30 TH

EDITION
Gustavo Sclocchi
THESIS AWARD

LEADERS
WHO CREATE
LEADERS
 TECHNICAL BULLETIN 2/2023

SECTION PROGRAM 30TH GUSTAVO SCLOCCHI THESIS AWARD MENTION

4 Section Program
32 Experimental characterization of air-water foamy
flows
CHAIR’S PAGE Igor Matteo Carraretto - Politecnico di Milano, Untenured
researcher
5 Chair’s intro
Fabrizio Rollo - SPE Italy Chairman
36 Coupled wellbore-reservoir simulation of thermal ef-
fects during multiphase CO2 injection
YP CHAIR’S PAGE Kristina Strpić - Prysmian International Graduate Pro-
gram Build the Future
6 Hana Tfaili - Deputy YP Chair 2023/24
40 Elastic-attributes computation from seismic data
inversion for geomechanical characterization of the
SPE EUROPE EVENT subsurface
Matteo Gialleonardo - University of Trieste
8 A warm welcome from the Conference chair
Francesca Verga - Full Professor, Politecnico di Torino 44 A receiver thermal model for system level analysis of
falling particle solar tower plants
Omar Pasqualotto - Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico (RSE),
IN MEMORY OF GUSTAVO SCLOCCHI Filip Sobic - Politecnico di Milano

12 Gustavo Sclocchi 30th Thesis Award ARTICLE

MEMORIES FROM... 50 A significant step towards the European low-carbon

energy transition: welcome to TYRA II
14 Memories from Luca Vignati
Luca Vignati - Eni Upstream Director
Alberto Murena - TotalEnergies E&P Denmark

SPE ITALY AWARD

17 Memories from Marco Castelli
Marco Castelli - Eni Corporate Uni­versity
54 SPE Section Excellence Award 2023

EVENT REPORT
OTHER
19 Giuseppe Gorla - Eni
55 Supporter’s page and Sponsor of the Gustavo
30 GUSTAVO SCLOCCHI THESIS AWARD WINNER
TH Sclocchi Thesis Award

56 Section Board
24 Time-Lapse Full waveform Inversion
Ivan Deiana - University of Trieste National University of
San Juan Argentina

28 Carbon Capture and Storage from Waste-to-energy

plants with Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell: a case study
on Silla 2 plant
Letizia Cretarola - Politecnico di Milano

For information concerning advertising

on this bulletin, please contact:
Filippo Casali
f.casali@geolog.com
mob: +39 02 98252331

EDITOR M. Leporini
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE A. Di Lullo, E. Purlalli

TECHNICAL BULLETIN 2/2023 AI - SPE - ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA

The Bulletin is being shared via email with all SUPPORTO PROFESSIONISTI ENERGIA
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2 3
 PROGRAM
Our SPE Italian Section fall winter’s pro- ciation’s life. In the coming months we are
gram is focused to strengthen the inte- planning hybrid events and factory/facili-
raction & networking between professio- ties site visits to give, as much as possible,
nals at every level (students, young and a pragmatic view of our energy industry, Fabrizio Rollo
seniors) and between different SPE regio- especially to students, in order to allow SPE Italy Chairman
nal sections. The recent RSOM meeting in them to taste the feeling of the running
The Hauge highlighted the needs to invest business. In addition to the events already
in students and young professionals, also planned and reported in the table below,
paving a new way to work jointly as Regio- YPs aperitifs are being organized with the
nal sections, to deal with and get a solution return to the MOP (Mentorship Opportuni-
with the daily matters we face in our asso- ty Program) formula. Welcome to the second edition of the 2023 Sclocchi, emphasizing his enduring legacy
Bulletin, dedicated to the Gustavo Sclocchi in the energy sector.
Oct-23 2023 SPE Europe Energy GeoHackathon Education Award ceremony.
The Bulletin also highlights recent chan-
Launch Event of the new Program on R&D & Innovation Pro- The Gustavo Sclocchi Thesis Award is a ges to the SPE’s Board of Directors, with
gram: The role of R&D and Innovation in the Energy industry: collaborative Project of SPE and Asso- a few revisions reflecting the present de-
Oct-23 R&D & Innovation
Oil & Gas and Energy Transition - Strengthening the Alliance risorse. Its inception dates back to 1993, mands of our association as we face the
between Industry & Academia - Ravenna and it was renamed in honour of Gustavo ongoing transition within the energy indu-
OMC 2023: Networking at SPE Stand & Conference & Sclocchi, a prominent figure in Eni’s lea- stry. Notable adjustments include merging
Oct-23 dership and a key promoter of the event. funding and treasury functions to provide
“Meeting with Student & YPs” - Ravenna Exhibition
The Project was created with the goal of a comprehensive view of economic and
Interview "What is the state of ESG regulations?" with Climate & enhancing academic standards by honou- financial aspects and linking communica-
Oct-23
Edoardo Francesco Sabatino (Intesa Sanpaolo) – 3rd episode Environment ring exceptional theses in the field of ener- tion and program sections for events pro-
Hydrogen- gy business and inspiring fresh graduates motion. Furthermore the organization has
Nov-23 Site Visit to McPhy Factory - Tuscany to strive for excellence. This year, three been strengthened in order to enhance the
Site Visit
remarkable theses were awarded and relationship between SPE and its student
Nov-23 STC 2023 - Student Technical Congress – Germany Education five received special mentions. In its 30th chapters and empower SPE international
SPE DL : New Methods for Learning from Incidents DL - Norman anniversary, the award ceremony took on programs. With these changes in place,
Dec-23 a special significance. The event was ho- the new board’s priorities will center on
Involving Human & Organizational Performance - Milan Ritchie
sted at Politecnico di Milano, where se- engaging Young Professionals and Stu-
Dec-23
R&D & Innovation Program - Innovation Roundtable: nior executive managers from Eni, repre- dents, fostering connections with regio-
“Dialogue between Industry and Academia: R&D & Innovation sentatives from Assorisorse, and esteemed nal and international SPE sections, and
(TBC)
Competences for the Future” - Milan Professors from Politecnico gathered for a delving into traditional technical discipli-
roundtable discussion. They delved into nes. Exciting new initiatives, such as those
Dec-23 Social Dinner - Milan Social
critical topics such as the evolution of the addressing decarbonization, diversity and
DL SPE: How Oil and Gas Competencies are DL - Rita Esuru Oil & Gas industry in the short and long inclusion, sustainable development, and
Mar-24
Shaping Low Carbon Energy Technologies- Milan Okoroafor term, the new competencies and skills methane emissions, are on the horizon.
demanded by the professional world, and
Geothermal & the role of universities and associations In conclusion, the SPE acknowledges that
Mar-24 Site Visit Larderello - Enel Facilities & Museum - Tuscany
Education like SPE and Assorisorse in facilitating the collaboration among all of its stakehol-
R&D & Innovation Program – Strengthening the alliance betwe- energy transition. ders is crucial. This includes the involve-
Apr-24 R&D & Innovation This anniversary celebration was not only a ment of diverse sections, senior profes-
en Industry and Academia: Opportunities and Instruments
time to reflect on the achievements of the sionals, young talents, and students. By
Ago-24 DL Committee Peer Review Annual Meeting - Milan DL - Committee past but also to remember the man behind working together, the association aims to
Conference & the award’s name. In two captivating in- enhance its effectiveness and contribute
Jun-24 Europe Energy Conference – EuropEC - Turin terviews, Luca Vignati (Eni’s Upstream Di- to a brighter future for the energy indu-
Exhibition
rector) and Marco Castelli (Eni Corporate stry.
Jun-24 R&D & Innovation Program - “R&D & Innovation: Success Stories” R&D & Innovation University Head of Formation), shed light
on the life and contributions of Gustavo I wish you an enjoyable reading experience.
4 5

Dear Readers,
I am honored and thrilled to present my-
self.
My name is Hana Tfaili, currently working as
a reservoir engineer in Eni S.p.A and since
September 2023, I have had the privilege
to serve as the YP Chairperson of SPE Italy.
My academic background includes obtain-
ing a dual degree from both the Lebanese
University in Beirut in Petrochemical En-
gineering and the Polytechnic Institute of
Turin in Petroleum Engineering. My jour-
ney with the Society of Petroleum Engi-
neers began in 2015 when I joined the Po-
litecnico di Torino student chapter, and in
2021, I rejoined as a professional member.
Embarking on this new and exciting role, I
am eager to maintain the vibrant spirit of
our community, expand our big family, fos-
ter the exchange of knowledge, and con-
tinuously learn from others.
SPE firmly believes that when profession-
als at different points in their careers come
together to collaborate and network, it
can lead to significant breakthroughs and
advancements in the industry. This belief
was vividly demonstrated through a recent
event organized by the Society of Petrole-
um Engineers (SPE) Italian Section Young
6 7
Hana Tfaili
YP Chair 2023/24
Professionals (YP) Aperitif.
In early July 2023, the SPE Italian Section
Young Professionals (YP) Aperitif organ-
ized a gathering that brought together
about forty young professionals. This event
marked the end of a series of Young Pro-
fessionals (YP) Aperitifs hosted by the SPE
Italian Section before the Summer Break.
The evening was full of energy and excite-
ment, with engaging conversations and
valuable networking opportunities.
A standout moment was the warm wel-
come extended to new members from
various universities and student chapters.
This gesture showed the spirit of inclusive-
ness that defines our community.
Whether you're just starting your career as
a recent graduate or you're an experienced
professional eager to mentor and collabo-
rate, we invite you to explore, engage, and
contribute to our knowledge-sharing com-
munity. Your involvement and contribu-
tions are essential to our collective growth
and success.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all
who joined us on this exciting journey.
Warm regards,
Hana Tfaili
 Francesca Verga

A warm welcome from the Conference chair Full Professor,

Politecnico di Torino

Dear Colleagues,
Times call for the scientific community and in-
dustry to take on the energy transition’s chal-
lenges and seize the opportunity to join the ener-
gy, environmental, technological and economic
communities to ensure energy security, pursue
sustainable technology development and pro-
mote climate change mitigation. It is this aware-
ness that inspires the new edition of the Europe
Energy Conference, Europe’s main SPE event.
Formerly known as EuropEC, the conference
continues its tradition of showcasing the latest
science and technology needed by the energy
and E&P industry but is enriched with new dis-
ciplines, leveraging undiscussed proficiency in
the subsurface while broadening the focus to all
aspects of the energy transition. The conference
will provide the chance to establish a common
ground throughout disciplines to highlight scien-
tific and technical achievements, identify needs
to deploy the value chain of the energy transi-
tion, share proposed guidelines for optimising
integrated processes and procedures, and dis-
cuss the new targets of education in the energy
sector. In line with the European Green Deal and
with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Develop-
ment, the underlying concepts are the pursuit of
clean and affordable energy for all and the tran-
sition to a low-carbon economy while reducing
the environmental impact and mitigating ad-
verse events. Themes covered by the conference
will include subsurface geology, engineering
and management, energy storage, plant conver-
sion, decarbonisation, innovative technologies,
new materials, NetZero energy economics, ma-
chine learning and AI, with special attention to
the overall sustainability in the energy industry.

