SBIR Phase II: Directional Permeability Enhancement Using Electric Well Treatment

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛影响和商业潜力是开发一种新的无水岩石压裂技术，在未来可以取代水力压裂。水力压裂需要向储层中泵入数百万加仑的水，以在岩石中形成可渗透的通道，并提高碳氢化合物的采收率。然而，由于水资源短缺和环境问题，水力压裂技术在美国的一些地区以及全球许多国家已经被禁止。这使得数万亿美元的石油资源被困在地球里，对全球经济产生了负面影响。该项目正在开发的无水压裂技术利用脉冲电能来压裂岩石，而不是水，从而在对环境影响最小的情况下开采碳氢化合物。在该项目中进行的研究将进一步深入了解利用电力压裂油藏的优势，并有助于加速该技术的成功商业化。SBIR二期项目提出开发一种新的储层电增产方法，以提高储层渗透率，而无需向地下泵入有害物质。该项目将通过在更高压力和温度条件下对岩石样品进行测试来推进电刺激方法的开发，以模拟几种常见油藏的井下条件，并进行优化。该项目还将包括设计一种井下工具，用于将电流从地面输送到目标储层，以进行该技术的现场演示。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a novel waterless rock fracturing technology that can replace hydraulic fracturing in the future. Hydraulic fracturing requires pumping of millions of gallons of water into a reservoir to create permeable pathways within the rock, and increase hydrocarbon recovery rates. However, hydraulic fracturing technology has been banned in some regions within the United States, and in various countries across the globe due to water scarcity and environmental concerns. This has left trillions of dollars in petroleum resources trapped within the earth, negatively impacting the global economy. The waterless fracturing technology being developed under this project utilizes pulsed electrical energy to fracture rocks instead of water, allowing for hydrocarbons to be recovered with minimum environmental impact. The research conducted during this project will provide further insights into the advantages of utilizing electricity to fracture petroleum reservoirs and assist in accelerating successful commercialization of the technology.This SBIR Phase II project proposes to develop a novel electric reservoir stimulation method to increase reservoir permeability without requiring pumping of hazardous material into the subsurface. This project will advance the development of an electric stimulation method by testing it on rock samples under higher pressure and temperature conditions, to mimic the downhole conditions of several common petroleum reservoirs and allow for optimization. This project will also include the design of a downhole tool that will be utilized to carry electrical current from the surface to the target reservoir for field demonstrations of the technology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.