"Reservoir Characterisation, Geochemistry and Mechanical Stratigraphy of Gas and Oil Producing Shales"

在过去十年中，页岩油气产量的空前快速增长导致了能源部门的范式转变，这对全球产生了直接和长期的影响。 然而，产量的这种增长明显超出了我们对决定储层性质的地质过程的理解，如何测量这些性质，如何预测和设计资源的最佳开发，以及如何认识和减轻开发对环境的影响。 拟议的研究将解决这些问题，特别是开发预测模型的烃源和储层质量的基础上详细的地质和工程研究，将包括岩性，岩石物理和地质力学分析的主要天然气和石油生产页岩。 研究内容包括开发更好的储层表征方法，建立细粒地层的重要有效应力规律，了解地质力学地层对水力压裂的影响。 将探讨水力压裂的工程方面和环境后果，包括回流水的化学。该研究包括古地层野外研究、实验室分析、实验和数值模拟的综合。 拟议的研究将涉及与工业界、大学同事和政府机构的合作，并为培训目前严重短缺的一个领域的高素质人员提供机会。

The unprecedented rapid growth of hydrocarbon production from shales over the last decade has resulting in a paradigm shift in the energy sector that has immediate and long term global implications. This growth in production has, however, markedly outpaced our understanding of geological processes that determine reservoir properties, how to measure these properties, how to predict and design for optimum development of the resource, and how to recognize and mitigate environmental impact of development. The proposed research will address these issues, and in particular, develop predictive models of hydrocarbon source and reservoir quality based on detailed geological and engineering studies that will include lithological, petrophysical and geomechanical analyses of major gas and oil producing shales. The research includes development of better methods of reservoir characterisation, establishment of important effective stress laws for fine grained strata and understanding impact of geomechanical stratigraphic on hydraulic fracturing. Engineering aspects and environmental consequences of hydraulic fracturing will be explored including chemistry of flow back water. The research involves integration of field studies of ancient strata, laboratory analyses, experiments, and numerical modeling. The proposed research will involve collaboration with industry, university colleagues and government agencies and provides the opportunity for training of highly qualified personnel in a field in which there is currently a critical shortage.