<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br>
</div>
<div id="Signature">
<div>
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">NAME:
</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Pushpesh Sharma<b></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">DATE:
</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Tuesday, April 30, 2019<b></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">TIME:</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> 2:00 PM</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">PLACE:
</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">ERP, Building 9, Room 125 - Conference Room<b></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">CHAIR/ADVISOR:
</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:200%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Dr. Konstantinos Kostarelos<b></b></span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">
<hr size="2" width="100%" align="center">
</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;text-align:center; line-height:normal">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Non-thermal Recovery of Bitumen using Cyclic Surfactant Solubilization</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;text-align:justify; line-height:normal">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in; line-height:150%">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Natural bitumen and extra heavy oil resources accounts for approximately two-thirds of the known fossil fuel resources in the world. Existing recovery processes for these resources have been criticized for
their negative impact on the environment. This study presents a novel approach - cyclic surfactant solubilization. The process involves solubilizing heavy oil in a low viscosity single phase microemulsion using a surfactant formulation. The surfactant formulation
can be recovered for reinjection after oil separation and recovery. It is a non-thermal sustainable approach.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in; line-height:150%">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Initially, a proof-of-concept study was conducted using synthetic oil. Based on phase behavior studies a suitable surfactant formulation was selected and flow experiments were conducted. The study established
that oil recovery is possible by producing only single phase microemulsion. </span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in; line-height:150%">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The next step was to apply the process on real field samples. Oil sands samples were acquired from Alberta, Canada for that purpose. Bitumen was extracted from the sand to perform oil characterization and
phase behavior studies. However, flow experiments performed with the selected surfactant formulation did not yield expected results, which led to phase behavior experiments with oil sands instead of extracted oil. The formulation was optimized based on these
observations and a set of flow experiments were conducted which resulted in improved recoveries. A critical part of the cyclic surfactant solubilization process is surfactant recovery and recycle. This study also explores various pathways to achieve this.
The economics of the process will become favorable with the development of surfactant recovery processes.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-indent:.5in; line-height:150%">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A green alternative to recover bitumen from these resources is key for fulfilling future energy demands and for keeping climate change in check. The cyclic surfactant solubilization process provides a feasible
low-energy alternative to thermal processes specially in countries like Venezuela and Canada, where majority of fossil fuel resources are available in the form of natural bitumen or extra heavy oil.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;line-height:normal">
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>