99499 - Engineering and Safety of Energy Raw Materials M

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will acquire the basic knowledge of production and transport engineering of raw materials for energy production, with particular reference to liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons. Furthermore, the student will deepen the strategic aspects relating to the safety of operations and energy supplies in Italy, framing them in an international context. More specifically, the student will be able to: • Familiarise with the Italian legislative framework relating to the issue of Concessions for the production of raw materials for energy production; • apply the engineering of production systems used on land and offshore, and assess the consequent environmental impacts; • evaluate the elements to support the selections of suitable areas for planning the above industrial activities in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability; • evaluating, planning and managing operations for the decommissioning of offshore production structures.

Course contents

MODULE 1 (Prof. Bortolotti, 48 hours, both for Environmental and Territory Engineering and for Energy Engineering)

PART I Reservoir Characterization and Italian Legislation
• Subsurface reservoirs for the production and storage of liquid and gaseous fluids.
• Main static and dynamic petrophysical properties characterizing reservoirs. The porous medium.
• Dynamic behavior of reservoirs: an overview of numerical modeling and simulation.
• Information to support decision-making in hydrocarbon exploration, development, production, and the decommissioning of mining infrastructure. Identification of suitable areas in terms of environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

PART II drilling techniques
• Drilling techniques for the production of hydrocarbons. Onshore drilling rigs. Outline of directional drilling. Drilling fluids. Calculation of pressure drop in the hydraulic circuit of a drilling rig.
• Composition of the drill string, tools, accessories and special bits for deep wells. Analysis of drilling battery instability.
• Pore pressure, fracturing pressure and drilling mud pressure analysis.
• Principles of casing design, cementing operations and well control practices.
• Outline of offshore drilling. Jack-up type self-lifting systems. Semi-submersible drilling rigs. Drilling ships. Techniques of anchoring and dynamic positioning. Drilling riser, submarine
BOPs. Fixed drilling and production platforms.

MODULE 2 (Prof. Tabarelli, 12 hours, only for Energy Engineering) The module discusses the main issues relating to energy security from a macroeconomic perspective mainly for the Italian system, highlighting the critical issues of the high dependence on energy imports, in particular oil and gas.
It will be explained how to calculate energy dependence from the Italian energy balance in order to analyze the existing obstacles towards reducing it, both through the national production of traditional sources and through the development of renewable sources. The 2022 crisis, still ongoing in the winter of 2023-2024, offers the opportunity to concretely understand some aspects relating to the security of energy supplies, in particular in relation to the national gas system. A comparison will also be made with the crisis of 1973 and that of 1979, to understand their differences and similarities.
The main variables that determine the macroeconomic quantities of security will be explained, in particular import prices of the main primary sources, gas and oil, and the price of electricity. All these variables are originating the large energy deficit of Italy becoming an important impediment for stronger economic growth.
Renewable sources, which are growing rapidly, will be addressed regarding their contribution to easing energy dependence, underlining the difficulties they have in terms of greater development of national supply chains for equipment such as wind turbines and photovoltaic panels.
Nuclear is the source with zero C02 emissions but that satisfies the need of high density that final consumers in all sectors want, but it has notable difficulties in acceptability by the population. The reasons and possible solutions regarding the safety of the systems will be discussed.

Readings/Bibliography

Modulo 1

• Lecture notes provided by the teacher.

• Autori Vari: Esplorazione, produzione e trasporto, Enciclopedia degli idrocarburi, Volume 1, Treccani, Roma 2005.

• P. Macini, Impianti e tecnologie di perforazione, Enciclopedia degli Idrocarburi, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, 2005, pp. 303 – 336.

• P. Macini, Perforazione in mare, Enciclopedia degli Idrocarburi, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, 2005, pp. 373 – 383.

P. Macini, E. Mesini, Caratteristiche petrofisiche della roccia serbatoio, Enciclopedia degli Idrocarburi, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, 2005, pp. 453 - 486.

• Ministero della Transizione Ecologica: Piano per la Transizione Energetica Sostenibile delle Aree Idonee (PiTESAI), 2022.

Modulo 2

• D. Tabarelli, "Gas, la lezione di un'emergenza'; in Il Libro dell'Anno 2022, Treccani.

• Luigi Troiani e Alejandro Crosthwaite, Neutralità climatica e decarbonizzazione. Interessi in gioco e salvaguardia del creato, capitoli relativi al riscaldamento ciclico, mobilità e fonti alternative, curati da Davide Tabarelli, 2023 Biblion Edizioni srl, Milano.

• D. Tabarelli, A collection of articles from Il Sole 24 Ore regarding the 2022–2023 crisis, provided by the author.

Teaching methods

Classroom lectures, seminars.

Assessment methods

The exam consists in a written test and/or oral interview in order to assess the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student. The student will be invited to discuss the topics covered during the lessons.
The achievement of an organic vision of the issues addressed during the classes and their critical use, which demonstrate ownership of a mastery of expression and specific language, will be assessed with marks of excellence. Mechanical and/or mnemonic knowledge of matter, synthesis and analysis of non-articulating and/or correct language but not always appropriate will lead to discrete assessments; training gaps and/or inappropriate language - although in a context of minimal knowledge of the material - will lead to votes that will not exceed the sufficiency. Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of guidance within the reference materials offered during the course will lead to failed assessments.

Teaching tools

Video projector, PC, overhead projector, traditional blackboard, pen tablet.

Office hours

See the website of Villiam Bortolotti