8 9
SPE EUROPE EVENT
The SPE Europe Energy Conference Com-
mittee invites you to be part of this trans-
formative event by submitting a paper
proposal for potential inclusion in the tech-
Call for papers closes on Monday 29 January 2024
Technical Session Topics
Capture, utilisation and storage of fluids in
the subsurface
• CO2
• Hydrogen
• Natural gas
• Nitrogen
• Air
• Coal gasification
Sustainability in the energy industry
• Human and environmental safety
• HSE
• Socioeconomic impacts of the energy
transition
• Stakeholders in reservoir developments
• Decision-making under uncertainty
and risk
• Education and outreach for the energy
transition
• NetZero business structures for current
E&P businesses
• Sociological impacts of the energy in-
dustry
• Security of energy supply
Carbon efficient reservoir management
• CCUS
• NetZero reservoir operations
• Decarbonising onshore and offshore
operations
• Well-to-wheel CO2 reduction
• EOR
• Reservoir characterisation, modelling
and simulation
• Novel well testing and design for Geoen-
ergy reservoirs
• Geoenergy reservoir management un-
der uncertainty and risk
• Geophysics - Exploration and appraisal
of new geoenergy resources
• Microtechnologies
10
SPE EUROPE EVENT
nical programme. Make a difference to the
progress of the energy transition and pres- Engage with energy leaders and policymakers and meet your business objectives
ent your expertise and innovations.
The SPE Europe Energy Conference will posed by the energy transition.
be a unique event where leaders from the Sponsorship and exhibiting at this unique
energy, environment, geoscience, under- event will deliver a high return on invest-
ground engineering and policymaking ment by enabling you to meet the deci-
communities can convene to integrate sion-makers that matter to your business
Plant conversion to adapt the existing in- knowledge and expertise and to share and to provide visibility for your company
frastructures to the new needs of energy technological solutions to the challenges and its brand.
and material compatibility
• Pipelines for hydrogen and CO2 trans-
port
• Wells for underground storage
Extraction of heat (geothermal) and ma-
terials (e.g. metals) from the subsurface
fluids
• High and medium enthalpy
• Recovery of lithium and/or other metals
from enriched brines
• Application of innovative technologies
• Water desalination
• Rare earth elements
• Solution mining
NetZero energy economics
• Circular economics
• Economics of the environment and car-
bon
• Macro economics of the energy industry
• Investor relations and drivers
• Security of energy supply through the
energy transition
• Macro and micro Geoenergy projects
• Energy industry forecasting and strate-
gies
Machine learning, AI and digitisation for
lower margin operations
• Use of machine learning and AI in sub-
surface operations and reservoir opti-
misation
• Reducing impact through better use of
data
• Improved decision-making
QUESTIONS? CONTACT THE SPONSORSHIP MANAGER: Dean Guest, Business Develop-
ment Manager, Events Europe & Caspian, Tel: +44 (0) 2080786710
11
 A prize in memory of a great
professional, colleague and
person always encouraging
and reward young professionals
at the beginning of their
career in the industry

12 13

Luca Vignati, Eni Upstream Director
Luca Vignati
Luca Vignati is Eni’s Natural Re-
source Upstream Director as of Feb.
7th 2022.
Natural Resources includes E&P
Upstream Gas and LNG Midstream,
CCUS, Natural Climate Solutions,
Agro-feedstock and Sustainable
Development activities.
Born in Macerata (Italy) in 1963, mar-
ried with two sons, and graduated
with honors in Mining Engineering
from the Alma Mater Studiorum
University of Bologna in 1988.
He joined the Eni Group in 1990, be-
ginning his career as a reservoir en-
gineer at Agip SpA. Following sev-
eral assignments in Italy (Ravenna
and Ortona operational districts)
and abroad (Congo, Nigeria, Libya,
Norway), he covered many techni-
cal positions in reservoir manage-
ment, petroleum engineering and
production Headquarters’ depart-
ments. He started his managerial
position as Development General
Director at SITEP JV, Tunisia, 1998.
Until 2008, when he returned to Eni,
he worked as General Manager in a
medium size manufacturing com-
pany, Italy. In 2009 He was appointed
Technical Director in Eni UK and in
2010 he became Managing Director
14
MEMORIES FROM
of Burren Resources Petroleum
Limited, operating in Turkmenistan.
Moved to Egypt in late 2011, serving
as Agiba General Manager & Man-
ager Director. From 2012 to 2020 he
was working in Kazakhstan, where
he covered several senior man-
agement position as Operations
Director & Deputy General Direc-
tor in Karachaganak Petroleum
Operating (2012-2014), Managing
Director & Resident Manager Agip
Karachaganak (2015-2016), and ulti-
mately EVP of Central Asia Region
(2016-2020). Also, He served NCOC
(Kashagan JV) as Chairman of the
Shareholder Committee from 2017
to 2019. During his extensive inter-
national career, Luca has matured
a remarkable experience in man-
aging complex Joint Ventures, and
in commercial negotiations in chal-
lenging environments. Particularly
significant is his contribution to
various local content developments
and in country value creation initi-
atives. From 2020 to 2021, back in
Eni headquarters, he has been the
Head of Commercial Negotiations
and the Head of Sub-Saharan Afri-
ca Region Upstream Business from
2021 to early 2022.
Eni is a key Italian and international
player in the evolution of the
energy market. You represent the
part of the business that is most
anchored in Eni’s actions around
the world. How is the evolution
toward a different energy system
experienced in different parts of the
world?
The energy sector in this context is called
upon to deal with issues of high complexi-
ty: the reduction of Russian gas has raised
the spotlight on the problem of energy
security; the boom in energy prices has
had consequences for the competitive-
ness of European industry. All this along-
side the need to pursue the environmen-
tal sustainability of the economy, without
forgetting that a large part of the world’s
population still lacks access to energy:
the Energy Trilemma. Eni is focused and
committed to responding to all aspects
of the trilemma, continuing to create and
grow value through the transformation
and diversification of the energy mix. Ge-
ographic and technological diversification
of energy sources and implementation of
new technologies go through a neutral
approach and are fundamental to devel-
oping a low-emission energy mix while
supporting energy security. I believe that
the energy transition cannot happen over-
night by relying on a single source. Indeed,
we correctly speak of “transition” and not
“transaction” – a small word change mak-
ing a huge difference. This is also why we
recognize gas as having a crucial role as
a “bridging” energy source in the decar-
bonization pathway (Eni target 60% of gas
share by 2030, and 90% by 2050).
I certainly see interest and proactivity for
the energy transition in all regions where
Eni is present, mainly with the enhance-
ment of the energy vector natural gas to
ensure the continuity of the global econ-
omy, to provide answers to new socioeco-
nomic challenges in a sustainable way.
In recent years, it has been evident the in-
terest of the various Countries to support
us and involve us in the multiple initiatives
focused on energy transition: from the
signed agreements of energy security, en-
ergy efficiencies and technological innova-
tion in the Mediterranean (Algeria, Egypt,
Libya), net zero project development (Cote
d’Ivoire), to new business lines, such as re-
newables, hybrids and even biofuel – in
Kenya and the extension plans in other
countries such as and Congo, Angola, Ka-
zakhstan and Cote d’Ivoire.
Eni reproduces (through its great
transversality, its diverse lines of
business, and its global presence)
a small representation of the
complexity of the energy world.
Which skills are the most important
right now and which are the most
difficult to find or develop even
given the different regional energy
models?
Today’s world makes us realize that there
are many ways to address the energy
challenge, due to each country’s level of
econo-mic development and its stance
on the energy transition. Because of our
strong presence with traditional upstream,
Eni virtuously promotes different energy
mod-els through the integration of differ-
ent business lines, from traditional to bio-
fuel through renewables – and this allows
15
MEMORIES FROM LUCA VIGNATI
us to play an important role in the coun-
tries where we operate, particularly in our
African center of gravity. Through the in-
tegration of business lines, upstream also
continues its growth. In the face of this en-
ergetic transversality, it is important and
necessary that we ourselves develop an
approach to Work that is flexible and will-
ing to change, where our career path is no
longer linear, it is not enough just to grow
vertically, but also transversely, enriching
our professionalism to better read and par-
ticipate in the complexity that surrounds
us, which is constantly evolving. I would
say that flexibility, adaptation, propension
to change, curiosity (for the new, and not
only) are attitudes that can and must be-
come essential skills to work successfully
and satisfactorily in the evolving energy
world, but never forgetting listening and
confrontation, two fundamental ingredi-
ents in any working environment.
Today more than ever, Upstream becomes
complementary to the new energy sec-
tors that are growing, and it is essential
right now to understand that they are not
in competition, but in synergy, as in all the
best transitions that can be remembered
in the history of humankind. So, we need
to give space to our imagination, to think
out of the box, with empathy and atten-
tion to stakeholders, knowing that even
moving away from the more traditional
upstream business, most likely the coun-
tries from which energy will be produced
and supplied will not change (consider,
for example, the huge potential in renew-
ables, and beyond, in Africa vs. Europe).
You knew and worked together with
Gustavo Sclocchi back in the days
when oil & gas had a recognized
centrality and technology was
still underdeveloped. Making
a comparison with the current
situation, seemingly but perhaps
not substantially different, what do
you find is similar when we think
about issues related to leadership,
soft skills and the centrality of
relationships?
16
The energy industry still requires ‘tech-
nical skills,’ particularly STEM ones (still
important, but no longer sufficient).
Certainly, in the past, the weight of tech-
nical expertise was such given that the
availability of computational, modeling
and/or design tools were not as advanced
or complex as they are today. And in the
face of this complex and dynamic scenar-
io, the energy industry requires not only a
complete ‘set of soft skills’ (listening skills,
flexibility and dynamism, critical and in-
novative thinking, etc.), but also an open-
ness and engagement with the realities of
host countries in order to identify and/or
create value for all stakeholders involved.
No less important is everyone’s ability to
understand and create partnering relation-
ships for community development and our
contribution to the creation of socioeco-
nomic and cultural value in and for the host
country, and to understand and recognize
the purpose and value that ‘access to en-
ergy’ represents in the countries where we
operate. Gustavo [Director Sclocchi, for me
at that time], was undoubtedly one of the
forerunners in Eni of the evolution of pe-
troleum engineering and reservoir man-
agement, taking the first but substantial
steps and accompanying the company
from the analog to the digital world, from
graph paper (yes, a lot of it was still used at
that time) and pencil, to the power of nu-
merical computing. But that is history: just
read and consult paper archives, easier in
our foreign subsidiaries. The whole thing
has now evolved further.
What does not change, however, and is
evergreen, is the quality of the leadership
that Gustavo knew how to exercise and to
make appreciate by those who had the op-
portunity to interact with him, truly many,
none excluded. A leadership that was cour-
teous and insightful, captivating and never
imposing, engaging and patient, inclusive
and broad-minded, leaving room for dia-
logue, always ready to listen. While inter-
acting with him, one felt valued and an
important contributor to a larger project,
whatever the scope of it. Confidence, del-
egation, and optimism completed his dear
profile. And all this is still very relevant and
will always be: thank you, Gustavo.
MEMORIES FROM
Marco Castelli, Eni
Corporate University
Marco Castelli
Marco Castelli is Eni Corporate Uni-
versity’s Head of Training Demand,
Design & Delivery as of Jun. 13th,
2022. Eni Corporate University pro-
vides catalogue and on demand
training for all Eni Companies and
Business Areas worldwide. ECU has
also developed many cooperations
with Eni’s partners such as NOCs,
ministries, and universities. In 2023
ECU delivered capacity building
programs for nearly 20 NOCs, JVs
partners, universities. Training de-
partment is also organizing two
masters in cooperation with pres-
tigious universities in Italy and
abroad: Master in HSEQ and Master
for Energy. Worth to mention the
cooperation with the International
Renewable Energy Agency on Agri
Feedstock/Biofuel Capacity Build-
ing Program. He joined the Eni
Group in 1995, beginning his career
as a HR Development & Mgt. Spe-
cialist at Agip SpA. Following sever-
al assignments abroad he covered
many managerial positions in Hu-
man Resources in Congo, Angola,
Iran, Nigeria, Egypt, and Kazakh-
stan. Back to the HQ in 2015 Marco
was in charge for HR Development
and later for International Human
Resources Management for Up-
stream.
Professionalism is a growth path
required to be increasingly rapid
and effective. How can one
effectively move from university to
business education, and what are
the challenges represented by a
progressively more complex,
integrated and demanding
energy world?
The target of reducing the “time to mar-
ket” for young people entering companies
is an area on which great effort is needed.
It is not only a matter of efficiency.
In fact, in a rapidly changing context, from
a technological point of view it allows for
the rapid increase in value of the knowl-
edge that young people acquire during
their academic career by putting it imme-
diately at the center of the work and de-
sign processes in business contexts.
The increasing interaction between busi-
ness and academia, which is also the result
of structured collaboration agreements,
makes it possible to adapt curricula to the
needs of the working world as well as to
perform studies on innovative topics that
are useful to businesses.
In this sense, yery effective are the Pro-
ject Works included within the Master’s
Degree programs, that see young univer-
sity students develop project activities in
business contexts supported and guided
by business specialists. Internships and
fellowships also represent areas where
young people approach businesses by re-
ceiving and bringing value. In addition to
the forms of collaboration outlined above,
17
MEMORIES FROM MARCO CASTELLI

