Reference number : GC-2017-Q4-00693, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Grasselli, Giovanni (University of Toronto), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Ontario, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Engage Grants for universities, program name french : Subventions d'engagement partenarial pour les universités, program purpose english : The Montney formation is the largest and most productive play in Alberta and British Columbia and one of the_x000D_
largest unconventional gas resources in the world. Technological advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic_x000D_
fracturing (aka fracking) have made it possible to release hydrocarbon from the Montney play as well as many_x000D_
other low-permeability (tight) reservoirs that were formerly inaccessible or uneconomical to exploit. Despite_x000D_
these technological advancements, many wells still underperform because of the current limitation in fully_x000D_
understanding how reservoir rocks fracture under those complex processes, which are ultimately responsible_x000D_
for creating the network of interconnected fractures used to channel and extract the targeted hydrocarbon_x000D_
resource. The objective of this work is to develop a procedure to create a rock mechanics model that could be_x000D_
used to predict the performance of Montney unconventional hydrocarbon source-rock during hydraulic_x000D_
fracturing operations. The expected rock mechanics model will inform a micro-mechanical modeling based on_x000D_
the finite discrete element model (FDEM) technology. FDEM combines the advantages of large strain finite_x000D_
elements with those of the discrete elements, allowing for explicitly modelling the propagation of cracks into_x000D_
an originally intact material, as well as the interaction between the different phases and materials. By modelling_x000D_
the physical interactions at the micro-scale, FDEM is able to reproduce the response of the tested material as an_x000D_
emergent property of the model. However, the reliability of any FDEM modeling exercise is highly dependent_x000D_
on the accuracy of the used input material properties. A micro-characterization of the hydrocarbon-rich_x000D_
siltstone, together with advanced imaging performed inside a micro x-ray computed tomography machine_x000D_
(microCT), will help to inform and constrain the development of any future FDEM model., program purpose french : The Montney formation is the largest and most productive play in Alberta and British Columbia and one of the_x000D_
largest unconventional gas resources in the world. Technological advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic_x000D_
fracturing (aka fracking) have made it possible to release hydrocarbon from the Montney play as well as many_x000D_
other low-permeability (tight) reservoirs that were formerly inaccessible or uneconomical to exploit. Despite_x000D_
these technological advancements, many wells still underperform because of the current limitation in fully_x000D_
understanding how reservoir rocks fracture under those complex processes, which are ultimately responsible_x000D_
for creating the network of interconnected fractures used to channel and extract the targeted hydrocarbon_x000D_
resource. The objective of this work is to develop a procedure to create a rock mechanics model that could be_x000D_
used to predict the performance of Montney unconventional hydrocarbon source-rock during hydraulic_x000D_
fracturing operations. The expected rock mechanics model will inform a micro-mechanical modeling based on_x000D_
the finite discrete element model (FDEM) technology. FDEM combines the advantages of large strain finite_x000D_
elements with those of the discrete elements, allowing for explicitly modelling the propagation of cracks into_x000D_
an originally intact material, as well as the interaction between the different phases and materials. By modelling_x000D_
the physical interactions at the micro-scale, FDEM is able to reproduce the response of the tested material as an_x000D_
emergent property of the model. However, the reliability of any FDEM modeling exercise is highly dependent_x000D_
on the accuracy of the used input material properties. A micro-characterization of the hydrocarbon-rich_x000D_
siltstone, together with advanced imaging performed inside a micro x-ray computed tomography machine_x000D_
(microCT), will help to inform and constrain the development of any future FDEM model., agreement title english : Micro-characterization of montney unconventional hydrocarbon source rock, agreement title french : Micro-characterization of montney unconventional hydrocarbon source rock, agreement number : EGP, agreement value : 25000.0, agreement start date : 2018-03-22, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)., additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019)., owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada