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Undergraduate
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Graduate Course Descriptions
PETE 5xx
512
PETE512: Advanced Drilling Engineering I (3-0-3)
This course provides the student with a thorough understanding of the drilling operations and the various factors affecting them.
Topics covered include drilling fluid hydraulics, hole stability, penetration rate, buckling and bending of drilling strings,
well trajectory control, and optimization of drilling operations.
Prerequisite:
513
PETE513: Advanced Drilling Fluids (3-0-3)
The course provides an in-depth coverage of drilling fluids chemistry and archeology. Coverage includes both classical and evolving
drilling fluid systems, clay chemistry, shale stabilization, drilling fluid additives and contaminants, and addresses the various
problems and solutions related to drilling fluids.
Prerequisite:
523
PETE523: Well Test Analysis (3-0-3)
The course provides students with the theoretical background and skills needed for well test design and analysis. Solutions
of the fundamental flow equation including wellbore storage and skin for slightly compressible fluids are presented and
discussed. The general buildup theory and its application to infinite and bounded reservoirs is addressed and discussed.
Analysis of common well tests using recently developed methods and techniques to determine reservoir parameters of homogeneous
and heterogeneous systems.
Prerequisite:
524
PETE524: Advanced Well Logging (3-0-3)
The course provides the students with the basic and advanced skills and techniques needed to interpret modern well logs.
These skills and techniques are then used for identification and evaluation of potential hydrocarbon zones from a standard
suite of logs. Clean and shaly formation interpretations are covered. Computer Applications are emphasized.
Prerequisite:
- Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
532
PETE532: Well Performance (3-0-3)
The course provides detailed study of the inflow performance relationships and the horizontal, vertical and inclined multiphase
flow correlations and mechanistic models. These are then used to determine the current and future performance of the well and
the optimum size of the tubing and flow line as well as the optimum production strategy for the whole life of the well. The course
emphasizes computer applications through the utilization of student-developed and commercially available software.
Prerequisite:
533
PETE533: Surface Production Facilities (3-0-3)
The course provides a detailed description, performance analysis, and design of oil, water and gas handling facilities. Design
of individual components of the production system using hand calculations is first emphasized to provide complete understanding
of the physics of the various processes; then, computer programs are utilized. The course concludes with a term project. The project
integrates learned material for the design of a complete surface production system.
Prerequisite:
- Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
543
PETE543: Advanced Waterflooding (3-0-3)
Detailed analysis of the theory, design, and performance prediction of waterflooding of oil reservoirs. Fundamentals of
rock and fluid interactions. The fractional flow equation. Linear immiscible displacement. Prediction of areal sweep
efficiency using the CGM method and stream-tube models. Water injectivity in various flood patterns. Heterogeneous reservoirs.
Prerequisite:
544
PETE544: Natural Gas Engineering (3-0-3)
The course is intended to provide students with the techniques needed to estimate gas reserves for normally and abnormally pressured
gas reservoirs, water drive gas reservoirs, and gas condensate reservoirs. Production forecasting and decline curve analysis.
Productivity enhancement through gas cycling. Fundamental gas flow equation and its solutions in terms of pressure, pressure squared
and pseudo function. Gas well test design and analysis. Analysis of hydraulically fractured gas well tests. Gas field development
including reservoir deliverability, total system analysis (inflow/outflow performance of gas wells), and optimum development patterns.
Prerequisite:
545
PETE545: Advanced Reservoir Simulation (3-0-3)
The theory of petroleum reservoir simulation with modern modeling and prediction techniques. Finite difference representation of
flow equations. Construction of grid systems and time step selection. Modeling of multi-phase flow. Solution methods of a system
of equations.
Prerequisite:
551
PETE551: Petroleum Economic Analysis (3-0-3)
Statistical methods and operations research, application to project screening and management decision, evaluation of processing
facilities. Engineering justification for capital outlay in the petroleum industry.
Prerequisite:
- PETE550: Petroleum Economics.
560
PETE560: Mathematical Methods in Petroleum Engineering (3-0-3)
The course covers selected topics on advanced mathematical and numerical methods and modeling in petroleum engineering. This
includes numerical differentiation, integration, non-linear regression, and numerical inversion of La Place transforms.
Applications include analysis of rock properties, fluid properties, and reservoir engineering.
Prerequisite:
580
PETE580: Virtual Petroleum Engineering (3-0-3)
The course presents real problems and scenarios that simulate a petroleum engineering office environment. A multidisciplinary
approach will be the dominant approach to all presented problems. Realistic office settings and simulation of field problems
will be used to enhance the learning experience. The course will emphasize problem solving and learning through well-structured
assignments and class discussions. Experienced industry experts may be utilized at certain stages of the course.
Prerequisite:
- Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
590
PETE590: Special Topics in Petroleum Engineering (3-0-3)
Advanced topics selected from the major areas of petroleum engineering covering recent developments.
599
PETE599: Seminar (1-0-0)
Graduate students working towards either M.S. or Ph.D. degrees, are required to attend the seminars given by faculty,
visiting scholars, and fellow graduate students. Additionally, each student must present at least one seminar on a
timely research topic. Among other things, this course is designed to give the student an overview of research in the
Department, and a familiarity with the research methodology, journals, and professional societies in his discipline.
Graded on a Pass or Fail basis.
PETE 6xx
610
PETE610: Thesis (0-0-6)
The student has to undertake and complete a research topic, under the supervision of a graduate faculty member, to investigate
a specific problem in Petroleum Engineering.
616
PETE616: Offshore Drilling Engineering (3-0-3)
Offshore platforms and mobile vessels. Motion compensators and risers design. Offshore rigs and equipment. Offshore
directional drilling. Wellhead and well control systems.
