Cole Van De Ven

Postdoctoral Fellow

NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-2022)

EOSS 263
researcher

Expertise

My doctoral (research video here: https://vimeo.com/342987515) and postdoctoral research have focused on understanding the impact of unconventional oil and gas development on shallow groundwater, resulting from the leakage of natural gas into these systems. This work combines fundamental and applied research of multiphase flow and mass transfer in complex porous media systems. Much of my research has applied experimental investigation in physical laboratory models at a variety of scales, which will lead to better understanding of the conceptual model for gas migration in groundwater systems and provide datasets of unprecedented detail to validate numerical modelling.

Figure - Experiment of gas injection into heterogeneous media.

Current Projects

  • Gas production during the degradation of fuel additives and other hydrocarbons
  • Investigating the impacts of heterogeneous subsurface systems on dissolution of natural gas to groundwater and greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. 
  • Investigating gas migration in the vadose zone.

Teaching has also been a focus of my early career. Teaching experience and training includes:

Courses Taught

  • CIVL 200 - Professional Skills I, Department of Civil Engineering - Queen's University (Fall 2019)
  • CIVL 371 - Groundwater Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering - Queen's University (Fall 2016)

Courses Developed 

  • CIVL 372 - Water and Wastewater Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering - Queen's University (Summer 2018)

Teaching development

  • Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW), ISW Network (2019)
  • SGS 902 – Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Queen's University (Winter 2019)

Teaching Awards

  • 2019 Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS), Dean’s Teaching Assistant Award.
  • 2019 Department of Civil Engineering, Winter Term Teaching Assistant Award.
  • 2018 Department of Civil Engineering, Winter Term Teaching Assistant Award. 

Teaching Assistantships

  • CIVL 471 – Subsurface Contamination, Department of Civil Engineering - Queen's University (2018,2019)
  • CIVL 371 - Groundwater Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering - Queen's University (2015,2017,2018)
  • CIVL 222 - Numerical Methods, Department of Civil Engineering - Queen's University (2016)

 

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Civil Engineering - Queen's University (2019) 
    Dissertation: Stray gas migration in shallow groundwater: Gas dynamics, mass transfer, and environmental expression
    Advisor: Dr. Kevin G. Mumford
  • Bachelor of Engineering and Management (B.Eng.Mgmt), Civil Engineering, McMaster University (2015)
    Suma cum laude

Awards/Funding
Current  

  • NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship 2020-2022
    Location: Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, UBC

Previous or declined 

  • NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral Program 2017 – 2019
    Location: Civil Engineering, Queen’s University
  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship 2016 – 2017
    Location: Civil Engineering, Queen’s University 
  • NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master’s Program 2016 – 2017
    Location: Civil Engineering, Queen’s University 
  • Dean’s Excellence Engineering Doctoral Award 2015 (Declined)
    Location: Civil Engineering, McMaster University 

Journal Articles

8. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G. (2020), Intermediate-scale laboratory investigation of stray gas migration impacts: transient gas flow and surface expression, Environmental Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c03530

7. Chao, T., Cahill, A., Lauer, R., Van De Ven, C.J.C, & Beckie, R. (2020), Propensity for fugitive gas migration in glaciofluvial deposits: An assessment of near-surface hydrofacies in the Peace Region, Northeastern British Columbia. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141459 

6. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G. (2020), Intermediate-scale laboratory investigation of stray gas migration impacts: methane source architecture and dissolution. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(10), 6299-6307. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c00456

5. Van De Ven, C.J.C., Abraham, J.E.F., & Mumford, K.G. (2020). Laboratory investigation of free-phase stray gas migration in shallow aquifers using modified light transmission. Advances in Water Resources. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2020.103543

4. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G. (2020). Aqueous and surface expression of subsurface GHGs: Subsurface ass transfer effects. Water Research, 170(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115327

3. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G. (2019). Characterization of gas injection flow patterns subject to gravity and viscous forces. Vadose Zone Journal, 18(1). doi: 10.2136/vzj2019.02.0014.

2. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G. (2018). Visualization of gas dissolution following upward gas migration in porous media: Technique and implications for stray gas. Advances in Water Resources, 115, 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2018.02.015.

1. Smith, A. P., Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Richardson, S. D. (2017). Current Water Management Practices, Challenges, and Innovations for US Unconventional Oil and Gas Development. Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports, 4(4), 209–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-017-0090-4.

Conference Presentations

6. Bouznari, K., Van De Ven, C. J. C., Mumford, K.G., & Molson, J., (2020), Multi-phase numerical modelling of fugitive methane emissions in shallow aquifers. GeoConvention 2020 (Virtual). Septeber 21, 2020.

5 .Mumford, K. G., & Van De Ven, C. J. C., (2020), Migration and dissolution of stray gas in shallow groundwater: a high-resolution laboratory investigation. GeoConvention 2020 (Virtual). Septeber 21, 2020.

4 .Banerjee, I., Guthke, A., Van De Ven, C. J. C., Mumford, K.G., & Nowak, W., (2020), A quantitative method to compare Invasion Percolation models to high-resolution gas-injection experiments in sand. InterPore 2020 (Virtual). August 31- September 4, 2020.

3. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G (2019), High-resolution, intermediate-scale laboratory investigation of gas migration: Gas dynamics and dissolution. Abstract H54B-06, AGU Fall meeting, San Francisco, CA., December 9-13, 2019.

2. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G (2019), Laboratory investigation of dissolution from a flowing gas phase: Novel experimental technique and implications for environmental expression of GHG, Presented at European Geosciences Union (EGU) Annual Meeting 2019, Vienna, Austria, April, 2019.

1. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G (2016), Laboratory investigation of fugitive methane in shallow aquifers using a novel visual technique, Presented at Water Initiative for the Future (WatIF): 2016 Graduate Conference, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, July 27-29, 2016. (Awarded second place for oral presentations)

Conference Posters

3. Mumford, K. G., & Van De Ven, C. J. C., (2019), Flowing subsurface greenhouse gas dissolution: laboratory experiments and implications for gas migration. Abstract H51J-1613, AGU Fall meeting, San Francisco, CA. December 9-13, 2019.

2. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G. (2018), Near pore-scale visualization of rate-dependent gravity-destabilized gas flow in sand. Abstract H13Q-2006, AGU Fall meeting, Washington, D.C., December 12-16, 2018.

1. Van De Ven, C. J. C., & Mumford, K. G. (2016), Quantifying the movement and dissolution of fugitive methane in shallow aquifers: visualization experiments. Abstract H33I-1676, AGU Fall meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 12-16, 2016.