November 2023: Natural and Hydraulic Fractures: Relevance for Hydrocarbon Reservoirs, Enhanced Oil…
Channel: Texas CSEE
Date: 2023-11-15

ABSTRACT: This presentation will make the case that continued work to better understand and predict fracture pathways in the subsurface is essential for a wide range of energy-related projects. These projects include primary hydrocarbon production in fractured reservoirs, primary and enhanced oil recovery (EOR)/carbon storage (CS) in unconventional reservoirs, and low-enthalpy geothermal projects. In all cases, flow pathways through natural and/or hydraulic fractures are critical. I will highlight some key advances in characterization, modeling, and prediction capabilities for natural and hydraulic fractures. For example, decades of observations in naturally fractured reservoirs indicate the key role of chemistry in altering fracture patterns and modifying porosity distribution. These advances are discussed in the context of several ongoing and proposed projects, including a geothermal project in upstate New York, and efforts to improve oil recovery in unconventional reservoirs with the added possibility of storing CO2. 
BIO: Julia Gale obtained a Ph.D. in Structural Geology from Exeter University, UK in 1987, working on the Archean of southern West Greenland. She taught structural geology and tectonics for 12 years at the University of Derby, UK. Julia moved to the University of Texas at Austin in 1998, where she is a Senior Research Scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology in the Jackson School of Geosciences. She is currently appointed as a Fellow of the Dave P. Carlton Centennial Professorship in Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences. Her research focus is on natural fracture characterization and prediction in shale and carbonate hydrocarbon reservoirs, and on hydraulic fracture characterization in unconventional reservoirs.