Eni has also developed postgraduate mas-
ter’s programs in collaboration with lead-
ing Italian universities, which represent the
main entry pool to the company.
The topic of corporate training
plays a key role in the continuous
adaptation of different professional
skills to a dynamic energy sector;
among the many technical and
behavioral skills needed, which do
you think is the most important to
ride this transition?
It is difficult to identify a single distinctive
competency. On the technical side, the
“data domain”, considered as the ability to
collect, process and quickly analyze data
while guiding decision-making processes,
represents a key, cross-business compe-
tency.
On the behavioral side, the ability to inno-
vate, that is, develop curiosity about phe-
nomena with the intention of identifying
original solutions that result in improve-
ments for humanity. An innovator is usual-
ly a humble person, because he or she is al-
ways questioning and generous, because
by innovating he or she produces benefits
for the community.
You met and worked closely with
Gustavo Sclocchi early in your
working career. How and when did
you realize that you were dealing
with someone who would stand out
over time? A leader is also capable
of growing his associates and
generating good professionals (and
sometimes new leaders).
How did Gustavo contribute to your
professional growth?
Gustavo Sclocchi was a “huge” person who
had no need to flaunt his superiority.
Always polite and open, he never failed to
give attention to all colleagues.
It was not infrequent that he recognized
a colleague on the street and was the first
one to greet and time permitting exchange
a few words.
His greatness, besides the brilliance of
the solutions he identified and brought Giuseppe Gorla Marco Brignoli
forward and the results he achieved, laid Eni S.p.A Eni S.p.A
in his ability to involve people and make
them feel important, responsible, part of a
project.
This is what happened with me.
He knew what assignments he could give
me and held me accountable for the re- Nicola Pajola Gaetano Formato
sults.
Eni S.p.A Terna S.p.A
I thought that some of those assignments
were perhaps too big for me, but after
achieving the results I realized that they
were within my capabilities.
This is how Gustavo Sclocchi was instru-
mental for me, stimulating me to over-
come my limitations. Eliana Russo Giulia Tasca Zamprogna
He gave me confidence and I gained con- Geolog s.r.l. Eni S.p.A
fidence in myself.
I will always be grateful to him for that.

