Norman R. Morrow
Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Wold Chair
Room 4092, Engineering Building University of Wyoming
College of Engineering and Applied Science
Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
Dept. 3295
1000 E. University Avenue
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307.766.2838
Fax: 307.766.6777
Education
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Leeds, 1959
Ph.D. Mineral Engineering, University of Leeds, 1962
Specialization: Hydrocarbon recovery. Wettability and oil
recovery by spontaneous imbibition and waterflooding. Crude oil/brine/rock
interactions. Surface chemistry of adsorption and wetting. Capillarity. Low
permability gas sands. Mutliphase flow in porous media. Current and
Proposed Research Petrophysics & Surface Chemistry
Research Group
Characterization of pore structure, correlations between physical properties,
theory of wetting of sphere packs and tubes, adsorption of asphaltenes and crude
oil solvency, wettability of crude oil/brine/solid ensembles by dynamic Wilhelmy
plate, comparison of static and dynamic contact angles, characterization of
wettability, scaling of spontaneous imbibition data, wettability and oil
recovery by waterrflooding -- effect of brine and crude oil composition, rock
minerology, temperature and pressure.
Selected Publications
Ma, S., Morrow, N.R. and Zhang, X.: "Generalized Scaling of Spontaneous
Imbibition Data for Strongly Water-Wet Systems," J. Pet. Sci. Eng, September
1997, 18, (3/4) 165-178.
Yildiz, H.O., Valat, M., and Morrow, N.R.: "Effect of Brine Composition on
Wettability and Oil Recovery of a Prudhoe Bay Crude Oil," J. Can. Pet. Tech,
Jan. 1999, 38 (1) 26-31.
Tang, G.Q. and Morrow, N.R.: "Salinity Temperature, Oil Composition and Oil
Recovery by Waterflooding," SPE Reservoir Engineering, November 1997, 12, (4)
269-276.
Morrow, N.R. and Xie, X.,: "Surface Energy and Imbibition into Triangular
Pores" Characterization and Measurement of the Hydraulic Properties of
Unsaturated Porous Media, Genuchten, Leij & Wu (Ed), 1999, Published by the
Univ. of CA, Riverside CA, 109-120.
Yan, J., Plancher, H. and Morrow, N.R.: "Wettability Changes Induced By
Adsorption of Asphaltenes," SPE Production Facilities, November 1997, 259-261.
Xie, X. and Morrow, N.R.: "Wetting of Quartz by Oleic/Aqueous Liquids and
Adsorption from Crude Oil," Colloids and Surfaces, 138, 1998, 97-108.
Morrow N.R., Editor "Evaluation of Reservoir Wettability and Its Effect on
Oil Recovery," J. Pet. Sci. Eng. (Special Issue), June 1998, 1-301.
Tang, G. and Morrow, N.R.: "Influence of Brine Composition and Fines
Migration on Crude Oil/Brine/Rock Interactions and Oil Recovery" J. Pet. Sci.
Eng, 24, Dec. 1999, 99-111.
Morrow, N.R., Tang, G., Valat, M. and Xie, X.: "Prospects of improved oil
recovery related to Wettability and Brine Composition" J. Pet. Sci. Eng., 20,
June 1998, 267-276.
Xie, X. and Morrow, N.R.: "Contact Angles on Quartz Induced by Adsorption of
Heteropolar Hydrocarbons", J. Adhesion Sci. Technol.,13, No. 10, 1999, 1119-1135
Viksund, B.G., Morrow, N.R., Ma, S., Wang, W., Graue, A.,: "Initial Water
Saturation and Oil Recovery From Chalk and Sandstone by Spontaneous Imbibition"
Proceedings, 1998 International Symposium of Society of Core Analysts, The
Hague, September 1998.
Tang, G., and Morrow, N.R., "Oil Recovery by Waterflooding and Imbibition -
Invading Brine Cation Valency and Salinity", Proceedings of the International
Symposium of the Society of Core Analysts, Golden, CO, August 1999.
Tang, G. and Morrow, N.R., "Injection of Dilute Brine and Crude
Oil/Brine/Rock Interactions", AGU, (in press), 2002.
Buckley, J.S., Sorbie, K.S., Morrow, N.R., "Diagnosis of Wettability by the
Rate of Spontaneous Imbibition"
Mason, G., Morrow, N.R., Walsh, T.J., "Interaction Between Menisci in
Adjacent Pores", Stud. Surf. Sci. Catal., 128, 2000, 495-504.
Zhou, X., Morrow, N.R. and Ma, S.: "Interrelationship of Wettability,
Initial Water Saturation, Aging Time and Oil Recovery by Spontaneous Imbibition
and Waterflooding," SPEJ, 5, (2), June 2000, 199-207.
Xie, X., Morrow, N.R., Buckley, J.S., "Contact Angles Hysterisis and
Stability of Wetting Changes Induced by Absorption from Crude Oil" J. Pet Sci.
Eng. 33, 1-3, 2002, 147-159.
Xie, X., and Morrow, N.R., "Oil Recovery by Spontaneous Imbibition from
Weakly Water-Wet Rocks", Petrophysics, 42, 4, 2001, 313-322.
Ruth, D., Morrow, N.R., Li, Y., and Buckley, J.S. "A Simulation Study of
Spontaneous Imbibition", Proceedings of the International Society of Core
Analysts Annual Meeting, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Oct. 2000.
Wo, S., Xie, X.., and Morrow, N.R., "A Statistical Model of Apparent Pore
Size Distribution and Drainage Capillary Pressure", Colloids and Surfaces A:
Phys. & Chem Engr Aspects, 187-188, 2001, 449-457.
Morrow, N.R.. and Mason, G., "Recovery of oil by spontaneous imbibition",
Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science, 6, 2001, 321-337.
Tong, Z.X., Xie, X. and Morrow, N.R., "Scaling Of Viscosity Ratio For Oil
Recovery By Imbibition From Mixed-Wet Rocks", Petrophysics, 43, 4, 2002,
332-340.
Maas, J., Wit, K. and Morrow, N.R., "Enhanced Oil Recovery by Dilution of
Injection Brine: Further Interpretation of Experimental Results, Presented at
the International Society of Core Analysts Annual Meeting, Edinburgh, Sept.
2001.
Li, Y., Morrow, N.R. and Ruth, D., "Similarity Solution For Linear
Counter-Current Spontaneous Imbibition" Presented at the 7th International
Symposium on Reservoir Wettability, Tasmania, Australia, March 2002.
Tong, Z.X., Xie, X. and Morrow, N.R., "Spontaneous Imbibition For
Mixed-Wettability States In Sandstones Induced By Adsorption From Crude Oil",
Presented at the 7th International Symposium on Reservoir Wettability, Tasmania,
Australia, March 2002.
Tong, Z.X., Xie, X. and Morrow, N.R., "Crude oil composition and the
stability of mixed wettability in sandstones" presented at the International
Society of Core Analysts Annual Meeting, Monterey, CA, Sept. 2002.