real-time display in
3D of fracture growth.

9. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
Curtin Petroleum Geo-mechanics Group
True Triaxial Stress Cell (TTSC)
 TTSC
 NGL 50mm
 NGL Swing
 NGL Pillar
 70Mpa stress in all direction
 60-Channel Acoustic Transducer
 6 Strain reading
 100C°
 300 mm cubic samples