The 30th Gustavo Sclocchi Award has been
promoted by SPE – Italian Section and As-
sorisorse to encourage and reward young
professionals at the beginning of their ca-
reer. The award, established in 1993, is ded-
icated to the late Gustavo Sclocchi, who
eminently promoted the initiative until his
premature death in 2001.
In his 30 years history, more than 900 the-
ses have been submitted and the Associa-
tions awarded more than 150 of them.
By means of to Gustavo Sclocchi Award,
the Associations come into contact with
the most updated energy research trends
18
in the universities. In the last five years, the
share of traditional topics, like the develop-
ment of traditional oil and gas reserves, has
become a minority while new energies, re-
search applied for electrical grids and for
smart mobility and even nuclear fusion
represented the majority of the theses
submitted. Fourty-six professionals and re-
searchers have participated to this edition
of the contest. The project is coordinated
by a Committee composed of Giuseppe
Gorla, Marco Brignoli, Gaetano Formato,
Nicola Pajola, Eliana Russo and Giulia Tas-
ca Zamprogna.
19
EVENT REPORT
This initiative is a project that every year
involves tenths of professionals and disci-
pline experts for the evaluation of the the-
sis. A special thanks goes to them who vol-
unteered for the evaluation of the theses.
Their contribution has been crucial for the
success of the initiative.
The activities are starting, every year, after
the summer season. The Committee starts
working on the Call for Papers in autumn
to be ready for announcing the competi-
tion in the first days of the incoming year.
Then, while achieving the formal sanction-
ing of the initiative by the associations, all
the tools for receiving the applications are
set-up.
At the end of this first phase, the contest
is announced to the graduates both using
Associations and Universities channels.
Philosophy Doctors and University Gradu-
ates in STEM disciplines, from Italian uni-
versities and Italian nationals graduated
abroad, are invited every year to submit
their theses.
The opening period for candidatures lasts
until the end of February, then the evalu-
ation process starts. The theses are divid-
ed by discipline and each discipline is as-
signed to a member of the Committee.
This is the phase in which the maximum
effort is spent: in addition to the members
of the committee, tenths of professionals
and of discipline experts are volunteering
for the evaluation of the theses. Volunteers
are spending hundreds of manhours in
this activity, which is the most important
for understanding how energy research is
moving.
Each thesis is evaluated in terms of content,
i.e. usefulness, significance, originality and
innovation, and in terms of efficient writ-
ing, assessing the quality of the abstract,
20
EVENT REPORT
the legibility, the context and the conclu- Then, Fabrizio Rollo, the Chairman of the First Prize Awards
sions. Each thesis may receive several eval- SPE Italian Section, has introduced the as- Davide Cittanti, PhD
uations for unbiasing the result. Within sociations remarking the importance of Analysis, Design and Control of a Modular
mid of May the winners are identified. this prize. Full-Si Converter Concept for Electric Vehi-
The organization of the awarding ceremo- cle Ultra-Fast Charging
ny is the final chapter of this journey.
The 30th edition Award Ceremony took Ivan Rafael Deiana Lopez
place in the Aula Magna of the Politecnico Time-Lapse Full Waveform Inversion
di Milano on day 16th June 2023. This event
has been the showcase for this important Letizia Cretarola
initiative promoted every year by SPE – Ital- Carbon Capture and
ian Section and Assorisorse. Storage in Energy
from Waste plant
using Molten Car-
bonate Fuel Cells
The 30th anniversary was the right occa-
sion to invite Luca Vignati, Upstream Di- Special Mention Certificates
rector of Eni, to remember Gustavo Scloc-
Elena Crespi, PhD
chi and to participate to the roundtable.
Electrical grid balancing with fast-ramp-
ing Fuel Cell and electrolysis systems:
analysis, modelling and optimization
Kristina Strpić , PhD
The Associations opted for an event in-per- Coupled wellbore-reservoir simulation of
son. Many people attended the event thermal effects during multiphase co2 in-
among SPE Student Chapters, Profession- jection
als, Students and Professors.
Matteo Gialleonardo
Derivation of elas-
tic attributes from
Giuseppe Gorla, Thesis Award Scientific Di- seismic data for the
rector for SPE Italian Chapter, spoke about geomechanical char-
the results of the 30th edition of the award. acterization of the
Then, William Palozzo, from the Assorisorse subsurface
board of Directors, presented the awards.
Igor Matteo
Carraretto, PhD
Experimental char-
The award ceremony was introduced by acterization of
Alberto Guadagnini, Vice Dean of Research air-water foamy
at Politecnico di Milano. flows
Omar Pasqualotto,
Filip Sobic
A receiver thermal
model for system lev-
el analysis of falling
particle solar tower
plants
21
EVENT REPORT
After the awarding moment, Students and
Seniors sat down around the table for the
debate.
Alberto Di Lullo, member of SPE Italian
Section Board, moderated the roundtable.
The roundtable, hosted in the Aula Mag-
na of Politecnico di Milano, is the right oc-
casion for confronting different points of
view in a neutral environment.
Martina Siena, Full Professor at Politecnico
di Milano, had the first question, testifying
the importance of the award for starting a
career in the University, and tendering the
following discussion on how to tailor a uni-
versity path that can prepare a profession-
al in the energy world of today, in which Al-
berto Guadagnini and Marco Castelli gave
their perspectives.
Then, the roundtable became a unique oc-
casion in which the award winners togeth-
er with senior managers from Industry,
University and Associations debated their
perspectives on the future of competences
22
and professional growth. It’s not common,
for a fresh graduate, to have the occasion
to interact with a Director of Eni like Luca
Vignati! There was agreement on the fact
that energy transition will not happen
overnight. The panel debated on how it is
important to rely on solid competencies
and to improve know-how on our current
capabilities for creating the ground for
energy transition. The exchange of knowl-
edge, without bias given by hierarchies
and by job titles, resulted in a very interest-
ing discussion on energy related subjects.
Before concluding the event and going
to the networking aperitif, Marco Castelli,
head of Training demand, design & delivery
for Eni Corporate University, narrated how
the late Gustavo Sclocchi was important in
the first years of his career, providing him
encouragement and self-confidence by
removing obstacles that may be given by
hierarchical differences.
A networking moment followed the event,
for a de-briefing to facilitate informal in-
teractions between graduates, professors
and professionals.A warm thank goes to
Chimec, Pergemine and Italfluid for sup-
porting the event. We are truly grateful for
your important contribution to the success
of this initiative.
23
 Time-Lapse Full waveform Inversion
In the recent years, and thanks to the big
improvements in computational pow-
er, Full-Waveform Inversion (FWI) has
emerged as a powerful technique for re-
covering high-resolution earth models in
exploration geophysics. Time-lapse FWI,
also known as 4D FWI, extends traditional
FWI by incorporating multiple seismic da-
tasets acquired at different time intervals.
By comparing seismic data from different
time periods, it aims to estimate the tem-
poral changes in subsurface properties,
such as reservoir fluid saturation, pressure,
and temperature. It potentially can allow
the detection of small changes that may
not be visible with traditional seismic im-
aging techniques.
In the oil and gas industry, monitoring res-
ervoir behavior is crucial for enhancing
production strategies. 4-D FWI enables
the estimation of fluid movements, pres-
sure changes, and other dynamic proper-
ties within the reservoir. This information
is invaluable for reservoir management,
production optimization, and enhanced
oil recovery techniques. In the context of
Carbon Capture Storage (CCS), time-lapse
FWI is relevant to monitor injected carbon
dioxide (CO2) in underground storage res-
ervoirs. It helps to assess the distribution
Ivan Deiana
and behavior of the injected CO2, ensur-
University of Trieste ing its containment and identifying any
potential leakage pathways. It can provide
National University of
critical insights for safe and effective long-
San Juan Argentina term storage of CO2. Additionally, 4-D FWI
is also a powerful tool for geothermal en-
ergy exploitation and environmental mon-
itoring, allowing the tracking of subsurface
temperature changes, fluid flow patterns,
and geothermal reservoir dynamics.
While 4-D FWI offers numerous benefits, it
24
also presents several challenges that need
to be addressed. Acquiring high-quality
seismic data is crucial for successful ap-
plication, but it can be challenging to ob-
tain consistent and repeatable data over
multiple time intervals. Issues such as var-
ying acquisition geometries, changes in
source-receiver configurations, and envi-
ronmental factors can affect data quality
and complicate the inversion process. Fur-
thermore, the availability of baseline and
monitor surveys at regular intervals may
be limited, impacting the temporal resolu-
tion of the time-lapse analysis.
The objective of this work is to address
these challenges by using synthetically
modeled data, for investigating the appli-
cability and accuracy of different 4-D FWI
schemes in detecting reservoir variations.
Additionally, the potential of Convolution-
al Neural Networks (CNN) in improving the
quality of obtained sections and attenuat-
ing time-lapse related noise is explored.
FWI is an inherently nonlinear problem
and extending it to the time-lapse domain
exacerbates the nonlinearity. Achieving
convergence in the inversion process be-
comes more challenging due to the add-
ed complexity of incorporating temporal
changes. It often requires careful parame-
terization, regularization strategies, and ro-
bust optimization algorithms to ensure a
stable and accurate inversion. In this study,
several 4-D FWI schemes, including paral-
lel, joint, and joint-Total Variation (TV) ap-
proaches, were evaluated in terms of their
performance and convergence. The intro-
duction of a target-oriented regularization
on the joint schemes, played a crucial role
in suppressing 4-D noise, enhancing the
convergence of the algorithm and the 4-D
25
WINNER
signal within the reservoir region. The in-
corporation of TV-norm demonstrated
improvements in delineating time-lapse
signals and removing background noise.
It exhibited good behavior when the initial
velocity models were precise enough and
the target mask was properly designed in
the inversion procedure. Among the tested
schemes, the joint-TV approach demon-
strated superior performance in handling
noisy sections with non-perfect repeatabil-
ity of the acquisitions.
Resolving subtle temporal changes in sub-
surface properties with 4D FWI can be
challenging, particularly in complex geo-
logical environments or when the chang-
es are small compared to the noise level
in the data. The ability to differentiate be-
tween true subsurface variations and arti-
facts or noise becomes crucial. Moreover,
interpreting the inverted results and attrib-
uting them to specific physical phenome-
na or reservoir dynamics requires exper-
tise and integration with other geological
and reservoir engineering data. To address
these challenges, a CNN model was devel-
oped to post-process time-lapse related
noise in the obtained velocity difference
sections, improving interpretability and
resolution of the variations within the res-
ervoir to precisely discriminate true signal.
The CNN architecture consisted of a U-net
with skip connections and convolutional
layers for better feature extraction. It was
trained on a dataset consisting of mon-
itor and baseline 4-D FWI velocity model
differences representing diverse stages of
reservoir and subsoil conditions. The CNN
model effectively addressed the issue of
non-perfect repeatability and significantly
reduced time-lapse related noise, present-
ing a promising solution for improving 4-D
sections and mitigating the effects of im-
perfect inversion schemes.
Overall, this research demonstrates again
the feasibility of employing time-lapse
FWI methodologies for monitoring reser-
voir variations, particularly in the context
of production or CO2 or hydrogen storage.
Different cost function schemes were eval-
uated, highlighting their specific outputs
and benefits. The accurate interpretation
and definition of target zones are essential
for successful 4-D FWI joint inversion pro-
26
WINNER
cedures, ensuring precise inversion results.
The introduction of a target-oriented reg-
ularization scheme played a crucial role in
suppressing 4-D noise and enhancing the
4-D signal within the reservoir region. The
incorporation of TV-norm demonstrated
improvements in delineating time-lapse
signals and removing background noise.
The quality of the initial velocity models
proved vital for accurate 4-D FWI-based
velocity model building. Errors in the initial
models can lead to convergence into dif-
ferent local minima or introduce artifacts
that obscure relevant information. Further-
more, post-processing of time-lapse veloc-
ity difference sections using CNN models
exhibited potential for noise cancellation
related to non-perfect repeated acquisi-
tions, 4-D noise, and artifacts, improving
the resolution of anomalies.
Ivan Deiana obtained a single cy-
cle Degree (2019) in Geophysics
with first class honors from the
National University of San Juan
Argentina, a M.S. (2022) in Geo-
sciences from the University of Tri-
este and preparing to start (2023)
a Ph.D. in Geophysics at Stanford
University at the Stanford Explora-
tion Project.
Have worked in many applied geo-
physics projects, including seismic
reflection and refraction, ground
penetrating radar, magnetometry
and electrical resistivity methods.
Currently working as a Research
Collaborator in the Exploration
Geophysics group at the University
of Trieste, investigating on FWI and
machine learning methodologies.
Also developing as Teacher Assis-
tant at the National University of
San Juan and promoting bilateral
projects in Exploration Geophysics
between Italy and Argentina.
27
 Carbon Capture and Storage from Waste-to-energy plants with
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell: a case study on Silla 2 plant