617
PETE617: Advanced Drilling Engineering II (3-0-3)
This course is intended to cover the recent advances and changes in drilling technology. Emphasis will be on the areas
of horizontal and multilateral drilling and completion, slim holes and evolving drilling techniques. Optimization
and cost-effective drilling practices are studied in detail with the utilization of available computer packages.
Prerequisite:
- PETE512: Advanced Drilling Engineering I.
627
PETE627: Automated Well Test Analysis (3-0-3)
The course is intended to introduce the graduate student to the latest technology in well interpretation and design
using interactive well test computer models. Common types of well tests and reservoir models, and the identification
under various conditions of oil and gas wells are presented and discussed. The graduate student will demonstrate his
understanding of the course material through development of a well test program to estimate reservoir parameters based on
non-linear regression techniques for several reservoir models.
Prerequisite:
- PETE523: Well Performance.
628
PETE628: Reservoir Characterization (3-0-3)
The course is intended to provide the student with advanced concepts in geostatistics. Spacial correlation, variograms,
and covariograms of petrophysical variables. Static (cores, logs, seismic) and dynamic (flow) data are used to
characterize the reservoirs. Estimation of spacial distribution of variables using kriging, co-kriging, and conditional
simulation. Applications of geostatistical techniques to construct reservoir simulation models.
Prerequisite:
635
PETE635: Well Stimulation (3-0-3)
The course starts with detailed discussions of the various types of formation damage, their causes and effect on well
productivity. The various stimulation and damage removal methods are then introduced with detailed study of the theory,
design and pre- and post-treatment analysis of sandstone and carbonate matrix acidizing. At the conclusion of the course,
the student should be able to design a complete stimulation job starting from the selection of the candidate well and ending
with the post-treatment performance evaluation.
Prerequisite:
- PETE532: Well Performance.
or
- consent of instructor.
637
PETE637: Applied Hydraulic Fracturing (3-0-3)
The course provides the student with the knowledge and tools needed to design and analyze hydraulic and acid fracturing
jobs. An overview of the fundamentals of rock mechanics and its application to hydraulic fracturing will be presented.
Then, the data requirements and various elements of massive hydraulic fracturing treatment design are covered in detail.
Finally, the design of fracture treatment using analytical tools and commercial simulators is discussed in detail.
The course concludes with a term project to design a fracturing treatment and evaluate the post treatment performance of the well.
Prerequisite:
- PETE532: Well Performance.
638
PETE638: Artificial Lift (3-0-3)
This course is designed to enable the student to first make decisions on the need for artificial lift and the best artificial
lift method for any given well and field conditions; then, to design and optimize the artificial lift installation.
Students taking this course are expected to be familiar with well performance evaluation and analysis. Therefore, the course
concentrates on discussing the various types and applications of artificial lift methods with detailed study of the theory,
design and analysis of gas lift, electric submersible pump, sucker rod pump, downhole separations and hydraulic pump
installations. Recent advances in artificial lift technology will also be highlighted.
Prerequisite:
- PETE532: Well Performance.
645
PETE645: Fluid Flow in Porous Media (3-0-3)
Generalization of Darcy's law and multiphase fluid flow in porous media. Concept of relative permeability. Performance of
displacement mechanisms. Buckley~Leverett theory and frontal advance calculations. Dietz method, original and modified Style's methods.
648
PETE648: Enhanced Oil Recovery (3-0-3)
The theoretical and design aspects of enhanced oil recovery methods as practiced in post-waterflood oil reservoirs. Miscible
displacement methods including dry, rich, and liquefied petroleum gas. Hot fluid injection. In-situ combustion. Chemical
processes employing polymers and/or surfactants. EOR screening criteria.
Prerequisite:
- PETE543: Advanced Waterflooding.
649
PETE649: Advanced Fluid Properties (3-0-3)
Theoretical and empirical aspects of the properties of petroleum fluids relevant to petroleum reservoir calculations. Phase
behavior. PVT tests and correlations. Phase equilibria. Equations of state and phase behavior calculations. Petroleum fluid
characterization. Interfacial tension in multi-phase systems. Applications in reservoir simulation.
Prerequisite:
670
PETE670: Reservoir Rock Mechanics (3-0-3)
The course provides detailed coverage of the fundamentals of rock mechanics including the theories of elasticity and failure
mechanics, borehole stresses and acoustic wave propagation. Laboratory and field methods of acquiring rock mechanics data
relevant to field applications are discussed in detail. The course concludes with thorough discussions of the application of
rock mechanics in studying borehole stability, sand control, reservoir compaction and fracturing.
Prerequisite:
685
PETE685: Artificial Intelligence in Petroleum Engineering (3-0-3)
The course provides coverage of both theoretical and programming aspects of artificial intelligence techniques with applications
to the various areas of petroleum engineering. The basics of Expert Systems, Artificial Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic and Genetic
Programming will be covered with their applications in reservoir characterization, reservoir engineering, drilling engineering and
production operations. The course is concluded with individual projects utilizing commercial software to solve real problems.
Prerequisite:
699
PETE699: Seminar (0-0-0)
Attendance of departmental seminars given by faculty, graduate students and visiting scholars. A graduate (Ph.D.) student is
expected to contribute seminars on literature searches of topics of current interest to Petroleum Engineering. Graded on a Pass
or Fail basis.
PETE 7xx
710
PETE710: Ph.D. Dissertation (0-0-12)
Involves original research on a chosen problem within the field of Petroleum Engineering. Although the work can be theoretical,
experimental research is encouraged. The overall result should be a scientific contribution adding to further knowledge in petroleum engineering.
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