Dr. Apostolos Kantzas
Positions
Professor
Schulich School of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Industrial Research Chair
Fundamentals of Unconventional Resources
Contact information
Web presence
Phone number
Office: +1 (403) 220-8907
Location
Office: ES902A
Preferred method of communication
E-mail is my preferred method of communication.
Background
Educational Background
Doctor of Philosophy Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 1988
Master of Applied Science Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 1985
Biography
Industrial Research Chair in Modelling Fundamentals of Unconventional Resources.
The Chair program focuses on understanding the physics of multiphase flow in porous media in two main areas. The first area is heavy oil and bitumen enhanced oil recovery (HOBEOR), which includes conventional heavy oil, bitumen in oil sands, and bitumen in carbonates. The second area deals with tight oil and gas enhanced recovery (TEOR). Both HOBEOR and TEOR are sponsored by industry and government grants. This program will improve field exploration, development, recovery, and production methods and strategies, as well as provide information, technology, and fundamental concepts essential for the enhancement of unconventional resources recovery. It integrates research and innovation into the industry by providing experienced graduates who can solve practical problems.
Dr. Kantzas is also the co-director of the Geothermal Energy Laboratory (GEL). GEL's mission is Geothermal Everywhere. The program focuses on geothermal energy to power and direct heating, as well as energy harvesting processes.
Dr. Kantzas received a Dipl. Eng. in chemical engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1982. He continued his education with a MASc and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada in 1985 and 1988, respectively.
Dr. Kantzas is a professional engineer with APEGA and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the Petroleum Society of CIM, CSChE, AIChE, and SCA. He has authored or co-authored over 350 technical papers and over 500 technical reports.
Cross appointments and affiliations:
- Director, Tomographic Imaging and Porous Media Laboratory (TIPM Lab) – Now PERM Inc.
- PI (Principal Investigator), Industrial Research Chair in Fundamentals of Unconventional Resources (FUR IRC)
Research
Areas of Research
The NSERC AITF/i-CORE Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Modelling Fundamentals of Unconventional Resource at the University of Calgary is headed by Dr. Apostolos Kantzas. It builds on the outcomes of the CRC in Energy and Imaging. The Chair studies conventional heavy oil (non-thermal recovery processes), bitumen in oil sand (fundamental property identification: wettability, capillary pressure, relative permeability, and dispersion phenomena for steam-bitumen, solvent-bitumen and steam-solvent-bitumen systems) and bitumen in carbonates (comparison to clastics and characterization of multiple porosity systems). The primary objectives have been identified by industry and aligned with public sector priorities:
- Understand the physics of multiphase flow in unconventional resources (in-situ) using lab experiments to establish data that can be used to validate models. The PI addresses this via a study of geological heterogeneities and the presence of mobile water.
- Develop models of multiphase flow in unconventional resources at the pore level and then provide opportunities for collaborators to validate their models as well.
- The lab work will establish the interaction parameters for fluid/fluid and solid/fluid under thermal and thermal/solvent conditions.
- The resulting models and the application of these models by industry will facilitate industry goals to reduce their CO2 emissions and maximize the injection of GHG for oil and gas recovery processes.
- Industry and collaborators will use the data and the modeling outcomes to further their own goals both in R&D and in the recovery of energy resources in Canada.
There are three secondary objectives:
- Invent and commercialize proper tools that support core analysis with simultaneous visualization in a 300oC+ environment.
- Identify, prove and/or invent and commercialize new technologies for unconventional resource development and these will be identified as the work progresses.
- Foster the development of a knowledge-based entrepreneurial culture via the training of highly qualified personnel who are exposed to skill transfer between industry academia and government.
Kantzas held the CRC in Energy and Imaging for the past ten years and had supplementary funding from a consortium (established 2001) of oil and gas companies, who have participated for 10 years. The CRC tenure ended in 2011. As the Chair of this program, the PI fosters opportunities for sharing outcomes from interrelated areas of work by opening bimonthly and annual technical presentations to these various groups and programs. Due to the fundamental nature of this research the overall scientific quality of the research around unconventional energy resources is enhanced through this technology transfer process.
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| ENCH 69978 LAB 01 B01 | Special Project | 2020 |
| ENCH 69979 LAB 01 B01 | Special Project | 2020 |
| ENPE 423 LEC 01 01 | Oil & Gas Engg Proc Developmnt | 2020 |
| ENCH 423 LEC 01 01 | Chem Engg Process Development | 2021 |
| ENER 400 LAB 01 B01 | Engineering Design & Economics | 2020 |
| ENPE 423 LAB 01 B01 | Oil & Gas Engg Proc Developmnt | 2020 |
| ENPE 511 LAB 02 B02 | Design For Oil & Gas Eng I | 2021 |
| ENPE 531 LAB 02 B02 | Design For Oil & Gas Engg II | 2021 |
| ENCH 423 LAB 01 B01 | Chem Engg Process Development | 2020 |
| ENPE 551 LAB 04 B04 | PetroleumEngineeringLaboratory | 2021 |
Awards
- Outstanding Mentorship Award, University of Calgary, Schulich School of Engineering. 2018
- Outstanding Service Award, Petroleum Society of CIM. 2007
- Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology 2005 Best Paper Award, Petroleum Society of CIM. 2006
- Outstanding Technical Editor Award, Society of Petroleum Engineers. 2006
- Professor of the Year, Oil and Gas Engineering Program, Schulich School of Engineering. 2006
- Professor of the Year, Oil and Gas Engineering Program, Schulich School of Engineering. 2005
- Best Petrophysical Paper, ICE 2004 CSPG, CHOA, CWLS Joint Conference. 2004
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Research Award, University of Calgary. 2004
- Outstanding Achievement in Supervision Award, University of Calgary, Faculty of Graduate Studues. 2003
- Outstanding Technical Editor Award, Society of Petroleum Engineers. 2003
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Research Award, University of Calgary. 2003
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Research Award, University of Calgary. 2000
- CFI New Opportunities Award, 1998
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