Research Methods and Project

At the end of this course, the students should be able to: 1. undertake and complete successfully an independent or team project; 2. source for information for engineering work; and 3. communicate engineering information.

The students will be taught methods on how to carry out research. The research method must be a first semester course and the evaluation of the course will primarily depend on the ability of the student to develop a good proposal on the topic he or she was assigned or chosen. (1 Credit) An individual or team project selected from a list of projects at the beginning of the final year. Work on the project continues throughout the final year under the supervision of a lecturer. Students may also suggest their own projects. The project report must be typed, bound and defended before the Departmental Academic Board and an external examiner before graduation. (5 Credits) Minimum Academic Standards Equipment Drilling Fluid and Cement Laboratory Mixers and cups Marsh funnels Direct indication viscometers Consistometer Pressure filter press Constant temperature water bath Roller oven Standard API sand sieve Retort kit Resistivity meter Mud rheometers pH meters Mud balance Chemical balance Standard filter press Filter papers Bentonite, barytes and mud additives (chemicals) Cement analyser List oF PVT Laboratory Equipment Visual PVT cell Recombination cell Oil molecular weight tester (Cryette Cryoscope) Multi-stage flash separator Gasometer Digital density meter High pressure high temperature density meter (Pycnometer) Electromagnet viscometer or rolling ball viscometer Gas cylinder Oil cylinder Gas chromatograph (with all support gases such as hydrogen, air and helium) for gas analysis Gas chromatograph (with all support gases such as hydrogen, air and helium) for liquid analysis Positive displacement pump PVT surface sampling kits Pressure generator system Sample restoration apparatus Weigh balance Other Accessories in the PVT Laboratory Heating mantle UPS Digital pressure gauge Piping materials for gas chromatograph installation Core Analysis and Reservoir Engineering Laboratory S/N Equipment Accessories 1 Resistivity meters tensiometer 2 Core slabbing crosscut and band saws 3 Core milling machine 4 Core preservation system Refrigerator, wax bath and core trays 5 Dean stark equipment 6 Distillation assembly Compressor 7 Porosimeters Nitrogen cylinder/gas 8 Core cleaner (Soxhlet extractor) Heating mantle and oven 9 Centrifugal extractor 10 High pressure saturator 11 Capillary pressure test equipment 12 Refractometer 13 Liquid and gas permeameters Nitrogen cylinder/gas 14 Planimeter Other Equipment 15 Core trimming/cutting machine 16 CT scanner 17 Gamma ray logging machine 18 Digital core photography camera 19 Humidity and conventional oven 20 Particle size analyzer 21 Retort oven 22 Miniature core flooding system Compressor nitrogen cylinder/gas 23 Amott cell Production Laboratory Viscosimeters Hydrometers Corrosion test kits Flow meter rig Centrifuge Computer Laboratory The computer laboratory should have at least 40 PCs, with at least one of the following softwares installed. No. Area Software Purpose 1 Reservoir MBAL Material balance calculation/Decline engineering curve analysis 2 Reservoir ECLIPSE Dynamic simulation engineering 3 Production PROSPER Nodal analysis, stimulation, gaslift design 4 Formation TECHLOG Petrophysical evaluation evaluation 5 Geology PETREL Seismic and 3-D modeling 6 Economics CYRISTAL BALL Economic evaluation 7 Field QUESTOR Cost estimation and development/ development Concept selection Other Requirements for Training of Students CD/DVD players LCD screens Projectors Wireless speakers Audio CDs, tapes, etc. On petroleum engineering courses Some disused oil field equipment like stabilizers, centralisers, drilling bits, well head assembly, gas lift mandrels, etc. Demonstration rigs Demonstration flow stations Staffing Academic Staff The NUC guidelines on staff/student ratio of 1:15 for Engineering and Technology departments shall apply. However, there should be a minimum of six full-time equivalents of Staff in the department. There is need to have a reasonable number of Staff with doctoral degrees as well as sufficient industrial experience. With a minimum load of 15 Units per semester for students and a minimum of six full-time equivalent of staff in each programme, staff should have a maximum of 15 contact hours per week for lectures, tutorials, practical’s and supervision of projects. NUC requirement encourages all academic staff to have PhD degrees; hence appointment of academic staff is preferably to the Lecturer cadre. Only in exceptional cases are candidates with great promise appointed to Graduate Assistant and Assistant Lecturer positions for the purpose of being developed to the Lecturer cadre as registered PhD candidates. Academic Support Personnel Teaching Assistant/Demonstrators to help lecturers in the conduct of tutorials, practical’s and field work. This category of personnel is not expected to be regular staff as they are to be paid on the basis of approved hourly rate. Administrative Support Staff The services of the administrative support staff are indispensable in the proper administration of the departments and faculty offices. It is important to recruit very competent senior staff that are computer literate. Technical Support Personnel The services of technical support staff, which are indispensable in the proper running of laboratories and workshop/studios are required. It is important to recruit very competent senior technical staff to maintain teaching and research equipment. They are also to undergo regular training to keep them abreast of developments in equipment operation and maintenance. The minimum of academic staff to technical staff ratio of 5:1 should be maintained. Minimum Number of Staff Subject to the general standards specified by NUC: 1. there should be a minimum of two PhDs and four M.Eng degree holders full-time academic staff to mount the programme; 2. each workshop or laboratory should have an adequate number of staff with the right mix, such that each unit or section in that workshop or laboratory can run efficiently; and 3. there should be an adequate number of administrative staff of the appropriate caliber for the office of the Head of Department to run. Student/Staff Ratio The minimum staff-to-student ratio should be 1:15 from 200 level to 500 level. Library There must be adequate library facilities to cater for the interest of all the programmes in the faculty. These include current journals, handbooks, textbooks, manuals, codes of practice, and standards and specifications in sufficient numbers. Classrooms, Laboratories, Workshops, Clinics and Offices The NUC recommends the following physical space requirement: Academic m2 Professor’s office 18.50 Head of Department’s office 18.50 Tutorial teaching staff space 13.50 Other teaching staff space 7.00 Technical staff space 7.00 Science staff research laboratory 16.50 Engineering staff research laboratory 14.50 Seminar space per student 1.85 Drawing office space (A.O. board) (Per student) 4.60 Drawing Office Space (A.I. board) (Per student) 3.70 Laboratory space 7.50 Non-Academic Secretarial space 7.00 Office Accommodation The requirements for office accommodation are: S/No Office No in Facilities Room 1. HOD 1 Table, chairs, A/C, filing cabinet, bookshelves, computer unit, Secretary and facilities. 2. Professor 1 Table, chairs, A/C, filing cabinet, bookshelves, computer unit, Secretary and facilities. 3. Reader 1 Table, chairs, A/C, filing cabinet, bookshelves, computer unit. 4. Senior 1 Table, chairs, A/C, filing cabinet, bookshelves, Lecturer computer unit. 5. Lecturer I 2 Table, chairs, fan, filing cabinet, bookshelves. 6. Lecturer II 3 Table, chairs, fan, filing cabinet, bookshelves