Emerging approaches to address cli- An innovative technology for energy pro-

mate change: the role of carbon-nega- duction
tive technologies Alternative ways to produce energy include
Climate change is one of the major prob- burning non-disposable waste. This ap-
lems that humanity is facing during this proach allows for the hygienic and efficient
era. The energy sector remains a key con- disposal of waste while simultaneously ex-
tributor to the escalating levels of green- tracting value from it. Waste also contains
house gas emissions. Therefore, it is crucial a fraction of biomass. In its growth process,
to curtail its emissions and foster a more it consumes carbon dioxide present in the
sustainable framework for energy produc- atmosphere through photosynthesis. That
tion. While employing renewable energy amount of carbon dioxide is trapped in the
sources for power generation represents biomass until when it is burnt for energy
the most common solution, it is essential production. Therefore, the combustion of
to acknowledge that alternative possibil- biomass releases the same quantity that
ities exist. In fact, carbon dioxide capture was subtracted from the atmosphere, thus
and storage systems have emerged as vi- resulting in an overall neutral process.
able options, i.e., chemical devices that re- By coupling this production system with a
move carbon dioxide in the flue gases pro- carbon dioxide capture and sequestration
duced by plants and make it available for system, it is possible to achieve negative
transport and permanent storage. Hand emissions from the combined setup. In ex-
in hand with climate change, the urgent isting European EfW plants alone, there is
problem of waste generation hangs in the a potential to capture 60-70 million tons of
balance. The European Union has adopted CO2 annually.
a comprehensive approach to waste man-
agement based on a hierarchical sequence
of priorities: prevention, reuse, recycling,
energy recovery and disposal. This frame-
work aims to minimize the construction of
landfills, ensure appropriate waste dispos-
al, promote material recovery, and mitigate
risks to human health and ecosystems. On
Letizia Cretarola average, an individual produces approxi-
mately one kilogram of waste daily. Projec-
Politecnico di Milano tions by The World Bank regarding future
waste generation forecast an alarming in-
crease from the current annual rate of 2 bil-
lion tons to 3.8 billion tons by 2050. Hence,
there is a clear need to employ EfW systems
for proper waste management. This work
outlines a potential solution to address
both challenges simultaneously: a car-
bon-negative energy production system.
28 29
WINNER
Several carbon dioxide capture technol-
ogies currently exist. The most widely
adopted is based on chemical adsorption
by “MonoEthanolAmine”, an organic com-
pound containing nitrogen. Unfortunately,
this technology suffers a huge disadvan-
tage, as it requires a considerable amount
of heat for amine regeneration which is
necessary to ensure the continuous oper-
ation of the system. To address this issue,
an alternative capture system is proposed
in this work, which utilizes a particular type
of high-temperature fuel cell, known as
“molten carbonate fuel cell” (MCFC). A fuel
cell is an electrochemical device that con-
verts the chemical energy of the incoming
fuel into electricity or heat. The molten car-
bonate fuel cell offers an additional advan-
tage since it is able to use carbon dioxide
from the flue gases of any plant as a useful
stream for the cell itself. This is why they
are called “active” capture systems as they
do not require additional inputs to operate,
but rather produce additional electricity.
Objectives and methodology of the re-
search
The purpose of this study is to define
the optimal configuration for the afore-
mentioned capture system by using spe-
cific software for plant simulations. To
this aim, real data from the Silla 2 ener-
gy-from-waste plant located in Milan were
considered. This plant comprises three
combustion lines and has a waste treat-
ment capacity of 500,000 tons per year.
Electricity production is provided by a bot-
toming steam cycle which, in electric-on-
ly configuration, supplies about 59 MWel.
However, the plant can also be operated
in cogeneration mode to produce thermal
power for district heating. The cogenera-
tion however reduces the electrical output.
The fuel cell-based capture system was in-
tegrated into the plant to evaluate its ener-
gy performance. In the case of MCFCs, the
passage of the carbonate ion in the per-
meable electrolyte from the cathode side
to the anode side enables reactions that
generate electrons, thereby producing
electricity. The fuel cell requires very spe-
cific conditions regarding the input stream
composition and the voltage across the
component (with a minimum value of 0.7
30
V to prevent damage). Therefore, the most
challenging part was finding the optimal
operating conditions for the operation of
this device.
Conceptual layout of a Molten Carbonate
Fuel Cell
The optimization process consisted of sev-
eral steps, involving the addition of nec-
essary components to the cathode and
anode lines to achieve optimal gas flow
characteristics in terms of pressure, tem-
perature, and composition.
First, the analysis of the exhaust gas from
the EfW showed that the CO2 and O2 lev-
els were below the threshold required for
proper MCFC operation (below 4%). As a re-
sult, the voltage across the cell drops below
0.7 V. To solve this issue, the exhaust gas
from the EfW plant was first dehumidified
through a direct contact cooler and then
diluted by adding ambient air to increase
the oxygen and carbon dioxide content.
A gas-gas heat exchanger and a combus-
tor were inserted in order to preheat the
exhaust gas to the operating temperature
of 570 °C before entering the MCFCs. In
particular, the gas-gas heat exchanger is
one of the most critical components of the
entire system since it is in contact with ex-
tremely hot exhaust gases (about 630 °C).
The configuration considered safest from
a mechanical and performance point of
view is a compact type of heat exchanger
with corrugated plates, minimizing the re-
quired exchange area.
The anode line involves a more structured
sequence of gas-gas heat exchangers.
Therefore, its optimization has been more
work-intensive. Their primary purpose is to
lower the temperature of the flue gas leav-
ing the anode of the cells while simulta-
neously producing the steam necessary
for the proper operation of the MCFCs.
Furthermore, the heat is also exploited to
preheat the fuel entering the anode and
heat water for district heating, consider-
ing the very elevated temperature of the
exhaust gases. Regarding the fuel supply
of the anode side, a mixture of natural gas
and tail gas from the Compression and Pu-
rification Unit (CPU) was used. The CPU is
the last step of the presented system. The
scheme is based on the different volatility
between CO2 and non-condensable gases.
Specifically, the gas stream, through alter-
nating steps of compression, separation,
dehydration and cooling, is brought to the
conditions of 110 bar and 28 °C, which are
optimal for final transport and storage.
Research findings
The analysis of the energy balance shows
that the MCFC-based system outperforms
the MEA one. The adoption of fuel cells,
while maintaining reasonable natural gas
consumption, leads to an almost doubling
of net electricity production. On the oth-
er hand, in the MEA system, the net elec-
tricity output is significantly lower than in
the base plant due to the relevant heat re-
quirement for amine regeneration. This is
the main pitfall of the MEA configuration,
which subtracts a significant flowrate of
steam from the final stages of the steam
turbine, thereby reducing the overall elec-
tricity production. The additional benefit of
the MCFC-based system is the increased
efficiency of the system from the cogen-
eration point of view as well. Indeed, waste
heat can be recovered from the MCFC sec-
tion and the CPU, contributing to the dis-
trict heating.
WINNER
Future developments
The primary objective of this work was to
develop the optimal layout for an innova-
tive carbon capture system for an ener-
gy-from-waste plant. Through the simu-
lations, an integrated plant featuring an
MCFC-based carbon capture system was
designed. Considering that the system
achieves higher efficiency and lower emis-
sions than the reference one, it can be
concluded that the goal of the study was
reached.
However, to date, this type of fuel cell is
not quite common. Few plants adopt it,
though only for electricity generation
without carbon dioxide capture. Indeed,
the latter functionality requires additional
components that negatively impact the
final cost of the overall system. Neverthe-
less, considering the high potential of this
system and the urgency to tackle climate
change, the number of studies focusing on
this technology is growing with a view to
make it easier and cheaper to implement.
Letizia Cretarola is a PhD student
at the Faculty of Energy and Nu-
clear Science and Technology at
Politecnico di Milano. She gradu-
ated in Energy Engineering, dis-
cussing her Master thesis about
Carbon capture and storage ap-
plied to waste-to-energy plants.
During the Master degree, she
had the opportunity to spend a
period abroad at KTH Royal Insti-
tute of Technology, thanks to the
Erasmus programme. During this
period abroad, she managed to
deepen her knowledge in the field
of renewable energy production,
while learning to approach energy
issues from a different perspective.
Currently, she is studying the im-
plementation of Carbon capture
and storage systems for bio-ener-
gy plants, in the panorama of the
PNRR project ECOSISTER – Eco-
system for sustainable transition
in Emilia Romagna.
31
 Experimental characterization of air-water foamy flows

Luca
Igor Pandolfi
Matteo Carraretto
IVS Project
Politecnico Manager
di Milano
Untenured researcher

Igor Matteo Carraretto is a PhD graduate at Po-

litecnico di Milano in Energy and Nuclear Science
and Technology, during his PhD he spent seven
months at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology at the Hatsopoulos Microfluids laboratory
focusing on foam rheology. He is now untenured
researcher at the Department of Energy at Po-
litecnico di Milano, focusing on developing new
technologies to fulfill future needs. Throughout
his life, Igor has lived and accustomed to cultures
in many countries around the world, experiencing
the importance of Energy in answering society’s
development from a direct perspective.

