PDRP has successfully concluded a two-year project entitled: "Evaluating Proppant Performance: Contrasting the API Crush Test with the Innovative TrueCrush™ Testing Method." Following exhaustive research, PDRP has determined that the TrueCrush Test surpasses the API crush test in methodology for proppant type selection in hydraulic fracturing operations. Its adoption holds the potential to optimize well performance, enhance cumulative well output, and refine decline curve forecasting. By facilitating a more accurate "apples-to-apples" comparison for cost/benefit analysis, the TrueCrush Test equips operators and service providers with a valuable tool. We strongly advocate for replacing the API test with the TrueCrush test to ensure precise analysis and comparison of proppant performance. For further insights, please refer to the comprehensive details outlined in the final report available here:

TrueCrush Test Final Report

Dr. Nguyen has been awarded a 1.8 million project titled "Mitigating Emissions from Marginal Conventional Wells (MCWs)" to work with NMOCD to respond to the DOE FOA-0003109. The ultimate objective of this project is to work with oil and gas operators and NM state to plug and abandon MCWs. The project period is from Feb 2024 - Feb 2027.

Dr. Nguyen serves as a Co-PI for the project titled: "The Southwest CCUS Training and Research Partnership (CCUS-STRP)". The project period is from May 2024 - May 2027.

Dr. Nguyen serves as a key person for another three DOE multi-million projects (total of more than 35 millions) namely: (1) San Juan Basin Carbon SAFE Phase III; (2) Permian Carbon Storage Hub - Omnia; and (3) CUSP: Four Corners Regional Initiative.

PDRP successfully hosted the 21st Advisory Board Meeting on December 6th 2023 at the BTA Oil Producers facility. In the past four years, there have been 11 companies supporting PDRP including Chemplex Solvay Group, BDPOC, Golden Engineering Co., Ltd, Geoscan, etc. 

Dr. Nguyen is in charge of the geomechanics and drilling/completion design for the Acid Gas Injection Project for Red Hills company. 

Dr. Nguyen has served as a key person for the DOE CarbonSAFE project. This project has been awarded by the Department of Energy with a total amount of $21 million dollars to study carbon storage in a geological complex in northwest New Mexico.

Dr. Nguyen has been awarded a new 3-year project titled: "Development of Intelligential Diagnosis, Abandonment Process and Management Technology for Decrepit Oil and Gas Wells". The total budget of this project is 0.5 million dollars. Under this project, NMT will perform P&A operations for five oil/gas wells. The project will be completed in 2027. 

Dr. Nguyen was awarded a 5-month project titled: "Provision of Horizontal Drilling Study for HPHT Infill Wells". The total budget of this project is 250k. Tom Bratton LLC, Well Engineering LLC, PPSC, and PVU are the four subcontractors for this project. 

Dr. Nguyen was awarded a 1.5 million project titles: "Development and Field Scale Application of Smart Management for Productivity Enhancement During Unconventional Oil and Gas Well Development". The project was success and the final report was delivered to the clients.

Dr. Nguyen was awarded to be a Co-PI of the Direct CO2 Capture project. 

Dr. Nguyen's book titled "Artificial Lift Methods: Design, Practices, and Applications" was published.

Dr. Tan Nguyen is the director and founder of Production and Drilling Research Project (PDRP) at NMT.  Dr. Nguyen holds a Ph.D. degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa. He worked as a post-doctoral research associate at the Tulsa University for two years. He is currently a Professor at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. His current research projects focus on Managed Pressure Drilling, advanced hydraulics, multiphase flow, flow assurance, well completion and stimulation, and artificial lift methods. Over the years, Dr. Nguyen has taught directional and horizontal drilling, well completion, well design, drilling engineering, multiphase flow, and artificial lift methods. Dr. Tan Nguyen is an active member of SPE. 

Dr. Eissa M. Al-Safran is the co-founder of PDRP. Dr. Al-Safran is a Professor of Petroleum Engineering and the former acting Dean and Vice Dean for Research and Academic Affairs at College of Engineering and Petroleum in Kuwait University, and a visiting Research Professor at the U. of Tulsa in 2009. Al-Safran is the founder and director of Kuwait University Production Research Center (KUPRC), and the co-founder and the Associate Director of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Production and Drilling research consortium. Al-Safran received his B.Sc. (1995), M.Sc. (1999) and Ph.D. (2003) degrees in Petroleum Engineering and M.Sc. degree in Math and Science Education (2003), all from the University of Tulsa. Al-Safran worked as a reservoir engineer in Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) from 1995 to 1997, and as production engineering consultant from 2007 to 2015. Al-Safran is an advisory board member in the University of Tulsa Fluid Flow and Artificial Lift research consortia, representing KOC from 2007 to 2016. Al-Safran has numerous peer-reviewed publications in oil and gas production, multiphase flow in pipes, artificial lift, and flow assurance. Al-Safran is an international technical advisory committee member for the British Hydrodynamics Research Group (BHRG) Multiphase Production conference series since 2007. Al-Safran is the recipient of several international, USA and Kuwait academic and professional awards and is an active member in SPE, ASME, ASA and ASEE.

Ebenezer Gyamfi-Yeboah - PhD Student - Ebenezer.gyamfi-yeboah@student.nmt.edu - Project titled "Well Spacing Optimization for the Wolfcamp Formations - NM"

Hao Duong - MS Student - Hao.Duong@student.nmt.edu - Project Titled "CO2 Transportation Optimization"

Kien Hoang - MS Student - kien.hoang@student.nmt.edu - Project titled "Artificial Lift Selection for Fractured Horizontal Wells - Wolfcamp Formations - NM"  

Tang Nguyen - PhD Student - Tang.Nguyen@student.nmt.edu - Project titled "Cement Design for CO2 Class VI Wells"

Thien Dong - MS Student - Thien.Dong@Student.nmt.edu - Project Titled "Wellbore Integrity for CO2 Wells"      

Multiphase Testing Facility (MTF)
Used for testing solid, liquid, and gas in pipes or annulus.

Hydraulic Testing Facility (HTF)
Used for testing hydraulics of drilling fluids, completion fluids,
and hydraulic fracturing fluids. 

Pumping Testing Facility (PTF)
Used for testing Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) or Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP)

Cement Testing Facility (PTF)
Used for testing cement bondings under HPHT (6,000 psi and 250 F)

ESP Failures Testing Facility
Using vibration signals for detecting pump failures and impoving pump run life

Computerized OFITE900 rheometer
Used for testing rheology of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids

HPHT Rheometer/viscometer

Zeta potential equipment

Roller Oven 

1. Performance Gelled Friction Reducers under HPHT - Vincent Dohmatob – Master Student

2. Simulations of ESP's Failures Due To Motor's Overheat – Thuy Chu – Master Student

3. Could Friction Reducers Be Used in Drilling Fluids - Mohamed Metwally - PhD Student

4. Wellbore Integrity for CO2 Wells in Farnsworth Unit - Thinh On – Master Student

5. Mitigation of Lost Circulation in Geothermal Drilling - Mubarek Alpkiray - Master Student

6. Simulation Study of Tight/Shale Gas Well Performance – Dung Bui – Ph.D. Student.

7. New Developed Software to Estimate Bottomhole Pressure for Wells in the Farnsworth Unit

If you are a member of PDRP, please go to tab Member Only to download These Thesis or Dissertations.

Tan Nguyen, Ph.D., Professor

Director of Production & Drilling Research Project

Address: 801 Leroy Pl. Socorro, NM 87801
Phone: (575) 835 5483
Fax: (575) 835 5210
Email: Tan.Nguyen@nmt.edu