Final Presentation

13 May 2014
Transport Models for Flow of Gas in

Shale Reservoirs
KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINIRALS
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
A PhD Oral Exams Presentation
by
Obembe Abiola David

Presented to

The Department of Petroleum Engineering

Bit Index and Bit Cumulative Index-Analysis and Applicability as Performance Models
KING FAHD UNIVERISTY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
Petroleum Engineering Dept.

OUTLINE
Introduction
Literature Review
Limitations of Conventional Flow Equation
Research Statement
Research Methodology
Research Outcomes and Duration
Conclusion


What is Shale Gas?

Shale reservoirs are usually source rocks, however due to
reservoir aging, geothermal heating, and overburden
pressure the organic matter in the shale sediments cracks
to thermogenic methane and some non mobile products.

Four types of porous media are found in productive shale
gas systems:
1. Organic matter
2. Non organic matrix
3. Natural fractures
4. Hydraulic fractures

Production Fairways (Wang et al.,2009)

Gas stored in Shale gas Reservoirs?
Rahmanian,et al.(2010) stated that there are multiple
mechanisms for gas transport and storage in organic
rich shales;
Adsorbed gas in the kerogen material.
Free gas trapped in non organic inter- particle
(matrix) porosity.
Free gas trapped in micro fracture porosity.
Free gas trapped in hydraulic fractures created
during stimulation of shale reservoir.
Free gas trapped in a pore network developed within
the organic matter or kerogen.


What are Shale Reservoirs (Contd)?

Very low porosity
&
Extremely low
permeability
Resource triangle for natural gas( Holditch,2006)

United states dry gas
production and future
forecast
Courtesy EIA(2013)

Global Shale Gas Basins

Transport Models For
Shale Gas

Transport of gas in Shale?
Gas content and Adsorption data for Barnett Shale (Wang, et al., 2009)

from macro to nano scale (Javadpour et al., 2007)

Flow schematics of Shale gas (Sondergeld et al., 2010)

Transport models to describe gas flow?
Models Limitation
Single/dual/ and triple
porosity or permeability Darcy
flow approach.
Do not adequately describe
the complex physics and
dynamics in shale.
Overestimation of reserves
Underestimation of
permeability

Lattice Boltzmann (LB)
method, Molecular dynamics
(MD), Direct Simulation
Monte Carlo(DSMC)
This methods are space and
time consuming such that
when systems are larger than
a few microns become
impracticable.
Convergence is also an issue
when attempting to make
accurate simulations when
the time step and grid size
are very small

Models Limitation
Models that modify
Darcy law incorporating
the physics at molecular
level to account for
higher equivalent
permeability (apparent
gas permeability).

Do not adequately
describe the complex
physics and dynamics in
shale.
Over estimation of
reserves

Models that have
coupled Darcy flow with
Knudsen diffusion to
describe gas transport in
shales. i.e. Advection-
diffusion models

Do not adequately
describe the complex
physics and dynamics in
shale.



Models

Limitation

Coal bed methane
models due to the
adsorptive
capacities of certain
shale constituents

The coal bed
evolution curve
based on spherical
diffusion model
does not fit shale
gas evolution curve.

Models based on a
diffusive transport
regime with a
constant coefficient
of diffusion and
negligible viscous
forces.

Do not adequately
describe the
complex physics
and dynamics in
shale.


Models

Limitation

Modification to Material
balance equations

Deriving a new material
balance equation that
dynamically adjusts free gas
storage volume during
depletion according to the
volume occupied by the
sorbed gas.
Do not adequately describe
the complex physics and
dynamics in shale.
Overestimation of reserves
Underestimation of
permeability
Considered the sorbed gas
density to be constant
throughout calculations
Burnett equation for rarified
gas low models
Accurate application of this
equation becomes
complicated as the Knudsen
number increases beyond
the slip flow regime.
The solution becomes
unstable due to small
wavelength disturbances.

