Project Management Plan - Small Producers Program - University of ...

1. Introduction
Shale is an important source of oil and gas in North America. Most shale reservoirs have a low porosity and
ultra-low permeability with natural fractures. Shale formations have long been considered important source
rocks, capable of producing oil at economic rates when completed by hydraulically fractured horizontal
wells. However, with the low permeability and oil-wet character, using existing methods, the oil recovery
factors of the naturally fractured Bakken formation have only been a few percent of original oil in place. As
part of our investigation of chemical imbibition (using surfactant or brine formulations) to stimulate oil
recovery from shale, this report focuses on surfactant formulation optimization and wettability tests on
different parts of the Bakken formation. The ultimate objective of this research is to determine the potential
of surfactant formulations to imbibe into and displace oil from shale, and examine the viability of a field
application.
Project objective
The objective of this research project is to determine whether surfactant solutions can alter the wettability
of the Bakken shale formation (in North Dakota’s Williston Basin), so that oil recovery can be enhanced by
a mechanism involving imbibition. The proposed project has two primary goals:
(1) Testing the degree of imbibition for available waters in different wells of the Bakken shale to
establish the true wetting state. We will investigate whether significant imbibition can be induced using
only pH or salinity variation of available waters.
(2) Investigating the ability of certain surfactant solutions to alter wettability of the Bakken shale. Such
alteration seeks to promote imbibition of dilute aqueous surfactant solutions and increase oil displacement
from the shale.
State of work
Tasks will be performed in this project including:
Task 1: Project Management Plan (PMP)
Task 2: Technology Status Assessment
Task 3: Technology Transfer
Task 4: Aqueous Solution Imbibition Evaluation
Subtask 4a: Surfactant formulation optimization
Subtask 4b: Wettability experiments
Subtask 4c: Imbibition experiments
Subtask 4d: Phase behavior study
Subtask 4e: Interfacial tension tests
Task 5: Numerical Simulation and Modeling of Imbibition
Subtask 5a: Ideal model building
Subtask 5b: Field-scale numerical simulation prediction
Task 6: Routine Reports and Other Activities
Work Progress
Table 1 is the project status as of Feb. 29, 2012. Tasks 1, 2, and Subtask 4a, 4b have been completed. Task
3 and Task 6 are partially finished. Subtask 4c has been implemented. Details of Subtask 4a and 4b are
discussed in this report.
Annual Report, University of North Dakota, 09123-09 Page 1