Reducing Environmental Impacts by Radical Large-Scale Change in Hydraulic Fracturing

本次研讨会的目标是确定非常规油气开采的潜在变革性研究方法，这些方法将大幅提高采收率，并大大减少对环境的影响。这可以通过改变水力压裂来实现。本次研讨会是基于这样一种认识，即在美国的领导下，从非常规资源中开采碳氢化合物已经彻底改变了世界，并将继续对美国和世界产生重要影响。这种相对较新的天然气和石油来源需要水平钻井和密集的水力压裂。尽管已经有了很多改进，但水力压裂技术仍然效率低下。采收率仍然很低，不到10%的碳氢化合物液体到位。为了创造生产所需的地层面积，需要注入大量的水和砂，这会对环境造成重大影响。每桶新采出的石油所需的水量和注入的砂石质量都在不断增加。随着石油产量的增加，这些大宗商品的数量将对环境产生更大的影响。由来自大学、工业界和国家实验室的专家组成的小组将由一位在协调创新头脑风暴类型会议方面具有丰富经验的主持人召集。关于实现剧烈大规模变化的研究机会的讨论和建议将在最后报告中提出并广泛分发。定义这项研究需要远见，以及强大的科学和工程。这项挑战要求多学科参与，涉及固体和流体力学、化学、物理、数学以及石油和采矿工程等应用领域。工业界、大学和国家实验室都有优秀的人才来解决这个问题；然而，缺少的是对所需研究机会的关注。本次研讨会将汇集不同的科学家和工程师群体，在创新的环境中定义这些研究机会。可以肯定的是，需要一种不同于“一切照旧”的方法。必须考虑剧烈而大规模的变革；然而，在目前主要基于短期成本削减的气氛下，这将是困难的。彻底的改变并不容易，需要工业界、大学和国家实验室的共同努力。获得行业支持的第一步是确定研究机会，这些机会有可能带来彻底但可行的变革。一旦来自不同部门的专家定义和审查了潜在的机会，就可以期待有影响力的行业参与。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。

This workshop's goal is to identify potential transformational research approaches for the recovery of unconventional oil and gas that would achieve a radical large-scale improvement in the recovery factor and much reduced environmental impacts. This would be accomplished by changing hydraulic fracturing. This workshop is based on the understanding that the recovery of hydrocarbons from unconventional resources, led by the US, has drastically changed the world and continues to be important to the US and the world. This relatively new source of gas and oil has required horizontal drilling and intensive hydraulic fracturing. Although many improvements have occurred, hydraulic fracturing technologies remain inefficient. The recovery factor continues to be low, less than ten percent of the hydrocarbon liquids in place. This leads to substantial environmental impacts as massive amounts of water and sand are injected to create the required formation surface area for production. The volumes of water required and the mass of sand injected per barrel of new oil recovered continues to increase. These commodity volumes lead to projections of even higher environmental impacts as oil production increases. A small group of experts from universities, industry, and national laboratories will be convened with a moderator with considerable experience in coordinating innovative brainstorming-type meetings. The discussion and recommendations for research opportunities to achieve a drastic large-scale change will be presented in a Final Report and distributed widely. Defining this research requires vision, as well as strong science and engineering. The challenge mandates multi-disciplinary participation, involving solid and fluid mechanics, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and application fields such as petroleum and mining engineering. Great talent is available within industry, universities, and national laboratories to work the problem; however, what is missing is a focus on the required research opportunities. This workshop will bring together a diverse group of scientists and engineers in an innovative environment to define these research opportunities. It is certain that an approach different from "business-as-usual" is required. Drastic, large-scale change must be considered; however, this will be difficult in the current atmosphere that is based primarily on short-term cost reductions. Radical change will not be easy and will require the joint efforts of industry, universities, and national laboratories. A first step to gain industry support is to define research opportunities that have potential for radical but viable change. Once potential opportunities are defined and vetted by experts drawn from diverse sectors, impactful industry engagement is anticipated.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.