32 33
MENTION
General Overview
This work deals with the characterization
of air-water foamy flows in horizontal pipe-
lines. The literature lacks in treating this
subject, which is of significant relevance in
the field of multiphase flow. In particular,
foams have been used in the latest years as
possible pipeline deliquification method,
paying little attention to the fluid-dynam-
ics within the pipelines themselves. Hence,
to improve the deliquification procedures,
it is important to characterize the flow that
sets within the pipelines.
Objectives and Scope
This work aims at providing an initial over-
view of foamy flows (i.e., flow patterns, pres-
sure drop and void fraction [1]), comparing
the results with both a reference (air-wa-
ter) case and with computer simulations.
Methods, Procedure, Process
First, air-water tests were performed, in
the experimental facility of the Multiphase
Laboratory at the Department of Energy
and retained as reference case. Two in-
ner pipeline diameters were chosen ID =
30 mm and ID = 60 mm, having superfi-
cial gas velocities ranging from 2.67 to 8.17
m/s and 0.41 to 2.31 m/s respectively. Then,
a static characterization of a selected sur-
factant was performed at the Non-New-
tonian Fluid Laboratory at the Mechanical
Engineering Department of the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology. Eventu-
ally, both experimental dynamic tests and
computer simulations were performed at
the same conditions as the reference case,
the results were then compared.
Results, Observations and Conclusions
Besides the general characterization, spe-
cifically to the oil and gas industry, it can
be said that surfactants injection to reduce
liquid loading within natural gas pipelines
is a promising technique and a quantita-
tive understanding of the liquid loading re-
duction has been assessed.
Air-water campaign
The results of the air-water campaign were
compared with models reported in the
open literature. Specifically, to the strati-
fied/stratified-wavy flow pattern it resulted
that the existing correlations for predicting
34
wall and interfacial shear stresses in the
two-fluid model are not suitable for the
low gas velocity range, leading to overesti-
mation of both liquid holdup and pressure
gradient. Hence, a new empirical expres-
sion of the interfacial shear stress has been
proposed to extend the application range
of the two-fluid model [2].
Foam static characterization
The rheological characterization was per-
formed to understand the time-evolving
elasto-visco-plastic rheology of transient
aqueous foams. To measure the key rheol-
ogy of this transient foam as it evolves due
to time and applied shear stress, a new
experimental setup to generate foam in
situ was used. The rheometry results show
that after an induction period the Sauter
mean bubble radius found by direct imag-
ing increases over time scaling as t0.5, in
accordance with previous measurements.
Rheological measurements of the yield
stress and full shear flow curve can be de-
scribed with good accuracy by the well-
known Princen and Kiss model, which was
enhanced here by applying the measured
variation in radius to predict flow curves
onto a time-age master curve [3].
Figure 1 Measured flow curves of shear stress vs. shear
rate with the overlaid model [3].
Air-water-foam campaign
After the flow pattern characterization, the
pressure drop was measured and com-
pared to the ones obtained for the refer-
ence case. The relative pressure-increase
lowers as the superficial gas velocity in-
creases (the foam apparently loses effec-
tiveness). However, the surfactants main-
tain their ability to reduce the liquid loading
(with reduced strength) even though the
pressure drop decreases. This was also
confirmed by comparing the void fraction
variation between the two cases [4], [5].
Eventually, referring specifically to the
computer simulations, as no dedicated
package is present to model the foam in
OLGA®, it was decided to simulate the
foam as a gas-based drilling fluid, with the
rheological properties obtained through
the static characterization. As OLGA®
models each fluid as a separate equiva-
lent phase, it requires direct specification
of mass flow rate of each single phase and,
as only total air and total water flow rates
data were available, three different foam
velocity profiles were implemented: uni-
form, linear and turbulent. In the 60 mm
ID pipeline the uniform profile is the one
that shows the best performance (+ 29 %).
In the 30 mm ID pipeline, the linear profile,
with a foam aged of 2000 s, provides the
best performance (+ 5 %) [6].
Figure 2 Relative void fraction increase as function of su-
perficial gas velocity
MENTION
Future development
This work can be further broadened se-
lecting more experimental conditions,
and either modifying the surfactant con-
centration or type. Experimental activities
with other pipeline diameters can be con-
sidered as well along with changing the
inclination of the plant, as a major role is
played by the gravitational force. Eventu-
ally, another software could be considered
to simulate the flow of foams within pipe-
lines.
References
[1] “Experimental study of aqueous foam
generation and transport in a horizon-
tal pipe for deliquification purposes,” Exp.
Therm. Fluid Sci., vol. 98, pp. 369–380, 2018.
[2] “Pressure drop and void fraction in
horizontal air-water stratified flows with
smooth interface at atmospheric pres-
sure,” Fluids, vol. 5, no. 3, 2020.
[3] “Time-resolved rheometry of coarsening
foams using three-dimensionally printed
fractal vanes Time-resolved rheometry of
coarsening foams using three-dimension-
ally printed fractal vanes,” Phys. Fluids, vol.
34, no. 113108, 2022.
[4] “Liquid holdup optical measurements
for horizontal stratified flows with an
opaque fluid layer,” J. Phys. Conf. Ser., vol.
1868, no. 1, 2021.
[5] “Holdup Measurements of Aqueous
Foam Flows and Flow Regime Character-
ization through Image Processing,” SPE
Prod. Oper., pp. 1–9, Jun. 2021.
[6] “Horizontal Stratified Air–Foam–Water
Flows: Preliminary Modelling Attempts
with OLGA,” Fluids, vol. 8, no. 3, p. 89, 2023.
The figure reported as cover image is tak-
en from [3].
35
 Coupled wellbore-reservoir simulation of
thermal effects during multiphase CO2 injection
Carbon Capture and Storage Challenges
There is no unique pathway for reaching
global climate goals in the next 30 years
and the key aspect of the global strategies
is development and adaptation in various
sectors. Investment in sustainable and re-
newable energy resources should help in
the mitigation of new emissions, but at the
same time, adaptation is necessary for ex-
isting high-emitting sectors. Carbon cap-
ture and storage (CCS) is considered to be
critical for reaching a sustainable path in en-
ergy systems and reaching climate pledg-
es.In the complex chain of interdepend-
ent CCS activities, numerical simulation
is present in all sectors, from modelling of
CO2 capture technologies and separation
of impurities in CO2-rich streams, design of
pipeline transport networks, CO2 flow con-
ditions inside injection wells to the study of
CO2-rich displacement front migration in-
side the storage formation. When focusing
on the storage site, accurate information
on the storage formation stratigraphic and
hydrogeological parameters is essential
for modelling CO2-rich front propagation.
However, at the same time
injection conditions directly affect wellbore
Kristina Strpić flow behavior and conditions at which CO2
enters the reservoir. Depleted gas reser-
Prysmian International voirs are one of the most promising can-
Graduate Program– didates for CO2 sequestration with several
advantages such as well-known reservoir
Build the Future and caprock properties and benefits of
the existing infrastructure at the field site.
However, a large pressure difference be-
tween low reservoir pressure and CO2 in
36
jection pressure can cause thermodynam-
ically complex flow conditions inside the
wellbore with strong temperature drops
and CO2 phase transition. This is a serious
safety concern and poses several risks, in-
cluding hydrates precipitation in the near
wellbore area, ice formation around the
wellbore, and thermal shocks of the cas-
ing strings. In such cases, it is inevitable to
consider wellbore and reservoir conditions
as interrelated to optimize injection condi-
tions.
Benefits of coupled wellbore-reservoir
simulation – T2Well-ECO2M
Thanks to the cooperation of the Geo-
thermal Research Group of the Depart-
ment OF Civil, Chemical, Environmental,
and Materials Engineering (University of
Bologna) with Lawrence Berkely National
Laboratory (LBNL) it was possible to use
under-development code, T2Well-ECO2M
for this research. Coupled wellbore-reser-
voir simulator, T2Well-ECO2M, was origi-
nally developed for the simulation of CO2
injection into deep saline aquifers and for
the simulation of enhanced geothermal
systems. It allows simulation of the H2O-
CO2-NaCl mixture including CO2 phase
transition tracking and multiphase flow. It
is applicable for modelling fluid properties
for temperature, pressure and salinity con-
ditions in the range of -20 ˚C ≤ T ≤ 110 ˚C,
P ≤ 600 bar, and salinity from zero up to
full halite saturation. For CO2-rich mixture,
T2Well-ECO2M 1 covers the range 3.04°C ≤
T ≤ 103.04°C and 1 bar ≤ P ≤ 600 bar.
37
MENTION
Figure 1 Possible phase combinations and transitions in
H2O-CO2 system in P-T range of T2Well-ECO2M; a-aque-
ous phase, g-gaseous CO2-rich phase, l-liquid CO2-rich
phase.
In the scope of this research, T2Well-ECO2M
has been used for the simulation of CO2 in-
jection into depleted gas reservoirs, which
required original code modifications, tests,
and verifications to be suitable to simulate
CO2 injection in depleted gas reservoirs.
T2Well-ECO2M with real field data
For conceptual model and initial condi-
tions of investigated system, of Pool A sand
of Cortemaggiore field (Italy) has been tak-
en as a reference for reservoir petrophys-
ical parameters, together with the brine
salinity and the relationships between
porosity reduction due to halite precipi-
tation and permeability reduction. In the
first part of the T2Well-ECO2M application
for CO2 injection into a depleted gas res-
ervoir, the injection case was run applying
the fully numerical approach of a wellbore
to formation heat exchange calculation.
Results were analyzed in terms of wellbore
pressure and temperature vertical profiles,
wellhead (WH) and bottomhole (BH) con-
ditions, and characteristic reservoir dis-
placement fronts.
38
Figure 2 WH and BH temperature and pressure evolu-
tion over 1 year of CO2 injection
Special attention was given to the thor-
ough analysis of bottomhole temperature
as the critical parameter for hydrate forma-
tion. Besides the expected direct effect of
wellbore temperature changes caused by
the phase transition on reservoir condi-
tions, the simulation results indicated also
the effect of CO2 phase change in the near
wellbore zone on BH pressure distribution.
This proved the importance of the cou-
pled-wellbore reservoir approach in the
case of CO2 injection simulations as CO2
phase conditions inside of wellbore de-
pend on multiple factors such as injection
rate and temperature, and the pressure
difference between the injected CO2 and
initial wellhead pressure. One of the impor-
tant remarks notice with T2Well-ECO2M
coupled wellbore-reservoir simulation is
that not only the wellbore conditions will
directly effect properties of fluid entering
the reservoir, but that CO2 phase transition
in reservoir domain can affect bottom hole
pressure. The transition is accompanied by
a local sharp change of phases saturation
and the related sharp decrease of overall
CO2 mobility which needs a step incre-
ment of pressure (visible at Figure 2) to
maintain the constant mass rate radial flow
any time the transition occurs in a new el-
ement. In practice, the relative permeabili-
ty increment of the CO2 liquid phase does
not compensate for the drastic reduction
of gaseous CO2 relative permeability.
To test the implemented software chang-
es, in the second stage of the research, the
same injection case was reproduced using
the improved semi-analytical time-convo-
lution approach for wellbore to formation
heat exchange calculation. It is noteworthy
that T2Well-ECO2M is the first version of
T2Well codes with an available time-con-
volution option for heat exchange calcula-
tion. The comparison of the two scenarios
showed that the simulation of wellbore
and reservoir parameters after one year
of continuous CO2 injection are in good
agreement with the computation time to
solve the time-convolution semi-analyti-
cal reduced. Advantage of available accu-
rate analytical method, which is in a good
agreement with numerical approach, is
opportunity to evaluate frame from CO2
upstream conditions in a very efficient and
fast way, to avoid safety concerns and risks
connected with CO2 phase transition due
to depressurization in transient injection
period.
T2Well-ECO2M improvements and re-
marks
The new updated T2Well-ECO2M version
has shown to be a robust and performing
wellbore-reservoir simulator that can be
also used to simulate the CO2 injection
into depleted gas reservoirs. Moreover, as
T2Well-ECO2M is a research, under-devel-
opment code, the original version shared
by LBNL was improved and debugged in
many aspects to be suitable for the simu-
lation of various conditions of multiphase
CO2 injection. The availability of an accu-
rate semi-analytical approach for well-
bore-to-formation heat exchange allows
simplified and fast ways to test chosen in-
jection conditions and inspect the resulting
BH conditions to avoid hydrate formation
in near-wellbore area. Therefore, accurate
modelling of BH conditions potentially al-
lows more flexibility in the choice of up-
stream conditions which would hopefully
limit the energy required for CO2 heating
and compression at the upstream, and re-
duce emissions included in CCS activities.
Ability of T2Well-ECO2M to model complex
CO2 and CO2-rich fluid thermodynamic
conditions, and wide temperature range
for fluid properties, shows a potential that
it could be also used for simulation of en-
hanced geothermal systems. One of the
possibilities, already tested by LBNL, could
be adding surface equipment into the
model. T2Well-ECO2M, in that case, would
be able to simulate multiphase CO2 flow of
MENTION
onshore and offshore wellbore CO2 blow-
out caused by breached surface/subsea
pipe. This approach in further studies
would allow to analyze the magnitude of
temperature drop effect during CO2 blow-
outs on upstream equipment.
Acknowledgments
I would like to give special thanks to the
Energy Geosciences Division of Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory and Ph.D.
Lehua Pan for having provided under-de-
velopment code T2Well-ECO2M. Further-
more, I would like to thank my supervisor
and co-supervisors for their help, guidance
and inspiration during this journey: Prof.
Paolo Macini, Prof. Villiam Bortolotti, Prof.
Stefano Bonduà, and Ing. Alfredo Battistel-
li.
Kristina Strpić received her
Bachelor’s and Master’s degree
in field of petroleum engineer at
the Faculty of Mining, Geology
and Petroleum Engineering in
Zagreb, Croatia. She finished her
Ph.D. in the field of Hydrocarbons
and subsoil fluids at Department
of Civil, Chemical, Environmental
and Material engineering at Uni-
versity of Bologna, Italy in 2022.
Her research work was focused
on geothermal energy resources
of low and medium enthalpies,
and thermodynamics of CO2 in
Carbon Capture and Storage and
CO2-rich geothermal fluids. Dur-
ing her Ph.D. research period, she
had a great opportunity of coop-
eration with Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory of Universi-
ty of California and Montanuni-
versität Leoben (Austria) but also
cooperation with industry. This
allowed her to work on real field
problems and challenges of en-
ergy sustainability enhancement.
Currently, she is a part of Prysmi-
an’s international graduate pro-
gram in Delft, Netherlands.
39
 Elastic-attributes computation from seismic data inversion for
geomechanical characterization of the subsurface

