Extracting gas from new sources is vital in order to supplement dwindling conventional supplies. Shale reservoirs host gas trapped in the pores of mudstone, which consists of a mixture of silt mineral particles ranging from 4 to 60 microns in size, and clay elements smaller than 4 microns.

Surprisingly, the oil and gas industry still lacks a firm understanding of how the pore space and geological factors affect gas storage and its ability to flow in the shale.

In a study published in EPJ E, Natalia Kovalchuk and Constantinos Hadjistassou from the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, review the current state of knowledge regarding flow processes occurring at scales ranging from the nano- to the microscopic during shale gas extraction.

This knowledge can help to improve gas recovery and lower shale gas production costs.

Extracting gas from shale has become a popular method in North America and has attracted growing interest in South America and Asia, despite some public opposition. Unlike conventional reservoirs, the pore structures of shale gas reservoirs range from the nanometric to microscopic scale; most natural gas reservoirs display microscopic or larger scale pores.

In this paper, the authors outline the latest insights into how the pore distribution and geometry of the shale matrix affect the mechanics of the gas transport process during extraction.

In turn, they present a model based on a microscopic image obtained via scanning electron microscopy to determine how gas pressure and gas speed vary throughout the shale. The model is in agreement with experimental evidence.

The authors reveal that the orientation, density and magnitude of rock bottlenecks can affect the volume and flow in gas production, due to their impact on the distribution of pressure throughout the reservoir. The findings of their numerical simulation match available theoretical evidence.

Research Report: New Insights from Shale Gas Production at the Microscopic Scale, Eur. Phys. J. E, 2018, 41:134. DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2018-11741-5

Related Links
Springer
All About Oil and Gas News at OilGasDaily.com

Tweet

Petroperu dives deeper into debt as it pushes controversial refinery upgrade
Washington (UPI) Nov 29, 2018
A Peruvian state oil company said it has received $1.3 billion from lenders, in addition to $2 billion it previously obtained - and that it still plans to borrow $600 million more - as it pushes ahead with a controversial project with costs that have soared from original estimates. Petroperu received the $1.3 billion loan from a Spanish lending agency that helps promote exports from that country and plans to repay it at a 4 percent annual rate after completing the Talara refinery upgrade in 2 ... read more