Common attributes of hydraulically fractured oil and gas production and CO₂ geological sequestration

Abstract

Areal footprints of current and future hydraulically fractured oil and gas reservoirs and potential CO2 geological‐sequestration intervals often overlap in sedimentary basins. Significant vertical separations between prospective subsurface volumes, however, will limit their interaction, particularly if the carbon‐storage site is deeper than the hydrocarbon resource. Recent intense development of shale resources translates into a reduced need for sequestration capacity. It has also resulted in technological innovations directly transferable to the carbon‐storage industry, in particular progress on well completion, such as new approaches to cementing, more mature horizontal drilling methods, and development of field‐treatment techniques for saline water. In addition, knowledge collected by operators on stratigraphy and faults – for example, using 3D seismic – and on abandoned wells is directly useful in reducing risk in future carbon‐storage projects. Both industries can benefit from development of regional transmission pipelines, pipeline rights‐of‐way, and a trained workforce. From a regulatory standpoint, hydraulic fracturing of shale and tight formations is not considered injection. Under the US UIC program, because hydraulically fractured wells fall under the production category, they do not follow the same set of rules for protecting water resources as oil and gas industry disposal wells do (UIC Class II). Both subsurface uses share some risk elements, however. Environmental risks result mostly from abandoned wells and faults, poorly characterized for carbon storage, and from defective well completions and surface spills during oil and gas production. Operators of both fields are also concerned about disposal of large fluid volumes possibly generating seismic events. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Groundwater Protection and Unconventional Gas Extraction: The Critical Need for Field‐Based Hydrogeological Research

“…Jackson et al Groundwater 51, no. 4: 488-510 synergetic interactions (Nicot and Duncan 2012). It will be essential that collaboration between government, industry, academia and other third party groups ensures experimental studies are conducted in a manner that inspires widespread credibility without politically motivated conflicts of interest.…”

Deep Injection of Waste Water in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

“…The cumulative injection volume associated with the Marcellus Shale is also similar to individual carbon capture and sequestration pilot projects (Verdon et al 2013) or a geothermal plant (Main California Oil and Gas Search Page 2012). The similarity in injected volumes is noteworthy, given the need to address competition for pore volume (Elliot and Celia 2012;Nicot and Duncan 2012;Ferguson 2013).…”

Potential technical hazards associated with four North American carbon capture and sequestration projects

“…Pore pressure changes from induced seismicity or earthquakes might also affect stresses, leading to reactivation of existing faults, slip along bedding planes, or significant reductions in the horizontal stresses in the caprock. Slip can lead to damage in cased wellbores (Dusseault et al, 2001) and impairments to caprocks providing pathways for migration of CO 2 (DNV, 2012;Ghaderi and Leonenko, 2009;Nicot and Duncan, 2012;Preston et al, 2005; US Department of Energy, 2007; Wilson and Monea, 2004). CO 2 can also diffuse through the caprock at a molecular level, regardless of the presence or absence of an interconnected pore space or a narrow-aperture natural fracture.…”

“…Any reduction in the well integrity of injection, monitoring, or legacy wells can provide a pathway for CO 2 leakage (Shell Canada Limited, 2010c;Nygaard, 2010;DNV, 2012;Ghaderi and Leonenko, 2009;US Department of Energy, 2007;Wilson and Monea, 2004;Nicot and Duncan, 2012;Preston et al, 2005). Acidified brine as well as pressure and temperature conditions can cause cement corrosion (Shell Canada Limited, 2011c; US Department of Energy, 2007), but if the cement corrosion is only because of diffusion, it would be too slow to be of consequence.…”