Luca Pandolfi
Matteo Gialleonardo
IVS Project Manager
University of Trieste

40 41
MENTION
Nowadays we see the increasing need of
fast solutions to decrease the emissions of
greenhouse gases and to reduce the ef-
fect of industrial processes on the environ-
ment. Therefore, even in the exploration
of natural resources and energies, there
are new challenges to develop sustaina-
ble “green” economies. Hence, the Carbon
Capture and Storage (CCS) technology
could be one of the most relevant and ef-
ficient techniques to rapidly subtract CO2
from powerplants instead of its emission in
the atmosphere. Depleted oil and gas res-
ervoirs represent a well-known place that
could be used as storage. CCS projects are
complex and expensive, moreover a lot of
surveys are required to ensure the safety
and the long-term sustainability of the in-
jection sites.
Reflection seismic has been used tradition-
ally in the O&G to derive rocks properties of
the subsurface (lithology, porosity, and flu-
id saturation).
In the CCS context, there is the necessity
also for geomechanical characterization of
large volumes of rocks (from seabed to the
injector levels) and seismic data can pro-
vide valuable information about their lat-
eral and vertical variations (Poisson’s ratio,
Young Modulus…).
The objective of this work is the applica-
tion of an Extended Elastic Impedance
(EEI) based workflow for geo-mechanical
characterization of the subsurface. In de-
tail, if the Elastic Impedance (EI) is a gen-
eralisation of Acoustic Impedance (AI) for a
not normal incidence seismic acquisition,
the EEI allows to explore a much wider re-
flectivity (seismic amplitude) angle range.
Thus, the EEI contrast for a specific angle
“X°” represents a reflectivity which is linked
with a petrophysical or geo-mechanical
property. The reflectivity, which is a func-
tion of the angle, is called scaled reflectiv-
ity (Rs).
The initial dataset consists of a 2D seismic
line, a well and the corresponding well-
logs.
First, seismic data (intercept and gradient)
are uploaded and a seismic interpretation
is made. Then, the workflow can be struc-
tured in three steps; in the first, the aim of
the elaboration is to determine the correct
value for the “X°” angle.
42
Secondly, the seismic amplitude repre-
sents an EEI contrast, which reflects the
variations of a specific geo-mechanical pa-
rameter, in our case the Young Modulus.
Seismic inversion elaboration allows to
transform the Rs dataset in the corre-
sponding EEI(X°) volume.
Finally, a Genetic Inversion (G.I.) algorithm
is applied to convert the seismic data into
the desired log-response equivalent by
non-linear relationship, that is neural-net-
work.
The resulting 2D section represents the
distribution of the target property in the
subsurface.
The workflow leads on to several important
considerations: the Young Modulus’ varia-
tions include both large-scale increasing
trend with depth and local fluctuations.
The former is driven by well-data, and it de-
pends on the low frequency content of the
dataset; the latter is linked to the seismic
MENTION
band-pass spectrum.
As a consequence, the greater the spectral
Obtained a single cycle Degree
resolution, the higher the quality of the G.I.
(2019) in Geophysics with first class
elaboration.
honors from the National Univer-
In this case, the workflow is limited to the
sity of San Juan Argentina, a M.S.
computation of the Young Modulus, how-
(2022) in Geosciences from the Uni-
ever, the same elaboration can be applied
versity of Trieste and preparing to
to derive other geo-mechanical or petro-
start (2023) a Ph.D. in Geophysics at
physical parameters. This information is
Stanford University at the Stanford
extremely important in the Mechanical
Exploration Project.
Earth Modeling (MEM), which plays an im-
Have worked in many applied geo-
portant role not only for reservoirs descrip-
physics projects, including seismic
tion but also in the analysis of the upper
reflection and refraction, ground
layers of the subsurface, the overburden.
penetrating radar, magnetometry
Thus, the possibility to describe large vol-
and electrical resistivity methods.
umes of rocks is fundamental for carbon
Currently working as a Research
capture and storage technologies.
Collaborator in the Exploration
In conclusion, the computed Young Mod-
Geophysics group at the University
ulus is dynamic because it is calculated
of Trieste, investigating on FWI and
from both seismic and well-log data, there-
machine learning methodologies.
fore it depends on elastic deformation. The
Also developing as Teacher Assis-
dynamic to static conversion is based on
tant at the National University of
geo-mechanical lab tests on rocks speci-
San Juan and promoting bilateral
mens which are site dependent.
projects in Exploration Geophysics
between Italy and Argentina.
43
 A receiver thermal model for system level analysis
of falling particle solar tower plants

Omar Pasqualotto
Ricerca sul Sistema
Energetico (RSE)

Luca Pandolfi
Filip Sobic
IVS Project Manager
Politecnico di Milano

44 45
MENTION
Why do we need Concentrating Solar
Power (CSP)?
In the last few decades, the climate and
environmental concerns have raised the
issue of finding energy production tech-
nologies that could compete with fossil
fuel-based ones while also improving the
sustainability of the energy sector, as well
as decreasing its carbon footprint. Howev-
er, the huge amount of installed capacity of
intermittent renewable sources (i.e., solar
PV and wind) in recent years can also cre-
ate problems to electrical grids, this calls
for the coupling of these renewable energy
sources with storage systems, mainly bat-
teries.
The importance of Concentrating Solar
Power (CSP) is indeed in the fact that it al-
lows for the conversion of solar energy in
electric energy in a programmable way,
making it possible to produce electrici-
ty in the same way as conventional fossil
fuel-based plants. Thus, allowing for their
easier substitution in the generation mix
while maintaining the adequacy of the
electrical grid.
The concept behind CSP is to adopt mir-
rors (called heliostats) that concentrate so-
lar energy towards a receiver that is meant
to heat up a heat transfer medium at tem-
peratures suitable for energy conversion
by means of a Power Block (PB). Thermal
energy produced can either directly drive
the PB or can be stored in the Thermal En-
ergy Storage (TES) system for later use.
The great advantage of CSP is therefore re-
lated to its intrinsic adoption of a TES sys-
tem, that allows for daily storage of thermal
energy and thus dispatchable and flexible
electric power production. In addition, the
adoption of turbines in the PB provides in-
ertia to support the grid in fast frequency
balancing, which is an important natural-
ly provided service that inverter-based re-
newables (i.e., solar PV and wind) cannot
provide, even if coupled with batteries.
The Falling Particle Receiver concept
Among the different CSP technologies, So-
lar Tower (ST) represents one of the most
promising options thanks to the possibil-
ity of achieving higher temperatures and
because of the higher thermal efficiencies
with respect to linear collector technolo-
46
gies. In the “Gen3 Roadmap” published in
2017 by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)
[1], the three most interesting ST technolo-
gy pathways on which the research effort
should be focused on (i.e., molten salt, fall-
ing particle, gas phase) have been intro-
duced. Following an extensive analysis of
those three technologies, carried out in the
frame of the Generation 3 CSP Systems
funding program, the U.S. Department of
Energy announced in 2021 that the most
promising pathway to achieve higher tem-
peratures in CSP plants and to meet 2030
cost targets is the one based on the Parti-
cle Receiver. In detail, concept behind it is
to adopt particles as heat transfer medium
instead of liquid fluids; this leads to certain
advantages: i) possibility of direct heating
that allows for achievement of high tem-
peratures, and ii) an energy storage that is
proven to be inexpensive because of the
possibility of directly storing the particles.
The importance of receiver thermal mod-
elling and the methodology behind this
work
To fully understand techno-economic com-
petitiveness of the Falling Particle Receiv-
er with respect to conventional CSP plants,
engineering tools such as receiver thermal
models have a crucial importance for as-
sessing the receiver performances and op-
timizing the plant design and operation. To
the best of the authors’ knowledge only a
few simplified thermal models suitable for
system-level analyses are available in liter-
ature. Indeed, most of the models found in
literature are based on Computational Flu-
id Dynamics (CFD) and therefore too com-
putationally expensive. Therefore, the goal
of this work is the development of a ther-
mal model able to describe the behavior
of a falling particle receiver under different
operating conditions, to provide the value
of its thermal efficiency within reasonable
computational time so that the model can
be applied for parametric studies of solar
tower plants at system-level. The method-
ology proposed to estimate the yearly per-
formances of a particle-based solar tower
plant is the following: solar field and receiv-
er characteristics, as well as weather data,
are given as input to the software SolarPI-
LOT that assess the solar field performanc-
es and provides the heat flux maps on the
receiver; the thermal model developed in
this work is then used for the estimation of
the falling particle receiver performances
under different conditions and with differ-
ent configurations; finally, a sCO2 PB mod-
el is adopted to simulate the conversion of
thermal to electric energy.
The receiver thermal model and its vali-
dation
The receiver thermal model is based
on a stationary 1D model developed by
González-Portillo et al. [2] which was vali-
dated against CFD simulations. However,
they adopted certain simplifications and
did not consider certain effects. Thus, sev-
eral improvements have been introduced
to obtain the final model, implemented in
MATLAB environment, that is adopted for
the system-level analysis of the plant con-
sidered in the case study. Here are listed
the most important improvements with
respect to the starting model:
• 2D particle curtain discretization with
non-uniform concentrated solar flux
• Drag force effect by implementation of
a drag model
• Variable reflectivity of the wall behind
the particle curtain
• 3D discretization of the wall behind the
particle curtain, including 3D conduc-
tion modelling
• Dependency of coefficients from parti-
cle curtain conditions
Thermal efficiency of the falling particles
receiver comes from the solution of the
developed thermal model which requires
solving the system of 4 non-linear equa-
tions. The first three equations are related
to the particle curtain, and they are mass,
momentum, and energy balance of the
particle curtain, while the fourth equation
is the energy balance of the wall behind.
A key phase of the development of a ther-
mal model is its validation since the results
need to be aligned with real receiver op-
eration. Before the validation of the model
itself, some specific features, such as the
drag model, have been validated against
experimental results, as the drag force has
a relevant impact on the thermal efficien-
cy of the receiver. The complete model is
then validated against both experimental
MENTION
results and CFD simulations, by compar-
ing value of the thermal efficiency and in-
dividual thermal losses components to the
ones coming from the literature. Based
on the good matching of results, the ther-
mal model developed in this work can be
deemed suitable for system-level analysis
of falling particle receivers as it provides re-
sults in line with those obtained through
CFD simulation with a limited computa-
tional cost.
Case study: a 100 MW power plant sys-
tem-level analysis
The developed receiver thermal model is
applied to a specific case study to perform
the on-design sizing of different configu-
rations of particle receivers for a given solar
field. The additional configurations stud-
ied are based on the concept of the mul-
tiple-stages receiver: the particle flow is
interrupted and restarted to decrease the
advection losses and increase the opacity
of the curtain, resulting in enhanced per-
formances. Subsequently, for the consid-
ered configurations (free falling curtain
and multiple-stages from two to five stag-
es), off-design and yearly performances
analysis are performed.
The yearly performance analysis results
in yearly thermal efficiency ranging from
71.99% (free falling configuration, worst
option) to 75.28% (five stages, best con-
figuration). The overall plant efficiency for
five stages configuration is equal to 18.52%
showing slightly better results than the
conventional reference plant considered
(18.34% for Gemasolar-like plant).
Figure 1 Thermal model control volume discretization of
the particle curtain (left-side element) and the back wall
(right-side element), and heat transfer terms (red is for
radiative while green is for others)
47
MENTION
a) Solar field on 20th June at 12 p.m.
Figure 2 Solar field layout and heliostats’ efficiency not considering intercept factor
Additionally, the adoption of recirculation is
investigated to improve off-design perfor-
mances and extend the receiver operating
range. However, yearly performance analy-
sis shows that this strategy increases yearly
electricity production only marginally. The
final analysis carried out in the framework
of this work is the subdivision of the helio-
stats field in two and adopting two towers,
to increase the optical efficiency of the far-
thest heliostats. This results in an increase
of overall plant efficiency (19.50% vs 18.52%
for five stages configuration) and decrease
in Levelized Cost of Heat (LCOH) compared
to the single tower solution.
Omar Pasqualotto is currently
working as a researcher for Ricerca
sul Sistema Energetico (RSE), deal-
ing with EU/international projects
and activities spanning various top-
ics such as smart grids, electric mo-
bility and demand response, with a
focus on the new framework on lo-
cal grid flexibility at the distribution
level. Before this first work experi-
ence, his university career began in
2017 with a bachelor’s degree in En-
ergy Engineering at Politecnico di
Milano, followed by a master’s de-
gree obtained in 2022 in the same
field and university, on a renewable
generation-specific track.
48
b) Solar field on 20th June at 8 a.m
Conclusions
In this work a thermal model was devel-
oped to assess performances of falling
particle receivers for solar tower plants.
The model was implemented in MATLAB
starting from the model described in [1]. It
shows a good flexibility for performing dif-
ferent kinds of analyses. Indeed, it can be
adapted to work with any cavity geometry
and curtain dimensions, as well as adapted
to change the working principle of the cur-
tain itself or its configuration (e.g., adop-
tion of multistage or recirculation), more-
over it can work with any type and size of
particles by just changing their properties
in the model inputs.
Filip Sobic completed his Bache-
lor of Science degree at the Uni-
versity of Belgrade, Faculty of Me-
chanical Engineering, from 2017
to 2020. With a passion for energy
engineering, he pursued his Mas-
ter of Science in Energy Engineer-
ing at Politecnico di Milano, spe-
cializing in renewable energy. He
successfully graduated in October
2022. Currently, he is furthering
his academic journey as a Ph.D.
student at Politecnico di Milano,
focusing on the operational opti-
mization of aggregated systems
of electric vehicle charging sta-
tions.
49
 A significant step towards the European low-carbon
energy transition: welcome to TYRA II

