Investigating Natural Gas Production from Shales at the Microscale
The Student Chapters of SPE/AAPG cordially invites you to the following event:
Investigating Natural Gas Production from Shales at the Microscale
In the past, shales were generally treated as non-porous formations while resources encountered in such tight formations were deemed uneconomical to produce. Recent advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have shifted this perspective reducing flow resistance from the reservoir to the well. Although thousands of shale gas wells are actively producing petroleum around the world, factors controlling the permeability in shale gas formations are still poorly understood. 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 an insight into the mechanics of gas production from shale formations, we constructed a geometrically accurate model of an actual shale micro-image. Discretizing the computational domain, we solve the equations of flow and investigate gas transport through the rock considering real gas compressibility and non-linear permeability relationship. A non-dimensionalisation approach was developed that permits the comparison between micro-scale modelling results with actual core measurements several orders of magnitude larger in special scale. Non-dimensional modelling results compare well with actual core data shedding light on some of the important aspects which govern gas flow: pore network geometry, pressure gradient, compressibility, and permeability. Ultimately, our efforts aim to tie theoretical understanding with experimental observations deemed significant for boosting the productivity of gas from shale formations.
Speaker’s bio:
Ms Natalia Kovalchuk is currently a doctoral candidate in Oil, Gas & Energy Engineering at the Marine and Carbon Lab, at the University of Nicosia. Her doctoral research investigates the characteristics of natural gas transport in shales at the micro- and nano-scales. In parallel, she teaches at the programme in Oil & Gas Engineering at the University of Nicosia. Natalia holds a Master’s Degree in Reservoir Evaluation and Management from Herriot Watt University, UK, and a Master’s Degree in Geological and Geophysical oil and gas fields development problems from Tomsk Polytechnic University, Russia, through a double degree program. Before moving to Cyprus, she was employed as a Geoscientist at Baker Hughes Company in Russia and Kazakhstan. During her professional assignments in different regions of Russia and Kazakhstan her responsibilities comprised petrophysical interpretation and micro-imaging of rock formations.
The talk will be delivered in English and is open to the public. Please save the date:
Date: 5th Dec., 2019
Venue/Time: M201, Main Campus, 16:00–17:00
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