Hydrocarbon from shale rocks: challenges and solutions Oleksandr Petrovskyy Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas

1. Western Region
Geological, hydrogeological,
technological and social
aspects of natural gas
production from Silurian shale
rocks
Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas
O.P. Petrovskyy, T.O. Fedchenko, O.M. Cihovska, N.P. Kukhar
© ІФНТУНГ 2015

2. 1. Geological structure of western end of East European
platform and characteristic of gas perspective Silurian
shale rocks.
2. Hydrogeological characteristic of western end of East
European platform. The main sources of fresh water
and volumes of its consumption in Ivano-Frankivsk
and Lviv Region.
3. The main stages of exploration and development of
fields of natural gas from shale rocks.
4. Technical and social aspects of exploration and
development of fields of natural gas from shale rocks
in Ivano-Frankivsk Region.
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3. Administrative division of Ivano-Frankivsk
and Lviv Regions
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4. I
I
II
II
III
III
4
Facies map of Silurian sediments

5. I
I
II
II
III
III
Depth up to
upper
boundary: 2000
m
Thickness:
600-1200 m
5
Map of thicknesses of Silurian sediments
and placement of wells

6. Hydrogeological zoning of
Western Ukraine
Surface and subsurface water of Oleska area
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The main source of water – surface water

7. The largest shale gas fields in the USA
Perspective Oleska
Area S=6 324 km2
Average annual volume of water used in the
course of development of Barnett field (15 000
wells):
5,3 million m3 (< 2% general Texas offtake)
Marcellus field:
75 million m3 (0,8% general offtake of New York,
Western Virginia and Pennsylvania)
PREDICTED
AVERAGE ANNUAL VOLUME OF
WATER, NECESSARY TO
DEVELOP
OLESKA AREA:
2,26 million m3
(0,63% general offtake of Lviv and
Ivano-Frankivsk Regions)
Average annual volume of water used to develop
km2 of shale gas field
Fraction of water used for shale gas field
development relative to general territory offtake
Sources of water withdrawal for wells drilling in the
USA (fraction of each fluctuates depending on
hydrogeological situation in a certain region):
- Surface water
- Groundwater
- Municipal and private water reservoirs
- Reuse of discharged water after treatment
With the establishment of technology and field
development methodology, volumes of water, used for a
well are decreased with the lapse of time!!!
* http://fracfocus.org/
Correlation of fields’
square areas
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8. 8
Water consumption by the main industrial bodies (in 2012)
Provision with water
resources per 1
person:
3,22 thousand m3/ year
(Ivano-Frankivsk
Region)
1,82 thousand m3/ year
(Lviv Region)
Fraction of water resources
consumption by different branches in
2012.
Surface and subsurface water
resources

9. ТиповийгеологічнийрозрізОлеськоїділянки
ECOLOGICAL HAZARDS
of formation hydrofracturing connected with:
- groundwater contamination;
-surface water contamination.
Perspective Silurian shales are
buried at least 2000 m deeper
than fresh waterbearing
horizons and are overlapped
by thick layers (1000-2000 m)
of tight rocks.
The main waterbearing
horizons, used for water
offtake are buried at the depth
of up to 1000 m.
Typical well design
Well design provides for reliable insulation of water bearing horizons
from technological fluids along the whole length of its shaft.
To eliminate ecological hazards it’s necessary to maintain operating
practices of drilling.
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10. THE MAIN ECOLOGICAL
HAZARDS:
-salt contamination of surface and
subsurface water and soils;
-underflooding of living
accommodations and utility
buildings;
- overflowing of brines over bank
of tailing pit # 2 and its ingression
into outer water reservoirs.
INDUSTRIAL WATER RESERVOIRS OF KALUSH-GOLYN
POTTASSIUM SALTS FIELD:
Dombrovskyy opencast mine, mine fields of deep-mined
output of potassium salts, chemical plant tailing pits
Annual growth of brines only in Dombrovskyy opencast
mine at the expense of precipitation and inflow of water
from waterbearing horizon is 4 million cub.m.
Characteristic of artificial water reservoirs of
Kalush-Golyn pottassium salts field
За 1 рікЗа 5 років
За 10 років
It is
enough for
11 years
and 11
months of
Oleska
Area
developme
nt
10

11. 11
Mining industry objects of Lviv-Volyn coal basin
MinesofVolyno-Podilskyybasin
Червоноградський ГПР
Нововолинський ГПР

