Shining light on shale: geomechanics and 4D fracture characterization
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Earth Atmospheric and Env Sciences
Abstract
The successful development of a shale gas industry in the UK can be aided by improved understanding of the fracture and physical properties of these rocks. The key petrophysical properties that determine how fractures initiate and grow are determined on the scale of flaws in the rock. Laboratory measurements of these properties are essential to successful modelling studies of hydraulic fracture, and hence optimisation of production. In this research a range of innovative technologies will be used including, for the first time, 3D observation and quantification of hydrofracture growth with time inside the rock by means of synchrotron X-ray tomography coupled with location of crack growth events using acoustic emissions. This will show how hydrofractures initiate and develop, the role of pre-existing flaws in their initiation, the amount of fluid pressure required to initiate them, and how their form might be modified to optimize gas production.
Interpretation of the results depends on parallel measurements of the strength, friction and resistance to fracture, and also permeability to fluids, because rock strength depends on the extent to which fluids can penetrate their pores. These properties are also affected by the mineralogy, organic content and microstructure of the shale. Therefore we will test several shales with different such characteristics. These properties also determine, in ways yet to be understood, the stability of boreholes. Permeability of shales to gas and liquids is also known to depend on value of the fluid pressure in the pores for a given depth of burial, thus it changes as gas pressure is drawn down by production. Knowledge of this pressure sensitivity is essential for the successful interpretation of well tests, from which gas in place and likely reservoir yield must be estimated. Thus this research will produce results that can impact on a range of aspects of shale gas exploitation.
Interpretation of the results depends on parallel measurements of the strength, friction and resistance to fracture, and also permeability to fluids, because rock strength depends on the extent to which fluids can penetrate their pores. These properties are also affected by the mineralogy, organic content and microstructure of the shale. Therefore we will test several shales with different such characteristics. These properties also determine, in ways yet to be understood, the stability of boreholes. Permeability of shales to gas and liquids is also known to depend on value of the fluid pressure in the pores for a given depth of burial, thus it changes as gas pressure is drawn down by production. Knowledge of this pressure sensitivity is essential for the successful interpretation of well tests, from which gas in place and likely reservoir yield must be estimated. Thus this research will produce results that can impact on a range of aspects of shale gas exploitation.
Planned Impact
Beneficiaries and how they will benefit
The principal commercial beneficiaries are the oil and gas sector, but also possibly the geotechnical sector. This should be through improved understanding of the initiation and growth of hydrofractures, which should impact upon more realistic modelling of crack growth, and of the interpretation of seismic detection of propagating hydrofractures. Through the incorporation of rock strength, fracture toughness and permeability data into understanding the hydrofracture process it may prove possible to enhance the complexity of crack networks, with improved yield. Determination of the stress sensitivity of permeability should lead to improved interpretation of well test data, improved methods for evaluation of shale gas resources from well tests, improvements to modelling of hydrofracs and possible impact on hydrofrac procedures. These results should be able to impact upon industry practice after about 3 years, if effectively disseminated.
Benefits to the burgeoning UK shale gas industry also mean benefits to UK economy as a whole in terms of job creation, enhanced energy security and reduced dependence on foreign gas imports. As has been demonstrated in the United States, more competitive and secure local energy supplies translates into incentives for development of other businesses.
The wider public are expected to benefit as a result of our dissemination of results (website) and further development of the outreach activities in which we already engage (radio and TV presentations, public lectures), encouraging better understanding of the industry. It is already clear that the wider public have a thirst for knowledge on shale gas exploitation and how it may affect their lives, and they naturally turn to academia for informed and unbiased opinion.
The two PDRA staff working on the project will develop practical and theoretical skills in mechanical testing and X-ray imaging that will transfer into their future careers and employment in several areas of geoscience, geotechnics and materials science.
The principal commercial beneficiaries are the oil and gas sector, but also possibly the geotechnical sector. This should be through improved understanding of the initiation and growth of hydrofractures, which should impact upon more realistic modelling of crack growth, and of the interpretation of seismic detection of propagating hydrofractures. Through the incorporation of rock strength, fracture toughness and permeability data into understanding the hydrofracture process it may prove possible to enhance the complexity of crack networks, with improved yield. Determination of the stress sensitivity of permeability should lead to improved interpretation of well test data, improved methods for evaluation of shale gas resources from well tests, improvements to modelling of hydrofracs and possible impact on hydrofrac procedures. These results should be able to impact upon industry practice after about 3 years, if effectively disseminated.
Benefits to the burgeoning UK shale gas industry also mean benefits to UK economy as a whole in terms of job creation, enhanced energy security and reduced dependence on foreign gas imports. As has been demonstrated in the United States, more competitive and secure local energy supplies translates into incentives for development of other businesses.
