Cevat O. Karacan, Ph.D.
Dr. C. Özgen Karacan is a Research Petroleum Engineer with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Dr. Karacan conducts research related to CO2-EOR, CO2 sequestration, reservoir engineering of petroleum system, and coal mine and abandoned mine methane emissions and resources. Before joining the USGS in 2017, Dr. Karacan worked for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Mining Research Division for 13 years, where he managed research projects related to ventilation, and sources of gob gas and its control in coal mines.
Dr. Karacan has served as one of the Editors of International Journal of Coal Geology (2009-2021), and the Editor of Results in Geophysical Sciences (2020-2022). He is a Bureau member and vice chair of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane and Just Transition, and a U.S. delegate for Global Methane Initiative’s (GMI) Coal Mines Subcommittee. He holds associate professor of petroleum engineering accreditation in Turkey and adjunct professor positions at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan and Beijing). Dr. Karacan was awarded NIOSH Alice Hamilton Awards in 2013 and 2016.
Dr. Karacan received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Middle East Technical University, in Ankara, Turkey and worked for the Pennsylvania State University between 1998 and 2003 as a research associate.
Professional Experience
2017-present: USGS, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Reston VA
2003-2017: CDC/NIOSH, Pittsburgh Mining Research Division, Pittsburgh PA
1998-2003: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA
1991-1998: Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1998
M.S. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1993
B.S. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1991
Science and Products
Single-well production history matching and geostatistical modeling as proxy to multi-well reservoir simulation for evaluating dynamic reservoir properties of coal seams
Assessing gas leakage potential into coal mines from shale gas well failures: Inference from field determination of strata permeability responses to longwall-induced deformations
A two-stage step-wise framework for fast optimization of well placement in coalbed methane reservoirs
Methodology for estimating the prospective CO2 storage resource of residual oil zones at the national and regional scale
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Central North Slope of Alaska, 2020
A probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention
A fuzzy logic approach for estimating recovery factors of miscible CO2-EOR projects in the United States
Petrology and geochemistry of migrated hydrocarbons associated with the Albert Formation oil shale in New Brunswick, Canada
An ANCOVA model for porosity and its uncertainty for oil reservoirs based on TORIS dataset
Insights from Rock-Eval analysis on the influence of sample weight on hydrocarbon generation from Lower Permian organic-matter rich rocks, West Bokaro basin, India
Assessment of coal mine methane (CMM) and abandoned mine methane (AMM) resource potential of longwall mine panels: example from Northern Appalachian Basin, USA
Carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and residual oil zone studies at the U.S. Geological Survey
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 31
Single-well production history matching and geostatistical modeling as proxy to multi-well reservoir simulation for evaluating dynamic reservoir properties of coal seams
Reservoir properties of coal seams such as gas and water effective permeabilities and gas content, as well as spatial distributions thereof, affect the success of gas production and CO2-enhanced gas recovery (EGR) with simultaneous CO2 sequestration. These properties change during production and injection operations due to variations in reservoir pressure, matrix shrinkage/swelling, and water satuAuthorsC. Özgen KaracanAssessing gas leakage potential into coal mines from shale gas well failures: Inference from field determination of strata permeability responses to longwall-induced deformations
This paper summarizes the changes in permeability at three boreholes located above an abutment pillar at a longwall coal mine in southwestern Pennsylvania. The motivation of this study was to better characterize the potential interaction between shale gas wells and the mine environment, through measurement of permeability changes in the coal mine overburden caused by mining-induced deformations. MAuthorsEric Watkins, C. Özgen Karacan, Vasu Gangrade, Steven SchatzelA two-stage step-wise framework for fast optimization of well placement in coalbed methane reservoirs
Coalbed methane (CBM) has emerged as a clean energy resource in the global energy mix, especially in countries such as Australia, China, India and the USA. The economical and successful development of CBM requires a thorough evaluation and optimization of well placement prior to field-scale exploitation. This paper presents a two-stage, step-wise optimization framework to obtain the optimal placemAuthorsJiyuan Zhang, Qihong Feng, Xianmin Zhang, Jia Bai, C. Özgen Karacan, Derek ElsworthMethodology for estimating the prospective CO2 storage resource of residual oil zones at the national and regional scale
