TY - GEN
T1 - Integrating microscale modelling with core investigation measurements to improve shale gas production
AU - Kovalchuk, Natalia
AU - Hadjistassou, Constantinos
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Society of Petroleum Engineers
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Prior to 2008, shale gas reservoirs were deemed uneconomical to produce. Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have shifted this perspective, reducing the flow resistance from the reservoir to the well. Notwithstanding the thousands of shale gas wells currently actively producing around the world, factors controlling the permeability and flow behaviour in shale gas formations are still incompletely understood. A profound understanding of the flow processes manifesting in shale gas reservoirs will contribute to more effective Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR) schemes, ultimate recovery and accurate gas production forecasting. Owing to the micro- and nano-size of pores, transport in shale rocks depends on the pore size and predominantly on pore geometry and tortuosity. To gain new insights into the mechanics of gas production from shale formations, we constructed a geometrically accurate model from an actual shale scanning electron microscope micro-image. Taking into account the pertinent rock and gas parameters (e.g., porosity, permeability, viscosity, etc.) we have determined the gas flow rate, the pressure variations and deduced the production rate at the micro-level. A non-dimensionalization methodology was developed that permits the comparison between micro-scale modelling results with actual core measurements several orders of magnitude larger in special scale. Normalized micro-scale modelling results compare well with actual core data shedding light on some of the important aspects which govern gas flow: geometry, pressure gradient, compressibility, pore throats, and permeability. Moreover, the cumulative gas production for different gases was shown to improve with an increase in the molecular mass of the gases. Ultimately, our efforts aim to tie theoretical understanding with experimental observations deemed significant for boosting the productivity of gas from shale formations.
AB - Prior to 2008, shale gas reservoirs were deemed uneconomical to produce. Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have shifted this perspective, reducing the flow resistance from the reservoir to the well. Notwithstanding the thousands of shale gas wells currently actively producing around the world, factors controlling the permeability and flow behaviour in shale gas formations are still incompletely understood. A profound understanding of the flow processes manifesting in shale gas reservoirs will contribute to more effective Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR) schemes, ultimate recovery and accurate gas production forecasting. Owing to the micro- and nano-size of pores, transport in shale rocks depends on the pore size and predominantly on pore geometry and tortuosity. To gain new insights into the mechanics of gas production from shale formations, we constructed a geometrically accurate model from an actual shale scanning electron microscope micro-image. Taking into account the pertinent rock and gas parameters (e.g., porosity, permeability, viscosity, etc.) we have determined the gas flow rate, the pressure variations and deduced the production rate at the micro-level. A non-dimensionalization methodology was developed that permits the comparison between micro-scale modelling results with actual core measurements several orders of magnitude larger in special scale. Normalized micro-scale modelling results compare well with actual core data shedding light on some of the important aspects which govern gas flow: geometry, pressure gradient, compressibility, pore throats, and permeability. Moreover, the cumulative gas production for different gases was shown to improve with an increase in the molecular mass of the gases. Ultimately, our efforts aim to tie theoretical understanding with experimental observations deemed significant for boosting the productivity of gas from shale formations.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088762429&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2118/197294-ms
DO - 10.2118/197294-ms
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85088762429
T3 - Society of Petroleum Engineers - Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference 2019, ADIP 2019
BT - Society of Petroleum Engineers - Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference 2019, ADIP 2019
PB - Society of Petroleum Engineers
T2 - Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference 2019, ADIP 2019
Y2 - 11 November 2019 through 14 November 2019
ER -