Micro-characterization of montney unconventional hydrocarbon source rock

Montney地层是阿尔伯塔和不列颠哥伦比亚省最大和最具生产力的区块，也是世界上最大的非常规天然气资源之一。水平钻井和水力压裂（又名压裂）的技术进步使得从Montney区带以及许多其他低渗透（致密）储层释放碳氢化合物成为可能，这些储层以前无法进入或开采不经济。尽管有这些技术进步，但许多威尔斯井仍然表现不佳，因为目前在充分理解储层岩石在这些复杂过程下如何破裂方面存在局限性，这些复杂过程最终负责创建用于引导和提取目标烃资源的互连裂缝网络。这项工作的目的是开发一个程序，以创建一个岩石力学模型，可用于预测的性能Montney非常规烃源岩在水力压裂作业。所期望的岩石力学模型将为基于有限离散元模型（FDEM）技术的细观力学建模提供依据。FDEM结合了大应变有限元与离散单元的优点，允许明确地模拟裂纹的传播到一个原始完整的材料，以及不同的相和材料之间的相互作用。通过模拟微观尺度的物理相互作用，FDEM能够再现被测材料的响应作为模型的涌现属性。然而，任何FDEM建模练习的可靠性都高度依赖于所使用的输入材料属性的准确性。富烃粉砂岩的微观表征，以及在微型X射线计算机断层扫描机（microCT）内进行的先进成像，将有助于通知和限制任何未来FDEM模型的发展。

The Montney formation is the largest and most productive play in Alberta and British Columbia and one of thelargest unconventional gas resources in the world. Technological advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulicfracturing (aka fracking) have made it possible to release hydrocarbon from the Montney play as well as manyother low-permeability (tight) reservoirs that were formerly inaccessible or uneconomical to exploit. Despitethese technological advancements, many wells still underperform because of the current limitation in fullyunderstanding how reservoir rocks fracture under those complex processes, which are ultimately responsiblefor creating the network of interconnected fractures used to channel and extract the targeted hydrocarbonresource. The objective of this work is to develop a procedure to create a rock mechanics model that could beused to predict the performance of Montney unconventional hydrocarbon source-rock during hydraulicfracturing operations. The expected rock mechanics model will inform a micro-mechanical modeling based onthe finite discrete element model (FDEM) technology. FDEM combines the advantages of large strain finiteelements with those of the discrete elements, allowing for explicitly modelling the propagation of cracks intoan originally intact material, as well as the interaction between the different phases and materials. By modellingthe physical interactions at the micro-scale, FDEM is able to reproduce the response of the tested material as anemergent property of the model. However, the reliability of any FDEM modeling exercise is highly dependenton the accuracy of the used input material properties. A micro-characterization of the hydrocarbon-richsiltstone, together with advanced imaging performed inside a micro x-ray computed tomography machine(microCT), will help to inform and constrain the development of any future FDEM model.