12. Correlation of brines volume and mine pit
water of the region to predicted water needs
for Oleska Area
12

13. 1. Geophysical survey, in
particular 3D seismic
prospecting
2. Geological and
geophysical
modeling
3. Optimal place selection
for an exploration well
4. Ecological monitoring of
environment before drilling
8. Geophysical
monitoring of
hydrofracturing process
5. Exploration
drilling and wells
testing
7. Production drilling
6. Petrophysical
investigation
and analysis of
core samples
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14. Development of natural gas from shale rocks
will enable us to solve a number of social
and economical issues:
1.Citizens will be provided with domestically produced gas
resources.
2.The region will obtain a significant number of additional
jobs incl. jobs that aren’t directly connected with
exploration, surveying and production of gas from shale
rocks.
3.Budgets of different levels will get stable financial income.
4.It will ensure development of oil and gas education,
science and technologies in Ukraine and its western region,
corresponding with the highest international standards.
5.Guaranteed development of other branches of industry
and agriculture.
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15. Technical forewarnings:
1. For wells drilling its necessary to use powerful drilling
rigs that ensure maximum efficiency of drilling and
decrease on state time of drilled rocks.
2.Reliable geophysical control of well cementing, especially
in the course of re-covering of waterbearing horizons with
drinking and mineralized water.
3.Hydrofracturing of shale reservoirs must be accompanied
by distant geophysical control.
4.Upon accomplishing of well exploitation it must be
properly abandoned by cementing of a well shaft itself and
outer well zone where hydrofracturing is accomplished.
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16. Ecological forewarnings:
1.Strictly comply with established standards concerning
environmental protection while wells drilling and placement
of other oil and gas equipment.
2.Improve working normative documents which regulate
environmental protection rules with consideration of
international and project experience.
3.Carry out preliminary ecological and hydrogeological
investigation of territory where shale gas is going to be
produced. Such an investigation will record current state of
environment and will provide the possibility to avoid
ecological hazards in future.
4.Maintain constant monitoring of ecosystem of the territory
comprising the area where a well is being drilled.
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17. Ecological forewarnings:
5.In the course of wells drilling it’s necessary to use cluster
drilling method (a number of directional wells are drilled
from one site) which creates minimum ecological load upon
surface.
6.Carry out reliable and controlled re-covering of surface
waterbearing horizons by steel pipes and cementing to
avoid their contamination or linking with other horizons,
fresh water horizons included.
7.Develop or use technologies which would allow recycling
of fluids used in drilling and hydrofracturing.
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18. Ecological forewarnings:
8.If there is a technological possibility, use for
hydrofracturing not only fresh water but also technical
water, obtained as a result of industrial activities of other
enterprises.
9.Recultivate area of drilling after abandonment of all
cluster wells.
10.Use modern world and domestic technologies to ensure
ecological safety in the course of drilling, hydrofracturing
and gas wells exploitation.
11.Invest in full recovery of ecological system in case of its
deterioration as a result of industrial activities.
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19. What must be done today?
1.It’s necessary to carry out complex geological investigations
aimed at generalization of all geological and geophysical
materials and creation of coordinated structure model of shale
rocks bedding territory, aimed at prediction of areas of the
most possible occurrence of gas saturated shales.
2.Provide decentralization of rent payments and value tax for
natural resources use, starting from the level of territories
owners and local budgets, where hydrocarbons are produced.
3.Reconsider the law about deduction of 10% of state income
on all product distribution agreements while hydrocarbons
production so that funds will be allocated first to the owners of
territories and only then to local budgets, district and regional
budgets.
4.Spread the application of this law to all oil and gas producing
enterprises regardless of ownership type.
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20. Start of exploration and surveying operations and possible
subsequent production of natural gas from shale rocks will
ensure economical upturn as well as rise of political
influence of Western Region and Ukraine in general.
Conclusion:
Reasoning from geological, technical and ecological
preconditions and in compliance with established technical
and ecological regulations concerning exploration,
surveying and production of natural gas, there are no
forewarnings as to carrying out of activities aimed at
investigation and development of prospective natural gas
resources from shale rocks.
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21. 21
The list of Institutes of IFNTUOG that provide
training of engineers according to the
specialties that cover all stages of
exploration and development of natural gas
from shale rocks:
Institute of Geology and Geophysics
Institute of Environmental Engineering
Institute of Petroleum Engineering
Institute of Mechanical Engineering
Institute of Power Engineering
Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical
University of Oil and Gas (ІFNTUOG) is
the only higher educational institution in
Ukraine that trains specialists for all
areas of oil and gas industry.

22. The results of the mentioned studies were obtained in
collaboration with
Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences
Drygant, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical
Sciences P.V. Bodlak,
Candidates of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences
I.M. Kurovets, P.P.Chalyi, B.K. Polyniak, O.A. Kichko, O.V.
Bulmasov
The authors express their gratitude to Shevron and
DEPROIL companies for initiating the study of Silurian
shale sediments of Volyno-Podillia
© ІФНТУНГ 2015

23. Western region
Geological,
hydrogeological, technological
and social aspects of natural
gas extraction from Silurian
shale rocks
Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas
O.P. Petrovskyi, T.O. Fedchenko, O.M. Tsikhovska, N.P. Kukhar
© IFNTUOG 2015