Zachary Paul Alcorn

Dr. Zachary Paul Alcorn is an interdisciplinary reservoir engineer and geoscientist at the Department of Physics and Technology at the University of Bergen, where he serves as Research Director for the Norwegian Petroleum Research Center, NCS2030 (National Center for Sustainable Subsurface Utilization of the Norwegian Continental Shelf). His research bridges laboratory observations with field performance, focusing on multiphase fluid flow during CO2 injection processes in subsurface reservoirs. He teaches courses PTEK 211 and ENERGI 365 while leading multiple research projects including 'Optimizing CO2 Foam Mobility Control for Field Pilots' and 'In-situ Quantification of CO2 Flow and Mobility Control for Improved Carbon Utilization and Storage'.

Dr. Alcorn's research interests center on CO2 foam applications for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and carbon storage. He has developed expertise in special core analysis, reservoir characterization, geologic and reservoir modeling, numerical simulation, and field pilot design. His work specifically focuses on CO2 foam mobility control, investigating how foam can reduce gas mobility, improve CO2 utilization, and decrease gas-oil ratios in heterogeneous reservoirs. His research spans from pore-scale phenomena to field-scale implementation, with particular attention to how geological heterogeneity affects fluid flow behavior.

His publication record shows a strong focus on CO2 foam technology, with research progressing from fundamental pore-scale investigations to field-scale implementation. The articles demonstrate an evolving research trajectory from basic foam characterization to practical field applications, with increasing attention to monitoring techniques and integration with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) frameworks. Recent work emphasizes the relationship between rock properties and foam performance, surfactant formulations for challenging reservoir conditions, and methods for monitoring and interpreting field pilot results.

Dr. Alcorn leads the NCS2030 research center and has been involved in multiple significant projects related to CO2 utilization and storage. His work has resulted in numerous field pilot implementations, particularly in heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs, with a focus on integrating laboratory findings with practical field applications. He actively collaborates with researchers across institutions and regularly presents findings at major industry conferences including SPE events and specialized CCUS conferences.

His laboratory work focuses on pore-scale and core-scale investigations of CO2 foam behavior under reservoir conditions. He has developed methodologies for monitoring foam performance through pressure measurements and other techniques. His team works extensively with various rock types, particularly heterogeneous carbonates, to understand how geological properties affect foam generation, stability, and mobility control. Current research directions include nanoparticle-stabilized foams, surfactant formulations for high-salinity environments, and methods to quantify foam effects on CO2 storage capacity.