Dr Lateef Akanji

Biography

• Senior Lecturer, Petroleum Engineering, University of Aberdeen, 2014 - 
• Lecturer and Head of Petroleum Technology Research Group and Coordinator of Postgraduate Programme in Petroleum Engineering, University of Salford Manchester, 2012 - 2014
• Assistant Professor of Petroleum Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh Saudi Arabia, 2011-2012
• Visiting Lecturer, Reservoir Engineering, University of Leoben, Austria, 2008
• Reservoir Simulation Consultant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Nigeria, 2002 - 2005
• Trainee Drilling and Operations Engineer, Pan Ocean Oil Corporation, Nigeria 2000-2001  
• PhD degree, Petroleum Engineering, Imperial College London
• B.Sc. (Honours) and M.Sc. degrees in Petroleum Engineering, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
• Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Charted Engineer (CEng) and Chartered Petroleum Engineer, Member of the Energy Institute and the Society of Petroleum Engineers

Research Overview

His research interests are in multiphase flow in porous and permeable media with applications to enhanced oil recovery in clastic, carbonate and unconventional shale reservoirs. He conducts research in theoretical, experimental and numerical investigation of pore to field scale modelling of static and dynamic flow and geomechanics of shale fracking processes using finite element methods and csmp-plusplus. Recent research focus involves application of AI in petroleum and alternative energy applications.

Current Research

• Key research focus - subsurface production improvement and enhancement
• Flow through porous and permeable rocks - shale rocks, clastic and carbonate
• Porescale modelling (numerical investigation - PTDF funded)
  

This investigation involves porescale characterisation and numerical simulation of fluid flow through porous and permeable media. Fundamental approach involves CT-scanning of rock samples, digital conversion and image processing involving thresholding and segmentation. Advanced numerical codes are used to simulate fluid flow behaviour and derive basic and special rock properties. You can request for free CT-scanned images of shale rock samples here

Advanced EOR techniques (experimental investigation - PTDF/TETFUND/ Sonangol funded) 

• Low salinity combined with biosurfactants EOR
• Microbial EOR processes - biosurfactant and biopolymer application
• Interfacial phenonmenon

Flow through production tubing and gas-lifted wells (pilot scale)

• Bubble coalescence and break up
• Density wave oscillation
• Casing heading

Application of artificial intelligence in improving oil production and screening of bio-surfactants for EOR processes

Technology development platform

1. Developer of advanced numerical computational platform based on object oriented cplusplus programming. 

• Complex system modelling platform (CSMP++ - Aberdeen)
• Link to software development can be found here

2. Developer of Enhanced Neuro-fuzzy, machine learning and data analytic techniques

3. Technology innovator for the petroleum industry

• EOR special purpose technological development (Sonangol funded project)
• High-pressure high-temperature flow loop for biosurfactant production and IFT screening (PTDF funded project) 
• Pilot scale rig project construction for gaslifted wells (Elphinstone funded project)

Past Research

Ongoing PhD projects

Abubakar Sadiq Ahmed 

• Project - Evaluation of the molecular structure of surfactant on the performance of enhanced oil recovery process
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Jeff Gomes

Friday Owolabi 

• Project - Development of ensemble artificial intelligence system for petroleum production optimisation
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Jeff Gomes

Temiloluwa Onimisi 

• Project - Permeability upscaling in porous media flow
• Lead supervisor - Dr. Jeff Gomes

Godwin Agunwoke 

• Project - The Impacts of Heterogeneity of Reservoir Rock Property on the Multiphase Flow and Oil Recovery from Pore Scale to Reservoir Scale
• Lead supervisor - Dr. Kejian Wu

Stephen Ajah

• Project - Prediction of critical heat flux during severe events in nuclear reactors
• Lead supervisor - Dr. Jeff Gomes

Adamu Adamu

• Project - Eigenfrequency analysis for resonance identification and penetration enhancement in radio-frequency heating of Nigerian tar sands
• Lead supervisor - Dr. Sumeet Aphale
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Prashant Jadhawar

Nouha Salmani 

• Project - Application of AI in groundwater contamination monitoring and control
• Lead supervisor - Dr Tannaz Pak (Teesside University)

Completed PhD projects

Ibrahim Ayuba 

• Project - Fluid flow and transport processes in shale rocks
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Jeff Gomes  

Bamikole Joshua Adeyemi 

• Project - Surface complexation modelling
• Lead supervisor - Dr. Prashant Jadhawar

Joshua Dala 

• Project - Flow Performance and Production Analysis in Gas Condensate Wells
• Co-supervisor -   Dr. Prashant Jadhawar  

Toochukwu Onwuliri 

• Project - Coupled flow-geomechanical model for hydraulically fractured shale formations
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Hossein Hamidi

Adamu Tijjani Ibrahim 

• Project - Experimental and Numerical Wellbore Stability Modelling: A Water Activity driven approach
• Lead supervisor - Dr. Hossein Hamidi

Tinuola Udoh  

• Project - Productivity enhancement in a combined low salinity water and bio-surfactant injection projects
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Jan Vinogradov

Chibuzo Onyemara  

• Project - Screening of Environment-friendly Biosurfactants and Interfacial Phenomenon for Enhanced Oil Recovery Purposes
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Rainer Ebel

James Adeleye 

• Project - Numerical Characterisation of Fluid Flow in Unconventional Shale Rocks
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Yingfang Zhou

Joao Chidamoio  

• Project - Experimental and numerical modelling of gaslift cavitation and instabilities in oil producing wells
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Roozbeh Rafati

Geraldo Ramos  

• Project - Neuro-fuzzy based screening for EOR projects and experimental investigation of identified techniques in oilfield operations 
• Co-supervisor - Dr. Waheed Afzal

Industry based collaborators

• Christa Vindum (Vindum Engineering Inc. USA)
• Yogi Vindum (Vindum Engineering Inc. USA)
• Rafael Sandrea (IPC Petroleum Consultants, Inc. USA)

Collaborations

 Academic collaborators

• Dr. Hossein Hamidi
• Dr. Waheed Afzal
• Dr. Yingfang Zhou
• Dr. Roozbeh Rafati
• Dr. Rainer Ebel
• Dr. Jan Vinogradov
• Prof. G. K. Falade
• Prof. Stephan Matthai
• Prof. Alfred Akisanya
• Prof. Lufianlisso Antonio
• Prof. Martin Blunt

Teaching Responsibilities

Field Development Planning

Well and Production Engineering

Facilities Engineering