Literature Review
Utpalendu et al.(2012) paid attention to the
contribution of Knudsen flow to total gas flow in Shale
reservoirs. He concluded that Knudsen flow
increases sharply as the pore sizes reduce to smaller
than 100 nm.
Beskok et al. (1999) developed a unified flow model
in all possible flow regimes which is used to estimate
the deviation from Darcy flow.
Javadpour (2009) presented a formulation for gas
flow in the nano-pores of mud rocks based on
Knudsen diffusion and slip flow.
Chaohua et al., (2013) presented a mathematical
model to characterize gas flow in nano pores based
on a advection-diffusion model


Civian (2010), derived a transport model that is valid
over all flow regimes using the Knudsen number.
Alnoami et al.,( 2013 ) carried out experimental and
numerical analysis on Eagle Ford shale including the
role of sorption. There results highlighted the
interplay of gas slip and sorption of pure gases at
core-level.
Haghshenas et al. (2013) utilized a novel multi-
porosity, multi-permeability model in a commercial
simulator, incorporating the structural details of shale
reservoirs. The results of there study demonstrated
that the selected pore connectivity configuration has
a significant impact on shale gas production.
Literature Review

Literature Review
Michael et al. (2011) developed a unified flow model
in all possible flow regimes which is used to estimate
the deviation from Darcy flow.
Sakhee-Pour (2011) considered the effect of the
adsorbed layer on apparent permeability at different
reservoir conditions for a simple pore network and
showed that permeability is overestimated at high
pressures without taking into account of transport in
adsorbed layer.
Fathi et al.,(2013) in their paper introduced a new
Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) to simulate Shale
gas transport in the Kerogen in shale gas reservoir.


Xiong et al., (2012) presented a fully coupled free
and adsorptive phase transport model for shale gas
reservoirs including non-Darcy effects.
Alharty et al.,( 2012 )developed a dual-porosity and
triple-porosity finite difference model for single phase
gas flow including advective, and Knudsen flow
mechanism.
Carlson and Mercer (1991); Ozkan et al. (2010) used
dual porosity models to model shale gas reservoirs.
Dehghanpour et al.(2011) used a triple porosity
model for shale gas reservoirs.
Vega et al. (2013) performed nano-scale
visualizations of gas shale pore and texture such as
available porous space and microcracks.

Literature Review

Yu-Shu Wu et al., (2012) discuss a general
mathematical model of transient gas flow through
unconventional porous media and use both numerical
and analytical approaches to analyze gas flow in
unconventional reservoirs.
Wei et al. (2013) carried out microstructure
characterization of the Longmaxi shale reservoir by
combining visualization techniques and physical
measurements

Literature Review

LIMITATIONS
OF
DARCY FLOW

Why does Darcy law not work?
Darcy law/flow is applicable in situations/systems where the
mean free path of gas molecules is small compared to throat
radius, this way the gas would flow through the influence of
viscous flow.
As the characteristic length of a physical system decreases , the
assumption of standard continuum approach falls apart.
Due to the complicated flow behavior, associated with nano-
scale pores, the strong interaction between fluid and rock, and
multi-scaled heterogeneity in this systems Darcy flow is not
entirely responsible for flow.

Limitation on Darcy

http://www.bg-
group.com/OurBusiness/OurBusiness/Pa
ges/GeologyandGeophysics1.aspx#res

http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-
gas/petroleum/projects/ep/explor_tech/15451.htm
http://www.bg-
group.com/OurBusiness/OurBusiness/Pa
ges/GeologyandGeophysics1.aspx#res

Knudsen Number?
where
k is Boltzmann constant (1.3805*10-23J/K)
T is the temperature (K)
P is the pressure in Pascal
is the collision diameter of gas molecule (m)
(Heidemann 1984)
Research Problem
and Objective

Spider diagram of Shale gas research study

Understanding transport mechanism and flow
behavior?

Development
of
Mathematical
model
Model
Validation
Experimental
study

Mathematical Model Approach
Transport
equation
valid for all flow
regimes
3 Level
Modelling
Approach
Model
Selection
Adsorption
Surface
Diffusion
Apparent
permeability
At the 3
stages

Intrinsic nano-pore
permeability
Apparent
permeability due to
Non-Darcy flow
Apparent
permeability due to
adsorption effect
Development of apparent permeability

First Level Modeling
Total mass flux in a nano pore is a combination of
Knudsen diffusion and pressure forces.

