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 computational fluid flow dynamics. Laboratory- and  pilot-scale processes are designed in computer-aided design (CAD) tools, fabricated and assembled for experimentation. Numerical modelling, simulation and computational fluid dynamics are carried out using different platforms and tools such as Python, C++ Fortran etc. 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
• Pore-scale 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 phenomenon

Flow through pipes, 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. Contributor to the development of advanced numerical computational platform based on object oriented cplusplus programming. 

• Complex system modelling platform (CSMP++ )

• CSMP++ is a C++14 ANSI / ISO standard-compliant application programmer interface (API). It contains implementations of finite-element- (FEM) and finite volume (FVM) methods base code library, designed to simulate complex multi-physics fluid flow behaviour and processes in porous and permeable systems. CSMP++ is co-developed by ETH Zurich, Montanuniversitat Leoben (Austria), Heriot Watt University (Scotland) and the University of Melbourne (Australia) with the board of originators, Prof S. K. Matthai, sitting at the University of Melbourne (Australia), see CSMP++ for further information.

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

• SONANGOL - Neuro-fuzzy based screening for EOR projects and experimental investigation of identified techniques in oilfield operations 

Collaborations

 Academic collaborators

• Dr. Hossein Hamidi
• Dr. Waheed Afzal
• Dr. Yingfang Zhou
• Dr. Roozbeh Rafati
• Dr. Rainer Ebel
• 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