Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Oil, Gas, and Energy
Favorability mapping for carbon storage in basaltic rocks of the Paraná Basin
Published: 2024-12-19
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a critical technology to mitigate climate change by reducing atmospheric CO₂. The Paraná Basin, with its extensive basaltic formations, offers potential for large-scale CO₂ storage. However, determining the most favorable areas for CCS remains challenging due to the complex interplay of geological, geochemical, and logistical factors. This study addresses this [...]
Effective permeability of fluvial lithofacies in the Bunter Sandstone Formation, UK
Published: 2024-11-29
Subjects: Oil, Gas, and Energy, Sedimentology, Water Resource Management
Understanding effective permeability is crucial for predicting fluid migration and trapping in subsurface reservoirs. The Bunter Sandstone of North-West Europe hosts major groundwater and geothermal resources and is targeted for CO2 and hydrogen storage projects. Here the effective permeability of fluvial facies within the Bunter Sandstone Formation was assessed using facies-scale models. Twelve [...]
Geological and Environmental Implications of Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques: Balancing Efficiency with Sustainability
Published: 2024-10-31
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
This research paper explores the geological and environmental impacts of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology, focusing on the balance between efficiency and sustainability in fossil fuel extraction. EOR methods, including thermal recovery, gas injection, and chemical flooding, are critical to maximizing reservoir recovery, especially as global energy demand increases and conventional reserves [...]
Application of machine learning methods to forecast petrophysical properties in basalts of the Serra Geral Group: Implications for carbon storage
Published: 2024-10-22
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
This study applies machine learning techniques for forecasting petrophysical properties (density, porosity, and permeability) in the basalts of the Serra Geral Group, located in the Paraná Basin, Brazil. These properties are crucial for the successful implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS), an important technology to combat climate change. Employing machine learning models—XGBoost, [...]
Efficiency and heat transport processes of low-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage systems: new insights from global sensitivity analyses
Published: 2024-10-07
Subjects: Geology, Natural Resources and Conservation, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Sustainability
Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) has great potential to mitigate CO2 emissions associated with the heating and cooling of buildings and offers wide applicability. Thick productive aquifer layers have been targeted first, as these are the most promising areas for ATES. Regardless, there is currently an increasing trend to target more complex aquifers such as low-transmissivity and alluvial [...]
A new expression for fluid factor using AVO intercept and gradient: theory and application on deep marine reservoir
Published: 2024-09-18
Subjects: Geology, Geophysics and Seismology, Oil, Gas, and Energy
Numerous AVO fluid indicators have been introduced and proven to be sensitive to hydrocarbon presence. Mathematically, fluid indicators measure the deviation of seismic responses of hydrocarbon-saturated reservoirs from their background in a specific domain. We introduce a new expression for the fluid factor commonly used in AVO analysis and interpretation. The expression is a function of common [...]
Frictional Properties of Simulated Fault Gouges subject to Normal Stress Oscillation and Implications for Induced Seismicity
Published: 2024-08-24
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Risk Analysis
Under critical conditions where experimental fault slip exhibits self-sustained oscillation, effects of normal stress oscillation (NSO) on fault strength and stability remain poorly understood, as do potential effects of NSO on natural and induced seismicity. In this study, we employed double direct shear testing to investigate the frictional behavior of a synthetic, slightly velocity-weakening [...]
Relating Multi-Scale Plume Detection and Area Estimates of Methane Emissions: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis
Published: 2024-07-23
Subjects: Biogeochemistry, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Methodologies for inferring surface emissions of atmospheric trace gases can be categorized into plume detection and area-scale estimation. Plume detections are observations of emissions from either individual or clustered point sources. Area estimates are derived from top-down atmospheric flux inversion models or bottom-up inventories, which infer mean emissions typically over spatial scales [...]
Wastewaters co-produced with shale gas drive slight regional salinization of groundwater
Published: 2024-04-04
Subjects: Geochemistry, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Water Resource Management
While unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development is changing the world economy, processes that are used during UOG development such as high-volume hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) have been linked with water contamination. Water quality risks include leaks of gas and salty fluids (brines) that are co-produced at wellpads. Identifying the cause of contamination is difficult, however, because [...]
Problems with Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analyses of U.S. LNG Exports and Locally Produced Coal
Published: 2024-04-01
Subjects: Climate, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment, Oil, Gas, and Energy
Exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States are growing rapidly, and the United States government must balance a multiplicity of interests in deciding to what extent the growth of LNG exports should be further encouraged. Its decisions must be consistent with the Natural Gas Act, which mandates that exports of natural gas be in the public interest. In the current administration, [...]
Satellite-based surveys reveal substantial methane point-source emissions in major oil & gas basins of North America during 2022-2023
Published: 2024-02-28
Subjects: Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Monitoring, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Remote Sensing
Utilizing imaging spectroscopy technology to identify methane super-emitters plays a vital role in mitigating methane emissions in the Oil & Gas (O&G) sector. While earlier research has uncovered significant point-source methane emissions from O&G production in the US and Canada, which are key regions with large methane emissions, a comprehensive post-COVID-19 survey has been notably [...]
Multi-satellite data depicts record-breaking methane leak from a well blowout
Published: 2024-02-13
Subjects: Climate, Environmental Monitoring, Oil, Gas, and Energy
Accidental blowouts in oil and gas wells can result in large and prolonged methane emissions, which are often unreported when happening in remote places. The rapid advancement of space-based methods for detecting and quantifying methane plumes provides an essential tool for uncovering these super-emission events. We use a range of methane-sensitive satellites to document a methane leak from a [...]
Climate and Air Quality Impact of Using Ammonia as an Alternative Shipping Fuel
Published: 2024-02-07
Subjects: Atmospheric Sciences, Oil, Gas, and Energy
As carbon-free fuel, ammonia has been proposed as an alternative fuel to facilitate maritime decarbonization. Deployment of ammonia-powered ships is proposed as soon as 2024. However, emissions of NOx, NH3 and N2O resulting from ammonia combustion could cause impacts on air quality and climate. In this study, we assess whether and under what conditions switching to ammonia fuel might affect [...]
Daily global methane super-emitter detection and source identification with sub-daily tracking
Published: 2024-02-01
Subjects: Atmospheric Sciences, Oil, Gas, and Energy
We use the Shortwave Infrared bands of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) satellite instruments to retrieve atmospheric methane enhancements with 750m resolution. We show that the three VIIRS instruments in orbit uniquely enhance the currently-employed capabilities of tracking methane super-emission events. The VIIRS instrument on Suomi-NPP and the TROPOMI instrument on [...]
A Hybrid Pore-Network-Continuum Modeling Framework for Flow and Transport in 3D Digital Images of Porous Media
Published: 2023-12-18
Subjects: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Oil, Gas, and Energy
Understanding flow and transport in multiscale porous media is challenging due to the presence of a wide range of pore sizes. Recent imaging advances offer high-resolution characterization of the multiscale pore structures. However, simulating flow and transport in 3D digital images requires models to represent both the resolved and sub-resolution pore structures. Here, we develop a hybrid [...]