The wider public are expected to benefit as a result of our dissemination of results (website) and further development of the outreach activities in which we already engage (radio and TV presentations, public lectures), encouraging better understanding of the industry. It is already clear that the wider public have a thirst for knowledge on shale gas exploitation and how it may affect their lives, and they naturally turn to academia for informed and unbiased opinion.
The two PDRA staff working on the project will develop practical and theoretical skills in mechanical testing and X-ray imaging that will transfer into their future careers and employment in several areas of geoscience, geotechnics and materials science.
Organisations
Publications
Ma L
(2018)
Hierarchical integration of porosity in shales.
in Scientific reports
Ma L
(2016)
Novel 3D centimetre-to nano-scale quantification of an organic-rich mudstone: The Carboniferous Bowland Shale, Northern England
in Marine and Petroleum Geology
Ma L
(2017)
Correlative multi-scale imaging of shales: a review and future perspectives
in Geological Society, London, Special Publications
Ma L
(2017)
Multi-scale 3D characterisation of porosity and organic matter in shales with variable TOC content and thermal maturity: Examples from the Lublin and Baltic Basins, Poland and Lithuania
in International Journal of Coal Geology
Ma L
(2021)
Linking multi-scale 3D microstructure to potential enhanced natural gas recovery and subsurface CO 2 storage for Bowland shale, UK
in Energy & Environmental Science
Lin Q
(2016)
Multi-scale quantification of leaching performance using X-ray tomography
in Hydrometallurgy
Guo B
(2018)
Image-based micro-continuum model for gas flow in organic-rich shale rock
in Advances in Water Resources
Forbes Inskip N
(2018)
Fracture Properties of Nash Point Shale as a Function of Orientation to Bedding
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
Figueroa Pilz F
(2017)
Synchrotron tomographic quantification of strain and fracture during simulated thermal maturation of an organic-rich shale, UK Kimmeridge Clay
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
Description | Membership of Task Force on Shale Gas, Advisor to a local authority on managing response to shale gas exploration planning applications. |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Title | Measurement of pressure sensitivity of rock permeability |
Description | Protocol for measurement of pressure sensitivity of shale permeability. The aim is to assess how flow of gas through shales varies as pressure drawdown occurs through reservoir production, so that improved assessment of gas in place and yield can be made from well tests. We have also participated in an international program of assessment of methods for the measurement of permeability of tight rocks |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2015 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Too early to assess impact on industry practice through slow implementation of shale gas exploration in the UK in recent years as a result of low oil price and slow planning decisions. |
Description | 2016 Royal Society Summer Exhibition: 4D Science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This exhibition on "4D Science" highlighted how we've used 4D synchrotron X-ray tomography to solve a range of challenges from materials science to geology to food stuffs. Highlights included replicating the flow of magma to better understand volcanic eruptions, to the coarsening of ice crystals to understand why some ice cream tastes better. 16,000 visitors came to the week long exhibition. The Lee group led the work, together with Diamond Light Source, the Lavallee group at Liverpool, the Research Complex at Harwell, and Unilever. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/summer-science-exhibition/exhibits/4d-science/ |
Description | ALERT Geomaterials Workshop 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk, Fauchille , 'In-situ accelerated maturation of shale under x-ray tomography' at ALERT Geomaterials Workshop 2018 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://alertgeomaterials.eu/2018/02/alert-geomaterials-workshop-2018/ |
Description | Cheltenham Science Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We were part of the DinoZone and showed how light based technologies were used to examine fossils.Nearly 14,000 visitors came through and many people stopped and said "wow" as they walked in before getting involved. We made a Lego model of a synchrotron where children (or adults) could insert balls and turn it on so the electron (balls) go round the ring A game where children rolled ball bearings rolled down a ramp and changed their trajectory using magnets. This simulates how electrons are bent round the ring in a synchrotron. They won a sweet if they can control the ball to hit a target. We have a video touchscreen kiosk that will run Dristhi Prayog software. This is a "public space ready" interface that allows users to interface with the 3D data generated by X-ray CT and synchrontrons. It has content showing data from fossils and archaeological human remains which have been scanned by X-ray CT |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/science/science-in-the-square/dinozone/ |
Description | Diamond Open Days and School Visit Days |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Diamond Light Source holds both regular open days for the general public, and also separate days for school visits. Being based in the RCaH, my group regularly sets up one stand or posters as part of many activities. Demonstrations included 3D printing demonstrations, a lego working replica of a tomography beamline, and examples of how tomography is used to research problems in multiple length scales e.g. from looking inside bioactive implants to looking inside a battery during discharge. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 |
URL | http://www.diamond.ac.uk/Public/VisitUs.html |
