Geomechanics of Montney unconventional hydrocarbon source rock - From fundamental micro-mechanical characterization of the rock to well and multi-well scale modelling

过去十年，非常规资源油气产量的大幅增长在很大程度上是由于水平钻井和水力压裂(即水力压裂)技术的进步，使得能够从以前无法开采或不经济开采的低渗透(致密)储层中提取碳氢化合物，例如位于埃德蒙顿西北艾伯塔省-不列颠哥伦比亚省边界的三叠纪蒙特尼组，该地层现在被认为是北美主要的页岩气资源区之一。该CRD项目将结合先进的数值模拟、创新的实验室实验和现场数据，开发更可靠的基于地质力学的方法，以了解从勘探到生产的所有阶段的油藏响应。这些方法将提高行业准确模拟蒙特尼地层运营的能力，我们的行业合作伙伴加拿大国家石油公司拥有最大的份额。此外，我们建议在现有3D地震背景模型的基础上，通过改进震源特征(位置/发源时间/机制)来增加加拿大国家石油公司与水力压裂相关的微地震事件的地面和井下地震记录的价值。更准确的震源位置将有助于完善潜在的裂缝网络，而额外的震源机制将被用来指示储层中响应于刺激的脆性破坏类型。这项研究将(I)开发一种描述蒙特尼源岩地质力学特征的方法；(Ii)使用实验室校准的数值模型来优化支撑剂部署的设计；以及(Iii)通过优化关键的控制刺激和生产参数来最小化与诱发地震活动相关的风险。该研究项目将侧重于将基本岩石力学原理与地球物理成像相结合，以促进对先前存在的和水力诱导的裂缝以及地质非均质性在不同开发阶段(从完井到增产再到生产)变化条件下对储层响应的作用的理解。

The significant surge in hydrocarbon production from unconventional resources in the past decade is largely due to the technological advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking), which made it possible to extract hydrocarbon from low-permeability (tight) reservoirs formerly inaccessible or uneconomical to exploit, such as the Triassic Montney formation sitting on the Alberta-British Columbia boundary, northwest of Edmonton, which is now considered one of North America's premier natural shale gas resource plays. This CRD project will combine advanced numerical simulations, innovative lab experimentations, and field data to develop more reliable geomechanics-based approaches to understand the reservoir response at all stages, from exploration to production. These approaches will improve the industry's ability to accurately simulate operations in the Montney formation, with the largest share owned by our industry partner Petronas Canada. Furthermore, we propose to add values to Petronas Canada's surface and downhole seismic recordings of microseismic events associated with fracking by improving source characterization (location/origin time/mechanism) based on available 3D seismic background models. More accurate source locations will help refine the underlying fracture networks, while the additional source mechanisms will be used to indicate the brittle failure types in the reservoir in response to stimulation. The research will (i) develop a methodology for the geomechanical characterization of the Montney source rock; (ii) optimize the design of proppant emplacement using a lab calibrated numerical model; and (iii) minimize the risk associated with induced seismicity by optimizing key controlling stimulation and production parameters.Focusing on combining fundamental rock mechanics principles with geophysics imaging, this research project will advance the understanding of the role of pre-existing and hydraulically-induced fractures and geological heterogeneities on the reservoir response under changing conditions associated with the various stages of development, from well completion, to stimulation, and then to production.