Geological Society of America

T33 Fracture, Faulting, and Reactive Fluid Flow in Tight Rocks: Coupled Processes in Shale, CO2 Sequestration, and Geothermal Energy II

Sunday, 25 September 2016
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Room 506

INCREASING THE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING THE WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING

Paper number: T33-12
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:05 PM – 4:20 PM

Authors

Hari Viswanathan Presenting Author
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Nataliia Makedonska
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Luke Frash
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
J. William Carey
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Esteban Rougier
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Mark Porter
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Satish Karra
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Qinjun Kang
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Jeffrey Hyman
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Joaquin Jimenez Martinez
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Zhou Lei
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

Abstract

Shale gas is an unconventional fossil energy resource profoundly impacting US energy independence and is projected to last for at least 100 years. Production of methane and other hydrocarbons from low permeability shale involves hydraulic fracturing of rock, establishing fracture connectivity, and multiphase fluid-flow and reaction processes all of which are poorly understood. The result is inefficient extraction with many environmental concerns. A science-based capability is required to quantify the governing mesoscale fluid-solid interactions, including microstructural control of fracture patterns and the interaction of engineered fluids with hydrocarbon flow. These interactions depend on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes over scales from microns to tens of meters. Determining the key mechanisms in subsurface THMC systems has been impeded due to the lack of sophisticated experimental methods to measure fracture aperture and connectivity, multiphase permeability, and chemical exchange capacities at the high temperature, pressure, and stresses present in the subsurface. In this study, we developed and prototyped the microfluidic and triaxial core flood experiments required to reveal the fundamental dynamics of fracture-fluid interactions. The goal is transformation of hydraulic fracturing from present ad hoc approaches to science-based strategies while safely enhancing production. Specifically, we have demonstrated an integrated experimental/modeling approach that allows for a comprehensive characterization of fluid-solid interactions and develop models that can be used to determine the reservoir operating conditions necessary to gain a degree of control over fracture generation, fluid flow, and interfacial processes over a range of subsurface conditions.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 48, No. 7

doi: 10.1130/abs/2016AM-280880

© Copyright 2016 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.