Description | European Geosciences UnionGeneral Assembly 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | PICO presentation of Fast-scan X-Ray Tomography of Imbibition and Drainage in Carbonates by Michael Lacey et al. in in Session IE3.4/TS11.7/GD10.3/GI3.17/GM2.13/GMPV10.7/HS11.3/NH6.4/SSP1.8 - Imaging techniques in laboratory modelling of geological processes (co-organized): |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2018/session/28365 |
Description | Invited Talk, L'entrepreneuriat des deux rives de la Méditerranée au prisme des réseaux |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited Talk, Fauchille ,"Couplages multi-échelle entre déformation et microstructure dans les roches argileuses ou organiques", L'entrepreneuriat des deux rives de la Méditerranée au prisme des réseaux |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://culture.cnam.fr/octobre/l-entrepreneuriat-des-deux-rives-de-la-mediterranee-au-prisme-des-res... |
Description | Invited talk, PD Lee, AGU Fall meeting in New Orleans Talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Time-lapse synchrotron imaging and quantification of fracture initiation and propagation in shales |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Invited talk, PD Lee, at AGU Fall meeting in New Orleans Talk, |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Multi-scale 3D investigation on the potential enhanced natural gas recovery and subsurface CO2 storage for Bowland Shale, UK |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Journées Nationales de Géotechnique et Géologie de l'Ingénieur (JNGG) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Fauchille, AL presented 'Variabilité de la microstructure d'un shale : caractérisation quantitative et modélisation' at Journées Nationales de Géotechnique et Géologie de l'Ingénieur (JNGG) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://jngg2018.sciencesconf.org/ |
Description | Oral Presentation at AGU Fall conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | M. Chandler, J. Mecklenburgh, and E. Rutter, "Breakdown pressures and characteristic flaw sizesduring fluid injection experiments in shale at elevated confining pressures.," in AGU AnnualConference, (New Orleans, USA), 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Oral Presentation at EGU General Assembly |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Preentation of latest results and discussion with experst in this field. M. Chandler, J. Mecklenburgh, E. Rutter, A.-L. Fauchille, R. Taylor, and P. Lee, "Fracture propagation during fluid injection experiments in shale at elevated confining pressures.," in EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, vol. 19 of EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, (Vienna, Austria), p. 18095, Apr. 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Popular science talk to the Richmond Scientific Society |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I gave a talk to 40 members of the Richmond Scientific Society and general public on "4D Science: how we use synchrotron x-ray glasses to see inside a volcano (and other materials). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Poster, AGU Fall Meeting 2019, Dec 2019 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Michael Chandler presented a poster at the AGU Fall Meeting, on "In-situ synchrotron X-ray tomography of fluid injection experiments" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Home/0 |
Description | Presentation at American association of Petroleum Geologists |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presentation of latest research to experts from both academia and industry. M. Chandler, J. Mecklenburgh, and E. Rutter, "Fracture Propagation During Fluid Injection Experiments and Indentation in Shale," in AAPG/SEG ICE, (London, UK), 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Presentation at the Shaleology conference at the Geological Society of London |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Present latest research to an audience of academic and Professionals working on shale. P. Meredith, N. Forbes-Inskip, M. Chandler and A. Gudmundsson,"Subsurface fracture behaviour of shale.," in 2nd Shaleology Forum, Geological Society of London, October 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Radio and television interviews, outreach presentations to U3A, Cafe Scientifique, Quakers, town planners and other groups |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Research on shales has led to ca 20 outreach presentations to public associations, local authorities, several television and radio interviews and public debates. Several talks to universtiy stuente groups |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2016,2017 |
Description | Royal Society Satelitte Exhibition |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This exhibit showed how we've used 4D synchrotron X-ray tomography of magma to better understand volcanic eruptions, and of ice crystals, to work out why some ice cream tastes better! This was a repeat of the summer exhibition held outside London as part of Manchester Science Festival, nearly 13, 000 visitors came over the 5 day exhibition |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/science-exhibition-manchester/ |
Description | Talk, AGU Fall Meeting 2019, Dec 2019 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Ma Lin gave a talk at the AGU Fall Meeting 2019, on "3D and 4D upscaling procedure for imaging heterogeneous shale porosity from nm- to mm-scale" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Home/0 |
Description | UK Research and Innovation Launch Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | PDL Participated in UK Research and Innovation (implementing policy) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://blogs.bl.uk/living-knowledge/2018/05/uk-research-and-innovation-launched-at-the-british-libr... |
Description | UKRI Research Infrastructure Roadmap Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | PDL Participated in UKRI Research Infrastructure Roadmap Workshop (implementing policy) on 14 June |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |