# overview
Dr. Liang's major research focus is on developing promising uses for nanotechnology in enhanced oil recovery operations and other oilfield chemical applications in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. Based on drug-delivery technologies from the pharmaceutical industry, his research group successfully developed a chemical delivery system that uses nanoparticles to entrap and protect the chemicals from the hostile underground environments. The current oilfield applications include delayed gelation for water shutoff and in-depth conformance control, delayed release of scale inhibitors to extend the treatment life time, wax and asphaltene inhibition for flow assurance, microbial enhanced hydrocarbon recovery, and fracture fluid cleanup.

# keywords[]
0914 Resources Engineering And Extractive Metallurgy

# keywords[]
0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural)

# keywords[]
Physical Injury - Accidents And Adverse Effects

# keywords[]
4019 Resources Engineering And Extractive Metallurgy

# keywords[]
4019 Resources Engineering And Extractive Metallurgy

# keywords[]
4019 Resources Engineering And Extractive Metallurgy

# keywords[]
3403 Macromolecular And Materials Chemistry

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
The University of Texas at Austin - (Austin, Texas, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa - (Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States)

# awardsAndHonors[].label
John E. & Deborah F. Bethancourt Professorship

# publications[].label
Re-Formation of Xanthan/Chromium Gels After Shear Degradation

# publications[].label
Sizing gelant treatments in hydraulically fractured production wells

# publications[].label
Biosurfactants produced from agriculture process waste streams to improve oil recovery in fractured carbonate reservoirs

# publications[].label
Simulation of gelled polymer treatments in the arbuckle formation, Kansas

# publications[].label
Polyelectrolyte-Complex Nanoparticles for Fluid-Loss Control in Oilwell Cementing

# publications[].label
Gel-polymer extends Arbuckle high-water-cut well life

# publications[].label
Chapter 14 CO2 Storage in Coalbeds: CO2/N2 Injection and Outcrop Seepage Modeling

# publications[].label
Further investigations of why gels reduce k<inf>w</inf> more than k<inf>o</inf>

# publications[].label
Reduction of oil and water permeabilities using gels

# publications[].label
Polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles to entrap enzymes for hydraulic fracturing fluid cleanup

# publications[].label
Polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles for protection and delayed release of enzymes in alkaline pH and at elevated temperature during hydraulic fracturing of oil wells

# publications[].label
Enhanced adsorption of anionic surfactants on negatively charged quartz sand grains treated with cationic polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles

# publications[].label
A review of fracturing fluid systems used for hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells

# publications[].label
Gel treatments in production wells with water-coning problems

# publications[].label
Fracturing fluid cleanup by controlled release of enzymes from polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles

# publications[].label
Delayed HPAM Gelation via Transient Sequestration of Chromium in Polyelectrolyte Complex Nanoparticles

# publications[].label
Sizing gelant treatments in hydraulically fractured production wells

# publications[].label
Use of X-ray computed microtomography to understand why gels reduce relative permeability to water more than that to oil

# publications[].label
Effects of monovalent and multivalent ions on the stability of a polyelectrolyte complex with entrapped surfactants

# publications[].label
Enzymatic degradation of polyacrylamide in aqueous solution with peroxidase and H2O2

# publications[].label
Simulation of gelled polymer treatments in the Arbuckle Formation, Kansas

# publications[].label
Enhanced Wettability Alteration by Surfactants with Multiple Hydrophilic Moieties

# publications[].label
Application of statistical machine learning clustering algorithms to improve EUR predictions using decline curve analysis in shale-gas reservoirs

# publications[].label
Survey of field applications of gel treatments for water shutoff

# publications[].label
Application of polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles to increase the lifetime of poly vinyl sulfonate scale inhibitor

# publications[].label
Mechanistic study of wettability alteration using surfactants with applications in naturally fractured reservoirs.

# publications[].label
Using neural networks for candidate selection and well performance prediction in water-shutoff treatments using polymer gels - A field-case study

# publications[].label
Study of the permeability-reducing characteristics of polyacrylamide/chromium gels

# publications[].label
Controlled release of poly(vinyl sulfonate) scale inhibitor to extend reservoir treatment lifetime

# publications[].label
Why do gels reduce water permeability more than oil permeability

# publications[].label
Polyelectrolyte nanoparticles for flow assurance

# publications[].label
Chapter 32 CO2 Storage in Coalbeds Risk Assessment of CO2 and Methane Leakage

# publications[].label
Polyelectrolyte nanoparticles for flow assurance

# publications[].label
Why Do Gels Reduce Water Permeability More Than Oil Permeability?

# publications[].label
Interface-induced disassembly of a self-assembled two-component nanoparticle system.

# publications[].label
Development of a Powerful Data-Analysis Tool Using Nonparametric Smoothing Models To Identify Drillsites in Tight Shale Reservoirs With High Economic Potential

# publications[].label
Effects of divalent cations, seawater, and formation brine on positively charged polyethylenimine/dextran sulfate/chromium(III) polyelectrolyte complexes and partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide/chromium(III) gelation

# publications[].label
Application of Bayesian networks for predicting the performance of gel-treated wells in the arbuckle formation, Kansas

# publications[].label
Chelator-mimetic multi-functionalized hydrogel: Highly efficient and reusable sorbent for Cd, Pb, and As removal from waste water

# publications[].label
Further Investigations of Why Gels Reduce Water Permeability More Than Oil Permeability

# publications[].label
Washout of Cr(III)-Acetate-HPAM Gels From Fractures: Effect of Gel State During Placement

# publications[].label
A New Probabilistic Approach for Uncertainty Quantification in Well Performance of Shale Gas Reservoirs

# publications[].label
The effect of Cr(III) acetate-HPAM gel maturity on washout from open fractures

# publications[].label
Biosurfactants produced from agriculture process waste streams to improve oil recovery in fractured carbonate reservoirs

# publications[].label
Using Neural Networks for Candidate Selection and Well Performance Prediction in Water-Shutoff Treatments Using Polymer GelsA Field-Case Study

# streetAddress
Texas A&M University; Petroleum Engineering; 3116 TAMU

# etdChairOf[].label
Zhou, Xilong (2016-08). Bulk and Adsorption Properties of Surfactant Entrapped in Polyelectrolyte Complex Nanoparticles. Master's Thesis.

# etdChairOf[].label
Andersen, Corbin Derek (2017-05). Application of PEC Nanoparticles to Oil Well Cements. Master's Thesis.

# etdChairOf[].label
Sun, Shangbin (2017-05). Analysis of Dissolved Heavy Metal and Cesium Ion Removal using Modified Hydrogels. Master's Thesis.