Residual oil zones (ROZs) are increasingly gaining interest as potential reservoirs for carbon dioxide (CO2) storage. Here, we present a national- and regional-scale methodology for estimating prospective CO2 storage resources in residual oil zones. This methodology uses a volumetric equation that accounts for CO2 storage as a free phase in pore space and as a dissolved phase in oil and does not aAuthorsSean Sanguinito, Harpreet Singh, Evgeniy M. Myshakin, Angela L. Goodman, Robert M. Dilmore, Timothy C. Grant, David Morgan, Grant Bromhal, Peter D. Warwick, Sean T. Brennan, Philip A. Freeman, C. Özgen Karacan, Charles Gorecki, Wesley Peck, Matthew Burton-Kelly, Neil Dotzenrod, Scott Frailey, Rajesh PawarAssessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Central North Slope of Alaska, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 3.6 billion barrels of oil and 8.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (associated and nonassociated) in conventional accumulations in Mississippian through Paleogene strata in the central North Slope of Alaska.AuthorsDavid W. Houseknecht, Katherine J. Whidden, Christopher D. Connors, Richard O. Lease, Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, William A. Rouse, Palma J. Botterell, Rebecca A. Smith, Margaret M. Sanders, William H. Craddock, Christina A. DeVera, Christopher P. Garrity, Marc L. Buursink, C. Özgen Karacan, Samuel J. Heller, Thomas E. Moore, Julie A. Dumoulin, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Katherine L. French, Cheryl A. Woodall, Ronald M. Drake, Kristen R. Marra, Thomas M. Finn, Scott A. Kinney, Chilisa M. ShortenA probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention
The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 authorized the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of the potential volume of hydrocarbons recoverable by injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into known oil reservoirs with historical production. The implementation of CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) techniques could increase the U.S. recoverable hydrocarbon resourceAuthorsPeter D. Warwick, Emil D. Attanasi, Ricardo A. Olea, Madalyn S. Blondes, Philip A. Freeman, Sean T. Brennan, Matthew D. Merrill, Mahendra K. Verma, C. Özgen Karacan, Jenna L. Shelton, Celeste D. Lohr, Hossein Jahediesfanjani, Jacqueline N. RouechéA fuzzy logic approach for estimating recovery factors of miscible CO2-EOR projects in the United States
"Recovery factor (RF) is one of the most fundamental parameters that define engineering and economical success of any operational phase in oil and gas production. The effectiveness of the operation, e.g. CO2-EOR (enhanced oil recovery with carbon dioxide injection), is usually defined by multiplying the resultant recovery factor by the original oil in place. Moreover, investment decisions for suchAuthorsC. Özgen KaracanPetrology and geochemistry of migrated hydrocarbons associated with the Albert Formation oil shale in New Brunswick, Canada
Samples of the Carboniferous oil shale of the Albert Formation in New Brunswick, Canada, were examined using reflected white and fluorescence light microscopy, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, and ICP-MS (for elements). The presence of fractured filled solid bitumen in contact with, and within the Albert Formation oil shale, particularly in fractures at the right angle to the bedding of oil shale indicated thAuthorsF. Goodarzi, T. Gentzis, C. Özgen Karacan, H. Sanei, P.K. PedersonAn ANCOVA model for porosity and its uncertainty for oil reservoirs based on TORIS dataset
Porosity is one of the most important parameters to assess in-place oil or gas in reservoirs, and to evaluate recovery from enhanced production operations. Since it is relatively well-established to determine porosity using different laboratory and field methods, its value is usually determined at many locations across a reservoir as part of the common practice to capture reservoir heterogeneity aAuthorsC. Özgen KaracanInsights from Rock-Eval analysis on the influence of sample weight on hydrocarbon generation from Lower Permian organic-matter rich rocks, West Bokaro basin, India
Among the different Rock-Eval parameters, the hydrocarbons released under S2 peak of Rock-Eval is of significance as it indicates the residual hydrocarbon content of the rock. Further, through its relationship with TOC content, it helps in calculating hydrogen indices (HI) which helps in understanding the type of organic-matter present in a rock [HI= (S2/TOC)*100]. The present study documents theAuthorsB Hazra, C. Özgen Karacan, Mani T Devleena, Pradeep K. Singh, Ashok K. SinghAssessment of coal mine methane (CMM) and abandoned mine methane (AMM) resource potential of longwall mine panels: example from Northern Appalachian Basin, USA
"Coal mine methane (CMM) and abandoned mine methane (AMM), are by-products of underground coal mining. The quantity and the emission rate of CMM and AMM may vary depending on the type of mine, gas content of the mined coal seam, and gas sourced from strata and coal beds in overlying and underlying formations affected by mining. Therefore, if a mine has the potential of accumulating gas after beingAuthorsC. Özgen Karacan, Peter D. WarwickCarbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and residual oil zone studies at the U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is preparing a national resource assessment of the potential hydrocarbons recoverable after injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into conventional oil reservoirs in the United States. The implementation of CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) techniques can increase hydrocarbon production, and lead to incidental retention of CO2 in reservoir pore space allowing long-tAuthorsPeter D. Warwick, Emil D. Attanasi, Madalyn S. Blondes, Sean T. Brennan, Marc L. Buursink, Colin A. Doolan, Philip A. Freeman, Hossein Jahediesfanjani, C. Özgen Karacan, Celeste D. Lohr, Matthew D. Merrill, Ricardo A. Olea, Jacqueline N. Roueché, Jenna L. Shelton, Ernie Slucher, Brian A. Varela, Mahendra K. Verma - Science
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