Faculty

Kyung Jae Lee
Kyung Jae Lee
Assistant Professor; Ph.D. Texas A&M University
Office Location: ERP 1A, Room 192G
Email: kjlee6 [at] central [dot] uh [dot] edu
Modeling and Simulation of Porous Media

Education: 

Ph.D. Petroleum Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 2014
M.S. Energy System Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, 2011
B.S. Energy Resources Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, 2009

Professional Experience: 

Assistant Professor, University of Houston, September 2017-Present
Geological Postdoc Fellow, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, January 2015- August 2017
Graduate Research Assistant, Texas A&M University, September 2011-December 2014
Research Associate, Energy Research Institute of Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, March-August 2011
Graduate Research Assistant, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, March 2009-February 2011

Research Interests: 

Numerical and theoretical research on fluid transport and heat flow in porous/fractured media

Modeling of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs—oil shale, shale gas, methane hydrates, heavy oil, bitumen

Forward simulation and inverse modeling of diverse processes applied in subsurface energy systems—chemical/thermal enhanced recovery, in-situ upgrading, cyclic steam stimulation, hydraulic fracturing, CO2 sequestration, CO2 push-pull

Applications—economic production of unconventional resources, environmental effects of hydrocarbon production, control and protection of groundwater, enhanced geothermal systems

Selected Professional Activities/Honors: 

Texas A&M Energy Institute Fellowship funded by ConocoPhillips, 2014
Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Korea) Scholarship, 2010-2011
Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) Scholarship, 2009-2011
Brain Korea 21 Research Fellowship, 2009-2011
Association of Energy Resources Engineering Alumni Scholarship of Seoul National University, 2009
Excellent Student Paper Award from Mine Reclamation Corporation of Korea, 2008
Seoul National University Scholarship, 2005-2009
(Scholarly Service) Reviewer of peer-review journals: Fuel, Geofluids, Energy Exploration & Exploitation, International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology

Selected Publications: 

Oldenburg, C. Daley, T. Borgia, A. Doughty, C. Jung, Y. Lee, K. Zhang, R. Altundas, B. Chugunov, N. 2018. On Carbon Dioxide Injection into Faults and Fracture Zones for Better Characterization of Permeable Flow Paths in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (LBNL Report).

Anyenya, G.A. Braun, R.J. Lee, K. et al. 2018. Design and Dispatch Optimization of a Solid-oxide Fuel Cell Assembly for Unconventional Oil and Gas Production. Optimization and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11081-018-9400-y.

Jung, Y. Doughty, C. Borgia, A. Lee, K. et al. 2018. Pressure Transient Analysis during CO2 Push-Pull Tests into Faults for EGS Characterization. Geothermics. 75: 180-191.

Lee, K. Finterle, S. and Moridis, G.J. 2018. Analyzing the Impact of Reaction Models on the Production of Hydrocarbons from Thermally Upgraded Oil Shales. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 168: 448-464.

Lee, K. Finterle, S. and Moridis, G.J. 2018. Estimating the Reaction Parameters of Oil Shale Pyrolysis and Oil Shale Grade Using Temperature Transient Analysis and Inverse Modeling. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 165: 765-776.

Lee, K. Oldenburg, C.M. Doughty, C. et al. 2018. Simulations of Carbon Dioxide Push-Pull into a Conjugate Fault System Modeled after Dixie Valley— Sensitivity Analysis of Significant Parameters and Uncertainty Prediction by Data-Worth Analysis. Geothermics. 74: 121-134.

Foxall, W. Doughty, C. Lee, K. Nakagawa, S. Daley, T. Burton, E. Layland-Bachmann, C. Borglin, S. Freeman, K. Ajo-Franklin, J. Jordan, P. Kneafsey, T. Oldenburg, C. and Ulrich, C. 2017. Investigation of Potential Induced Seismicity Related to Geologic Carbon Dioixide Sequestration in California. CEC-500-2017-028.

Lee, K. Moridis, G.J. and Ehlig-Economides, C.A. 2017. Numerical Simulation of Diverse Thermal In-situ Upgrading Processes for the Hydrocarbon Production from Kerogen in Oil Shale Reservoirs. Energy Exploration & Exploitation. 35 (3): 315-337.

Lee, K. Moridis, G.J. and Ehlig-Economides, C.A. 2017. Compositional Simulation of Hydrocarbon Recovery from Oil Shale Reservoirs with Diverse Initial Saturations of Fluid Phases by Various Thermal Processes. Energy Exploration & Exploitation. 35 (2): 172-193.

Lee, K. Moridis, G.J. and Ehlig-Economides, C.A. 2016. In-situ Upgrading of Oil Shale by Steamfrac in Multistage Transverse Fractured Horizontal Well System. Energy Sources Part A : Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects.38 (20): 3034-3041.

Lee, K. Moridis, G. J. and Ehlig-Economides, C. A. 2016. A Comprehensive Simulation Model of Kerogen Pyrolysis for the In-situ Upgrading of Oil Shales. SPE Journal. 21 (05): 1612-1630.

Lee, K. Bahk, J. And Choe, J. 2015. Numerical Modeling for Temperature and Pressure Distributions in Gas Hydrate Bearing Sediments while Drilling. Energy Sources Part A : Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects. 37 (4): 372-383.

Khurshid, I. Lee, K. and Choe, J. 2013. Analyses of Thermal Disturbance in Drilling Deep and High Temperature Formations. Energy Sources Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects. 35 (16): 1487-1497.

Lee, K. and Choe, J. 2011. Numerical Modeling of the Effect of Seawater and Circulation Rates for Seafloor Mudline Temperature. Geosystem Engineering. 14 (3): 153-156.

Graduate Students: 

Ph.D. Students: Naveen Krishnaraj, Lotanna Ohazuruike, Jiahui You

M.S. Student: Xinwei Xiong

For more information

Please contact:
Anne Sturm
Petroleum Engineering Academic Advisor
Email: masturm [at] uh [dot] edu

or Trina Johnson
Petroleum Engineering Academic Advisor
Email: tajohnson [at] uh [dot] edu

Location:
UH Energy Research Park (ERP)
5000 Gulf Freeway Bldg 9, Room 219
Houston, TX 77204-0945
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