Bor-Jier (Ben) Shiau

Bor-Jier (Ben) Shiau, Ph.D.

MEWBOURNE CHAIR #5 IN PETROLEUM ENGINEERING, PROFESSOR OF PETROLEUM AND GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING

Email: bshiau@ou.edu
Office: SEC 1346

Education

Ph.D., Civil Engineering, The University of Oklahoma
M.S., Civil Engineering, The University of Oklahoma
M.S., Chemical Engineering, The University of Oklahoma
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University

Bor-Jier (Ben) Shiau is a professor and Mewbourne Chair in Petroleum and Geological Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Shiau’s research experiences have focused on surfactant- and nanomaterial-based formulations and design for EOR and environmental remediation systems, and most recently, applied technologies in areas of geothermal resources, reuse/recycled of produced water, and shale oil EOR. Shiau previously worked for private sectors and U.S. EPA. He received various awards from AOCS, NGWA, AIChE, and OU in recognizing his research efforts and contributions. In brief, his team spent last two decades in studying various technical aspects of improving crude oil recovery from mature oil fields and unconventional resources. He also conducted the study related to in situ CO₂ generation for oil recovery from deepwater fields. Currently, Shiau’s team is actively involved in topics related to geothermal resources, such as developing new generation of chemical formulations to better characterize, harvest, and modify the potential of geothermal formations and fluid properties for power generation. Plus, part of their team effort will continue to address the technical challenges of energy-related environmental impacts and solutions, such as the produced waters treatment and reclamation effort, and development of remedial technologies for the PFAS (per- and poly- fluoro alkyl substances) present in ground water and drinking water resources.

Research Interests

Chemical EOR
In Situ CO₂ generation
Microemulsion formulations
Nanomaterials dispersion and usage
Environmental contaminants remediations
Geothermal resources and development
Produced water treatments

Selected Publications

Zhou, M., Chaleshtari, Z.A., Shiau, B.J., Grady, B.P., Foudazi. “Air-water Interfacial Properties of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Salts with Different Chain Lengths,” Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2024, 134129.
Ogbonnaya, O., Suriamin, F., Shiau, B., Harwell, J.H. “Enhanced Oil Recovery Formulations for Liquid-rich Shale Reservoirs,” Fuel, 2024, 368, 131573.
Yuan, N., Wang, S., Yu, Y., Chen, C., Shiau, B.J., Harwell, J.H. “Expanded Salinity Window of Middle-Phase Microemulsions and Reduced Surfactant Adsorption by Hydrotrope,” Langmuir, 2023, 39, 48, 17175–17189.
Chen, C.L., Shen, H.W., Harwell, J.H., Shiau, B.J., “Characterizing Oil Mixture and Surfactant Mixture via Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Deviation (HLD) Principle: An Insight in Consumer Products Development,” Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2022, No. 634, 127599.
Chen, C.L., Wang, S.S., Harwell, J.H., Shiau, B.J., “Polymer-free Viscoelastic Fluid for Improved Oil Recovery,” 2021, Fuel, Vol. 292, 120331.
Rattanaudom, P., Shiau, B.J., Suriyapraphadilok, U., Charoensaeng, A., “Aqueous Foam Stabilized by Hydrophobic SiO2 Nanoparticles using Mixed Anionic Surfactant Systems under High-Salinity Brine Condition,” 2019, J Surfact Deterg, Vol. 22: 1247–1263.
Chen, C.L., Wang, S.B., Wang, S.S., Yuan, N., Li, K., Shiau, B.J., Harwell, J.H., “Propagation of Surfactant-Dispersed Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes in Porous Media,” 2019, J Surfact Deterg, Vol. 22: 1073–1082.
Wang, S.S., Chen, C.L., Li, K.,Yuan, N., Shiau, B., Harwell, J.H., “In Situ CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery: Parameters Affecting Reaction Kinetics and Recovery Performance,” 2019, Energy Fuels, Vol. 33, 3844−3854.
Chen, C.L., Wang, S.S., Grady, B.P., Harwell, J.H., Shiau, B.J., “Oil-Induced Viscoelasticity in Micellar Solutions of Alkoxy Sulfate,” 2019, Langmuir, Vol. 35, 12168−12179.
Wang, S.B., Chen, C.L., Shiau, B.J., Harwell, J.H., “Counterion Binding on Coacervation of Dioctyl Sulfosuccinate in Aqueous Sodium Chloride,” 2019, Soft Matter, Vol. 15, 3771-3778.