TULSA, OK - Oil production in the United States is declining at
an alarming rate. The remaining resources have high exploration
and production costs and pose greater technical challenges. Some
domestic oil wells are prematurely abandoned due to lacking
technologies and economic Sonic stimulation - the use of sound
waves sent out through reservoir rock to free trapped oil
droplets ? is an emerging technology that has been used in the
last decade to enhance oil field production in the United States
and overseas. While results have been positive in some cases,
most of these applications did not contain sufficient scientific
rigor to form a solid theoretical basis. Stimulation experts
have concluded that this lack of basic understanding has led to
widely varied tools and mechanisms with inconsistent yet
promising To help establish a better scientific base of
knowledge, the Department has selected Michigan Technological
University (MTU) to conduct a project to calibrate and test
sonic stimulation technologies. Thi