Alberto Murena
TotalEnergies E&P
Denmark

50 51
ARTICLE
The Executive Director of the International
Energy Agency (IEA), Mr. Fatih Birol, suc-
cinctly highlighted the pivotal role of natu-
ral gas in today's energy transition:
“Natural gas is one of the mainstays of
global energy. Where it replaces more pol-
luting fuels, it improves air quality and lim-
its emissions of carbon dioxide.”
(The Role of Gas in Today’s Energy Transitions, IEA World
Energy Outlook special report 2019)
One of the notable outcomes of the COP
27 conference held last year pertains to
the imperative of developing low-carbon
solutions to promote energy transition. In
this context, natural gas assumes a crucial
role due to its lower carbon content with
respect to other hydrocarbon energy vec-
tors. Its reduced carbon footprint makes
it a preferable choice as a transitional fuel,
aiding in the reduction of overall green-
house gas emissions while transitioning to
a green energy system.
Denmark, within the European context,
has consistently demonstrated a strong
commitment to producing energy with
Figure 1 Installation of the new Tyra processing module
(TEG) breaking a world record as heaviest crane lift ever
undertaken at sea.
52
minimal environmental impact. The coun-
try has launched numerous projects in the
natural gas and renewable energy sectors,
aligned with its pursuit of low-carbon en-
ergy production.
In line with Denmark’s undertaking, I am
currently involved in the Tyra Redevel-
opment Project. The eight new Tyra plat-
forms are located in the Danish North Sea,
approximately 225 km away from the city
of Esbjerg at the Danish west coast. The
Tyra Redevelopment Project carries stra-
tegic significance at the European level
since, upon reaching full production, Den-
mark will become again a net-exporter
and self-sufficient in natural gas.
Denmark ventured into North Sea gas
production in 1972, with Tyra representing
the country’s largest gas field, operational
since 1984. However, after over three dec-
ades of production, the subsidence of the
chalk reservoir necessitated a comprehen-
sive redevelopment. The Tyra platforms
sank by approximately 5 meters since pro-
duction start narrowing the gap between
the sea and the platform decks. This re-
duction was considered unsafe and, there-
fore, the decision was made to rebuild the
facilities. Consequently, production at the
field was suspended in 2019 to enable the
full redevelopment work. TotalEnergies is
operator of the Tyra field on behalf of the
Danish Underground Consortium – a part-
nership between TotalEnergies (43.2%),
Bluenord (36,8%) and Nordsøfonden (20%).
Figure 2 Sail-away of the Tyra accommodation module
(TEH) from the construction yard in Ravenna to its final
location in the North Sea.
ARTICLE
The new state-of-the-art Tyra II facilities • Handheld digital devices for offshore
will re-start production in the winter sea- employees to have constant access to
son 2023/24 and are expected to deliver systems, data, drawings, etc., as well as
2.8 billion cubic meter gas per year to Den- onshore specialist support.
mark and Europe. Notably, two significant
world records were established during the Utilizing such efficient infrastructure and
Installation and Recycling phases of the modern technology, Tyra II will emerge as
Tyra Redevelopment: one of the world’s most advanced high-tech
• On October 4th, 2022, a team of over hubs for natural gas production, designed
260 offshore workers successfully lift- to facilitate low-carbon energy produc-
ed the largest Tyra II topside, the pro- tion in the future. Tyra II seamlessly aligns
cess module TEG onto its final location with TotalEnergies’ objective of addressing
at the Tyra field (Fig. 1). This lift, weigh- and contributing to the sustainable ener-
ing 17,000 tons, was accomplished by gy transition. We hope that it serves as an
Sleipnir, the world’s largest crane vessel, exemplary model to be followed in Europe
setting a world record for the heaviest and across the globe.
crane lift ever performed at sea.
• While the Tyra II modules took shape,
the old Tyra facilities were entirely dis-
mantled, and their materials were re-
Alberto is a Deputy Start-up
cycled. The complete recycling of these
Leader who joined TotalEnergies
materials was an integral aspect of the
in 2017. He earned his MSc with
project, aligning with TotalEnergies’
honors in Energy Engineering
commitment to sustainability. In fact,
from Politecnico di Milano, spe-
98.5% of the material was either re-
cializing in Oil & Gas Production.
used or recycled. This represents the
Recently, he obtained the PMP®
largest recycling project of offshore in-
certification from the Project
stallations in Denmark’s history. Many
Management Institute.
processes and guidelines were built
In 2016, he completed an intern-
from scratch as no regulations existed
ship at the Eni Headquarters
in Denmark by that time. This aspect
in Milan as Reservoir Engineer.
holds immense importance for future
Later, he joined TotalEnergies at
projects within the industry.
Tempa Rossa Field, in the South
of Italy, starting as a Drilling &
Due to the implementation of new tech-
Completion Engineer and then
nology and modernized working process-
transitioning to the role of Pro-
es, TotalEnergies anticipates that Tyra’s
duction Engineer. Currently, Al-
operational efficiency will increase from its
berto is a member of the Engi-
average of around 80% to more than 90%
neering team responsible for the
after launching. The new technologies and
Commissioning and Start-up op-
methodologies that will be integrated with
erations of the Tyra Redevelop-
the redeveloped platforms include:
ment Project in Denmark.
• Digital and online tools to monitor per-
Alberto has been an active mem-
formance, minimize flaring and im-
ber of SPE since 2016. In July 2019,
prove maintenance.
he was elected to the Board of
• Big data and shared data availability for
Directors of the SPE Italian Sec-
both onshore and offshore staff to fos-
tion, representing the Liaison Ba-
ter better collaboration, insights, and
silicata Area. At the international
analytics.
level, Alberto currently serves as
• Sensors that continuously collect data
a member of the SPE Giovan-
about critical equipment from around
ni Paccaloni Young Professional
100,000 data points.
Service Award committee.
53
 Thank you to our Chairman, to the entire SPE Italian
Section Team, and especially to all the voluteers for
their commitment and extraordinary contribution
Many thanks from the SPE Italian Section to all its supporters!

We are excited to announce the Italian Section

has been awarded the
Section Excellence Award for 2023!

54 55
 Officer - Discipline Leader –
Drilling & Completion
Manuel Miceli
TotalEnergies
manuel.miceli@totalenergies.com
Officer - Discipline Leader –
Facilities & Operations
Giuseppe Gozzo
DG Impianti
giuseppe.gozzo@dgimpianti.eu

Chairpersona Past Chairperson

Fabrizio Rollo Paolo Carnevale
Eni Eni Officer - Discipline Leader – Officer - Discipline Leader –
fabrizio.rollo@eni.com paolo.carnevale@eni.com HSE & Sustainability Digitalization & Data science
Fabio Lo Brutto Luca Motti
DNV Accenture
fabio.maria.lobrutto@dnv.com luca.motti@accenture.com

Secretary YP Chair
Matteo Bajocco Hana Tfaili
DG Impianti Eni
Officer - Discipline Leader – Officer - Discipline Leader – Energy
matteo.bajocco@dgimpianti.eu tfaili.hana@eni.com
Geosciences & Reservoir Transition and decarbonizations systems
Ilaria De Santo Fabio Mancini
SLB Eni
idesanto@slb.com fabio.mancini@eni.com

Membership Chairperson Officer - Energy D&I

Maurizio Senese Cristina Marras
ex ENI SAIPEM
maurizio.senese@gmail.com cristina.marras@saipem.com Officer - Discipline Leader – Officer - Discipline Leader –
R&D & Innovation Policies & Regulamentation
Director - Membership Retention Mariella Leporini Laura Ferrai
& Expansion SAIPEM BCG
mariella.leporini@saipem.com laura.ferrai@bcg.com
Eliana Russo
Geolog Officer - Bulletin
e.russo@geolog.com Mariella Leporini
SAIPEM
mariella.leporini@saipem.com
Officer - Discipline leader -
Student Chapter Liaison - Transportation and distribution Senior Advisor
Universities, Student Chapters of energy vectors Ugo Ormezzano
& Thesis Awards Giampaolo Annoni Tetra Tech
Vera Rocca SNAM uormezzano@tetratec.com
Program Chairperson giampaolo.annoni2@snam.it
POLITO
William Palozzo
vera.rocca@polito.it
DG Impianti
Director - Faculties & william.palozzo@dgimpianti.eu
Student Chapters
Andrea Lamberti
Eni Director - Funding & Treasury Officer - Advisor Officer - Advisor
andrea.luigi.lamberti@eni.com Filippo Casali Elisabetta Purlalli Fabio Parmigiani
Geolog Eni EniProgetti
Director - Liaison - Rome
f.casali@geolog.com elisabetta.purlalli@eni.com fabio.parmigiani@eni.com
Ernesto Petteruti
Chimec
epetteruti@chimec.it Director - Communication
Federica Lupone
Director - Liaison - Milan CGG
Mario Ruggiero federica.lupone@cgg.com
Geolog Rappresentante AI SPE
m.ruggiero@geolog.com Director - Liaison – Basilicata Area Alberto Di Lullo
Luca Cadei Eni
Director - Thesis Award Eni alberto.dilullo@eni.com
Scientific Director luca.cadei@eni.com
Giuseppe Gorla
Eni Director - Liason - SPE
giuseppe.gorla@eni.com International Programs
Maria Giulia De Donno
BCG
DeDonno.Giulia@bcg.com

56 57
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