Russian pulsating mixer pump (PMP) technology was identified in FY 1996 during technical exchanges between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Tanks Focus Area Retrieval and Closure program, the DOE Environmental Management International Programs, and delegates from Russia as a technology that could be implemented in tank waste retrieval operations in the United States. The PMP is basically a jet mixer powered by a pressure/vacuum supply system. A prototype PMP was provided by the Russian Mining and Chemical Combine and evaluated as a potential retrieval tool in FY 1997 at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Based on this evaluation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and DOE staff determined that a modified PMP would meet project needs for bulk mobilization of sludge from one or more of the Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT) at ORNL. In FY 1998, PMP technology was selected for deployment in one of the GAAT to mobilize settled solids. Deployment of the PMP was expected to reduce operation and maintenance costs required to utilize more expensive retrieval systems. The following series of cold tests and inspections were conducted on one of the three PMP units provided to verify the acceptability and readiness of the mixing system for …

This project is intended to enhance the ability to use seismic data for the determination of rock and fluid properties through an improved understanding of the physics underlying the relationships between seismic attributes and formation.

The objectives of this five-year project were: (1) to achieve improved understanding of the surface and interfacial properties of crude oils and their interactions with mineral surfaces, (2) to apply the results of surface studies to improve predictions of oil production from laboratory measurements, and (3) to use the results of this research to recommend ways to improve oil recovery by waterflooding.

The project, "Calibration of Seismic Attributes for Reservoir Characterization," is now complete. Our original proposed scope of work included detailed analysis of seismic and other data from two to three hydrocarbon fields; we have analyzed data from four fields at this level of detail, two additional fields with less detail, and one other 2D seismic line used for experimentation. We also included time-lapse seismic data with ocean-bottom cable recordings in addition to the originally proposed static field data. A large number of publications and presentations have resulted from this work, inlcuding several that are in final stages of preparation or printing; one of these is a chapter on "Reservoir Geophysics" for the new Petroleum Engineering Handbook from the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Major results from this project include a new approach to evaluating seismic attributes in time-lapse monitoring studies, evaluation of pitfalls in the use of point-based measurements and facies classifications, novel applications of inversion results, improved methods of tying seismic data to the wellbore, and a comparison of methods used to detect pressure compartments. Some of the data sets used are in the public domain, allowing other investigators to test our techniques or to improve upon them using the …