DNA-Encapsulated Silica Nanoparticle Tracers for Fractured Reservoir Characterization
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- This research investigated the use of DNA-encapsulated silica nanoparticles as a new type of tracer for fractured reservoir characterization. Silica nanoparticles with DNA embedded have been successfully synthesized by first adsorbing negatively charged DNA molecules onto positively charged silica seeds, and then coating the particles with silica. DNA was thereby “sandwiched” between the inner silica seed and outer silica layer, which protected the DNA from being affected by harsh environmental conditions (e.g. high temperature). The advantage of such DNA-embedded nanotracers is that the infinite number of possible sequences of DNA allows nanoparticles with different DNA “barcodes” to be uniquely identifiable, and hence can be applied in tracer testing to tag individual wellbores or flow paths. The DNA-embedded silica nanoparticles were characterized through a series of DNA release, purification and quantification experiments, after which the encapsulated DNA was successfully extracted and quantified. The synthesis and characterization procedure as well as the mechanism of DNA handling techniques are explained in detail. The behavior of DNA-encapsulated silica nanoparticles under simulated geological temperatures was investigated in this study. Heating experiments were conducted on plain silica nanoparticles to evaluate its capability of protecting the DNA while maintaining integrity of the particle at high temperature (198°C). Plain silica nanoparticles were also injected through packed sand under various temperatures to examine their flowability through porous media, their durability, and their influence on the permeability of porous media. DNA-encapsulated silica nanoparticles were finally injected through packed sand at high temperature (150°C) to investigate the feasibility to apply them in field tracer testing applications. Problems associated with synthesizing DNA-encapsulated silica nanoparticles were also addressed and studied. The synthesis procedure was modified in order to enhance the particle stability in suspension. The overall objective of this research was to synthesize and characterize DNA-silica nanotracer and to achieve a more complete understanding of the inherent mechanisms of their flow through porous rocks, as the study attempted to establish lab scale applications as a path toward the development of uniquely identifiable smart tracers at the field scale.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | June 2015 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Zhang, Yuran |
|---|---|
| Primary advisor | Horne, Roland N. |
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Department of Energy Resources Engineering |
Subjects
| Subject | School of Earth Energy & Environmental Sciences |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thesis |
Bibliographic information
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Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
- Zhang, Yuran. (2015). DNA-Encapsulated Silica Nanoparticle Tracers for Fractured Reservoir Characterization. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/yz756fd6804
Collection
Master's Theses, Doerr School of Sustainability
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