Understanding Hydraulic Fracturing: A Multi-Scale Problem
Abstract
Despite the impact that hydraulic fracturing has had on the energy sector, the physical mechanisms that control its efficiency and environmental impacts remain poorly understood in part because the length scales involved range from nano-meters to kilo-meters. We characterize flow and transport in shale formations across and between these scales using integrated computational, theoretical, and experimental efforts. At the field scale, we use discrete fracture network modeling to simulate production at a well site whose fracture network is based on a site characterization of a shale formation. At the core scale, we use triaxial fracture experiments and a finite-element discrete-element fracture propagation model with a coupled fluid solver to study dynamic crack propagation in low permeability shale. We use lattice Boltzmann pore-scale simulations and microfluidic experiments in both synthetic and real micromodels to study pore-scale flow phenomenon such as multiphase flow and mixing. A mechanistic description and integration of these multiple scales is required for accurate predictions of production and the eventual optimization of hydrocarbon extraction from unconventional reservoirs.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[1];
[1];
[1];
[1];
[1];
[1];
[1];
[1];
[1]
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1369170
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-16-21087
Journal ID: ISSN 1364-503X
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. A, Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 374; Journal Issue: 2078; Journal ID: ISSN 1364-503X
- Publisher:
- The Royal Society Publishing
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 03 NATURAL GAS; Earth Sciences; Energy Sciences; Mathematics; hydraulic fracturing, shale gas, subsurface flow and transport, discrete fracture network, triaxial core flood, finite-element discrete-element, lattice Boltzmann, microfluidics
Citation Formats
Hyman, Jeffrey De'Haven, Gimenez Martinez, Joaquin, Viswanathan, Hari S., Carey, James William, Porter, Mark L., Rougier, Esteban, Karra, Satish, Kang, Qinjun, Frash, Luke, Chen, Li, Lei, Zhou, O'Malley, Daniel, and Makedonska, Nataliia. Understanding Hydraulic Fracturing: A Multi-Scale Problem. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1098/rsta.2015.0426.
Hyman, Jeffrey De'Haven, Gimenez Martinez, Joaquin, Viswanathan, Hari S., Carey, James William, Porter, Mark L., Rougier, Esteban, Karra, Satish, Kang, Qinjun, Frash, Luke, Chen, Li, Lei, Zhou, O'Malley, Daniel, & Makedonska, Nataliia. Understanding Hydraulic Fracturing: A Multi-Scale Problem. United States. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0426
Hyman, Jeffrey De'Haven, Gimenez Martinez, Joaquin, Viswanathan, Hari S., Carey, James William, Porter, Mark L., Rougier, Esteban, Karra, Satish, Kang, Qinjun, Frash, Luke, Chen, Li, Lei, Zhou, O'Malley, Daniel, and Makedonska, Nataliia. Mon .
"Understanding Hydraulic Fracturing: A Multi-Scale Problem". United States. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0426. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1369170.
@article{osti_1369170,
title = {Understanding Hydraulic Fracturing: A Multi-Scale Problem},
author = {Hyman, Jeffrey De'Haven and Gimenez Martinez, Joaquin and Viswanathan, Hari S. and Carey, James William and Porter, Mark L. and Rougier, Esteban and Karra, Satish and Kang, Qinjun and Frash, Luke and Chen, Li and Lei, Zhou and O'Malley, Daniel and Makedonska, Nataliia},
abstractNote = {Despite the impact that hydraulic fracturing has had on the energy sector, the physical mechanisms that control its efficiency and environmental impacts remain poorly understood in part because the length scales involved range from nano-meters to kilo-meters. We characterize flow and transport in shale formations across and between these scales using integrated computational, theoretical, and experimental efforts. At the field scale, we use discrete fracture network modeling to simulate production at a well site whose fracture network is based on a site characterization of a shale formation. At the core scale, we use triaxial fracture experiments and a finite-element discrete-element fracture propagation model with a coupled fluid solver to study dynamic crack propagation in low permeability shale. We use lattice Boltzmann pore-scale simulations and microfluidic experiments in both synthetic and real micromodels to study pore-scale flow phenomenon such as multiphase flow and mixing. A mechanistic description and integration of these multiple scales is required for accurate predictions of production and the eventual optimization of hydrocarbon extraction from unconventional reservoirs.},
doi = {10.1098/rsta.2015.0426},
journal = {Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. A, Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences},
number = 2078,
volume = 374,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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