Professor at the School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

Educational Background

• Rice University

2017: PhD, under the supervision of Prof. Mason Tomson

2013: Master’s degree, under the supervision of Prof. Mason Tomson

• Peking University

2012: Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering

2012: Bachelor’s degree in Statistics (double major)

Work Experience

• China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

2022-present: Professor of Geology and Geochemistry

• Rice University

2020-2021: Co-Director of the Brine Chemistry Consortium (https://bcc.rice.edu/), Senior Research Scientist

• Apache Corporation

2017-2020: Flow Assurance Engineer and Principal Chemist

Academic and Professional Contributions

• Member of the Chair Committee of the SPE International Oilfield Chemistry Conference, since 2019:

• Published 36 SCI-indexed papers (22 as first or corresponding author) in journals including Water Research and Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (Nature Index journals)

• Led or participated in several research projects related to geochemistry, oilfield chemistry, and oilfield wastewater treatment

• Involved in the development and maintenance of ScaleSoftPitzer, one of the most widely used oilfield water chemistry software

• Reviewer for over thirty prestigious journals and NSF grant reviewer

Current Research Focus

Now I'm in Academician Xie Shucheng’s research group (http://www.geobiology.cn/home), focusing on the mechanisms and engineering applications of fluid-mineral-microbe interactions. Our research covers experimental to simulation approaches, from deep earth to surface environments, from geological history to modern society, and from fundamental scientific questions to practical engineering challenges. Current research areas include, but not limited to:

• Development of thermodynamic models and reactive transport models for water-rock systems

• Mechanistic and kinetic model development for biomineralization, mineral nucleation, crystallization, deposition, and inhibition

• Development of scale inhibitors and materials

• Establishment and application of Earth water-mineral-microbe databases

• CO₂ geological storage

• Flow assurance in oil and gas and geothermal development (scale and corrosion control)

Available Positions

Undergrad, grad and post-doc positions available. Students with backgrounds in geochemistry, petrology, mineralogy, geobiology, chemistry, environmental engineering, petroleum engineering, or data and computer science are welcome to contact for inquiries (daizhaoyi@cug.edu.cn). Each group member will find suitable research directions and have opportunities for collaboration and exchange with scholars within and outside the university, both domestically and internationally. Outstanding members will be recommended to stduy or exchange at other universities (e.g., Rice University, The University of Tulsa, University of Texas at Austin, Indiana State University, The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Peking University, Nanjing University, University of Science and Technology of China). 

Major Research Achievements

• Developed a thermodynamic model for water-gas-mineral systems under high temperature and pressure, and high salinity conditions, covering a wide range of depths, mineral types (calcite, barite, halite, celestite, gypsum, anhydrite, FeS, etc.), ion species, temperature and pressure ranges (0-250°C, 1-1500 atm), and salinities (0-6 m). This model has broad application prospects in various engineering and scientific fields and is widely used in the petrochemical industry.

• Developed a quantitative mechanistic model for the nucleation, crystallization, precipitation, and surface deposition of inorganic minerals based on crystallization and deposition experiments. This model quantitatively describes the entire process from saturated solution to surface mineral deposition, with wide applications in petrochemicals, geothermal development, and membrane treatment technologies.

• Developed mechanistic models for the control of crystallization and deposition processes by inhibitors, enabling quantitative research on the mechanisms of inhibitor action.

• Developed a scaling-corrosion coupling model, investigating the mutual influence and relationship between scaling and corrosion from the perspective of water chemistry.

Team Members

Current Students:

• Haotian Feng (PhD, enrolled in 2023)

• Mingjie Wang (Master-PhD, enrolled in 2022)

• Ting Chen (Master-PhD, enrolled in 2022, joint training)

• Suqi Liu (Master, enrolled in 2022)

• Xichuan Men (Undergraduate, enrolled in 2020)

• Jiahe Zhang (Undergraduate, enrolled in 2020)

• Baohua Zhuo (Undergraduate, enrolled in 2021)

• Zhengbo Shao (Undergraduate, enrolled in 2021)

• Han Hao (Undergraduate, enrolled in 2021)

• Yixuan Fang (Undergraduate, enrolled in 2022)

Graduated:

• Lingfeng Tu (Undergraduate, graduated in 2023)

Projects Involved

• 2024.01-2026.12: National Natural Science Foundation Youth Talent Project, PI

• 2023.01-2025.12: National Natural Science Foundation Youth Fund, Dolomite Solubility, PI

• 2023.06-2025.06: Low Permeability National Engineering Laboratory Open Project, Scaling Cementation Mechanism and Process Simulation, PI

• 2023.08-2024.08: CNPC Downhole Research Institute, Rock Salt Scaling Prediction and Inhibitor Evaluation, PI

• 2020.08-2021.12: Rice University Brine Chemistry Consortium, JIP, Co-PI

• 2019.01-2020.06: Apache Corporation, Company Applied Research Project, Oilfield Chemistry and Wastewater Reuse Technology Development, PI

Publications

For detailed publication information, please refer to the Google Scholar page.