Probing oil recovery in shale nanopores with small-angle and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering

Neil, Chelsea W.; Hjelm, Rex P.; Hawley, Marilyn E.; Watkins, Erik B.; Cockreham, Cody; Wu, Di; Mao, Yimin; Cheshire, Michael; Burger, Jon; Fischer, Timothy B.; Stokes, M. Rebecca; Xu, Hongwu

doi:10.1016/j.coal.2022.103950

Probing oil recovery in shale nanopores with small-angle and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering

Journal Article · Sat Feb 12 00:00:00 EST 2022 · International Journal of Coal Geology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2022.103950· OSTI ID:1862810

^[1]; Hjelm, Rex P. ^[2]; Hawley, Marilyn E. ^[1]; ^[1]; Cockreham, Cody ^[3]; Wu, Di ^[4]; Mao, Yimin ^[5]; Cheshire, Michael ^[6]; Burger, Jon ^[6]; Fischer, Timothy B. ^[6]; Stokes, M. Rebecca ^[7]; ^[1]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). National Security Education Center; New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States). Alexandra Navrotsky Inst. for Experimental Thermodynamics
Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States). Alexandra Navrotsky Inst. for Experimental Thermodynamics
Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States). Center for Neutron Research
Chevron Technology Center, Houston, TX (United States)
Chevron Technology Center, Houston, TX (United States); US Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States). Energy and Minerals Science Center

Increasing oil production from unconventional shale reservoirs is crucial to meet growing energy demands while achieving lower carbon emission than conventional crude oil. Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has been proposed to improve hydrocarbon recovery rates through the injection of a fluid into the reservoir to facilitate residual oil release from the shale formation. However, economical and sustainable implementation of EOR requires advanced knowledge of fluid behavior in nano-sized pore spaces in shale. In this study, we utilize small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering (USANS) as experimental probes to examine decane removal from a shale nano- to micro-porous matrix, utilizing methane as the injectant. The extent of decane saturation and recovery post-methane pressurization is quantified for clay-rich and carbonate-rich shale samples. A key finding is that extraction of decane by methane on depressurization is related to the methane-decane critical point. Furthermore, we found that although clay-rich shale had a much higher porosity of 5.6%, compared with 1.2% for carbonate-rich shale, decane was more easily removed from the carbonate-rich matrix, leading to similar hydrocarbon yields. These promising results demonstrate the ability of SANS and USANS to provide key insights into oil recovery from nano- to micron-sized pores in shale matrices. Combined with effects of various fractures on fluid behavior in shale, this experimental technique can be used to assess the viability of EOR injectants.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 1862810

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-21-26696

Journal Information:: International Journal of Coal Geology, Journal Name: International Journal of Coal Geology Vol. 253; ISSN 0166-5162

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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