Rapid microscale chemo-mechanical characterization of microstructural diversity in oil/gas shales
Nicola Ferralis (MIT)
Engineering Mechanics and Materials in the Oilfield
Tue 9:00 - 10:30
Sayles 105
Compared to conventional oil/gas reservoirs, unconventional oil/gas shales are characterized by a large degree of diversity in the micro and nano-porosity, organic chemical composition and inorganic/organic microstructure. The development of rapid and optimized exploration strategies to characterize the relation between the maturation conditions of the organic shales with their mechanical properties is essential. Here, we will present a bottom-up approach in rethinking the characterization of kerogen in organic oil/gas shales at the nano-micro-scale and consequences in oil/gas exploration. Starting at the nanoscale, a combination of non-destructive and non-invasive spectroscopical techniques based on fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy is presented. This method allows for the rapid quantification of the degree of chemical maturity and oil/gas productivity of organic matter in gas shales and their relation to their fracture properties within the inorganic matrix. Through these methods and their combination with nano-mechanical probe techniques, we were able to identify interfacial phases between inorganic phases, with distinct hardness and yield strain. These studies open up a new venue of interfacial chemo-mechanical investigations of highly heterogeneous organic shales, with potential for direct use for oil/gas exploration in assisting planning and deployment. This work is sponsored by Royal Dutch Shell and Schlumberger through the MIT Energy Initiative X-Shale hub.