Gas flow mechanism in nano pore. Red represents Knudsen diffusion and
purple represents viscous flow

Mathematical Model
R is the gas constant (J/mol/K)

T is the temperature (K)
M is the molar mass (kg/kmol)
is the viscosity (Pa.s)
Pavg average pressure (Pa)
r is the pore radius (m)
avg is the average density (kg/m)
p is the pressure in (kPa)
L is the pore length (m)

Mathematical Model

Mathematical Model
Brown et al. Dimensionless coefficient to correct for slip

velocity in tubes
0 -1
Wall surface smoothness,
Type of gas, temperature
and pressure


Experimental Studies
Commercial available porous anodic filters (Whatman
Anodisc).
1 inch quartz furnace tube.
Ethylene.
Argon.
After the process the Anodisc are grayish black color
due to the incorporation of carbon on the surface and
interior of the membrane.
Experimental characterization is performed in a flow
tube where the pressure drop across the membrane
is monitored versus a controlled flow-rate by passing
gas.




Model Validation
To validate the model we use a different gas and
then a different pore diameter.

Model comparison with the model Chaohua(2013),
Karniadakis and Beskok(2002) and the theoretical
analytical solution (K/HP flow).
Scenario test
1 Argon and 235 nm pore
diameter

2 Argon with 220 nm pore
diameter
3 oxygen with 220 nm pore
diameter

Mathematical Model
Second level Modelling Approach
The pore volume occupied by the adsorbed layer is
taken into account.
This introduces a pressure dependent intrinsic
permeability, an effective radii, and effective porosity.


Corelab Gas Adsorption Isotherm System - GAI-
100.
Gas Adsorption Isotherm System is a high pressure,
10,000 psi, system designed for the evaluation of gas
adsorption isotherms, or the gas capacity of a shale
or coal sample.
The system comprises a digitally controlled oil bath
for accurate temperature control up to 350F (177C)
into which are placed three (3) self-contained,
adsorption cells.
A test shale or coal sample is crushed and then
sieved through 40-120 US Mesh screens. Then 80-
100 grams of the sieved sample is tested within one
of the test cells.


Langmuir gas desorption from pore surface as a function of pressure


Langmuir gas desorption isotherm


Mathematical Model
Second level Modelling Approach
The effective hydraulic radius r
eff
is defined as the
radius corrected for the presence of adsorbed gas
molecules.

In the high pressure limit;
r
eff
= r
h
d
m
;
where d
m
is the diameter of the gas molecules residing
on the surface.

In the low pressure limit ;
r
eff
= r
h
;


Mathematical Model

Mathematical Model

Mathematical Model

Mathematical Model

Mathematical Model

Mathematical Model
Third level Modelling Approach

The value of the diffusivity coefficient is not well
known because it is difficult to determine from
measurements.
To have a range of values to work with for the
surface diffusivity;
1. Unpublished report of Hiraski et al correlation for
the methane self-diffusion coefficient based on a
wide range of experimental data.
2. Akkutlu and Fathi (2011) estimated the surface
diffusion coefficient by modeling gas transport with
two types of diffusion.


Mathematical Model
Third level Modelling Approach
The apparent permeability in a single nano capillary
tube with both Knudsen diffusion and surface
diffusion is deduced.
K
ad
= K
a
+ f(D,
eff
,M, C
amax
, P
L
);

Expected Duration
and Outcome


Research Outcome & Duration

A comprehensive model which describes gas
transport at the nano-pores of shale gas reservoirs.
The effect of the physical processes in shale
reservoirs on the apparent permeability would be
understood.
The effect of diffusion on the surface of organic pores
as a transport mechanism can be quantified at least
qualitatively.
1 year project


Successful Model

Conclusion
A new formulation for gas permeability in fined grain system was proposed
from theoretical aspects of gas molecule interactions and pore wall,
adsorbed phase volume.
It is implied that at the nano-scale permeability is not only the characteristic
of the solid matrix, but the gas type, and operating conditions affect gas
permeation through the media.
The proposed apparent permeability for shale reservoirs suggests that the
permeability is much higher than the Darcy permeability which explains the
unusually high production rate from such strata.

KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND
MINERALS, DHAHRAN, SA.
QUESTI ONS

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13 May 2014

Transport Models for Flow of Gas in

R is the gas constant (J/mol/K)

Brown et al. Dimensionless coefficient to correct for slip

Langmuir gas desorption from pore surface as a function of pressure

Langmuir gas desorption isotherm

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