Development of a New Analytical Technology in Support of Oil and Natural Gas Extraction

The production of oil and gas from shale reservoirs has revolutionized the petroleum industry in the United States. The success of the shale plays is the result of technological advancement much of which credit belongs to the improved understanding of the complexities of shale and the variables that affect their productivity. Over the past decade, advances in shale characterization and stimulation technology have opened hydrocarbon-bearing shale to exploitation. The incredible success of the gas exploration has increased supply and driven natural gas prices lower, resulting in the push to find the more valuable petroleum liquids. The success of all of the plays depends on the proper characterization of the shale reservoir. To determine if the favorable parameters are present, it is currently necessary to conduct a number of different analyses that are time consuming and expensive. In this program we propose to develop a powerful suite of new analytical techniques derived from ion beam capabilities. The intention is to contribute to the nations oil and gas exploration sector by offering new and unique analytical toolset. Ion beam analysis will provide enhanced geochemical and mineralogical data sets for extracting oil and natural gas from shale plays. This will include particle induced X-ray emission PIXE) for element analysis. The presence of mineralogical elements like Si, Ca, U, V, Mo and Th contribute to the brittleness of the shale rock and influence the harvesting process. Elastic recoil detection analysis ERDA) will be used to determine the amount of hydrogen present, and nuclear reaction analysis NRA) to determine the amount of carbon. With this proposal, analytical methods are examined that could streamline elemental analysis of shale and provide estimates of mineralogical components that control brittleness, organic matter content, and maturity. This analysis would provide data that would allow more environmentally friendly and economical decisions to be made in extracting oil and natural gas from shale plays.