The rapid rise of shale gas development through horizontal drilling and high volume hydraulic fracturing has expanded the extraction of hydrocarbon resources in the U.S. The rise of shale gas development has triggered an intense public debate regarding the potential environmental and human health effects from hydraulic fracturing. This paper provides a critical review of the potential risks tha...

In April 2011, we published the first comprehensive analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shale gas obtained by hydraulic fracturing, with a focus on methane emissions. Our analysis was challenged by Cathles et al. (2012). Here, we respond to those criticisms. We stand by our approach and findings. The latest EPA estimate for methane emissions from shale gas falls within the range of ...

The success of shale gas in North America has attracted increased interest in “unconventional” reservoirs. Two critical factors for shale-gas reservoirs are units amenable to hydrologic fracture stimulation and sufficient natural gas content. The effectiveness of hydrologic fracture stimulation is influenced by rock geomechanical properties, which are related to rock mineralogy. The natural gas...

N accessible shale deposits have dramatically increased global gas reserves and are touted as a bridge to a clean energy future. For example, in the U.S., where shale gas is projected to comprise 49% of national natural gas production by 2035, proponents argue that shale gas production can provide energy independence, create employment, and stimulate regional economies. Amidst this optimism, ho...

the sorkh shale formation (lower triassic) crops out in parts of tabas block. this formation is composed of limestone, dolomite, sandstone, shale and gypsum. its lower contact with the permian rocks and its upper contact with the shotori formation is marked by distinct erosional unconformity. to determine the depositional environments of the sorkh shale formation, stratigraphic sections of goda...

S hale resource systems have had a dramatic impact on the supply of oil and especially gas in North America, in fact, making United States energy independent in natural gas reserves. These shale resource systems are typically organic-rich mudstones that serve as both source and reservoir rock or source petroleum found in juxtaposed organic-lean facies. Success in producing gas and oil from thes...

This paper presents an effective numerical simulation method for production prediction of in situ recovery oil shale reservoirs with steam injection. In this method, finite volume-based discretization schemes heat and mass transfer equations the thermal compositional model are derived used. The embedded discrete fracture is used to accurately handle fractured vertical well. A smooth non-linear ...

The in situ conversion process (ICP) is a retorting method pyrolyzing the kerogen shale into oil and gas products, which shows great potential to promote recovery of resources. In this work, thermo-hydro-chemical-coupled model for established, considering temperature dependence key properties transverse isotropy caused by layered characteristics shale. Based on proposed model, series simulation...

The objectives of this study are to (a) evaluate the exergy and energy demand for constructing a hydrofractured shale gas well and determine its typical exergy and energy returns on investment (ExROI and EROI), and (b) compute the gas flow and intrinsic exergy analysis in the shale gas matrix and created fractures. An exergy system analysis of construction of a typical U.S. shale gas well, whic...