Kieran Trickett - CO₂ Drilling Fluids

PhD, October 2006 -

Kieran graduated from the University of Bath in July 2006 and is now working at Bristol on the development of dense CO₂ drilling fluids in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh. 

The aim of the project is to develop dense CO₂ fluids by incorporating designed self assembly structures that will modify the viscosity of CO₂. Such fluids have the potential application as high pressure displacement and fracture fluids for the recovery of oil. 

The approach is to generate CO₂-philic surfactants that will form worm-like micelles in CO₂. The project will build upon recent breakthroughs in CO₂ surfactant design¹ and the ability of certain organic and inorganic counterions to induce entangled wormlike micelle structures².

References.

[2] Viscoelastic worm-like micelles and their applications
    J. Yang, Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science 2002, 7, 276-281