Reservoir Solutions (RES)’s Post

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as "fracking," is a technique used to extract oil and natural gas from deep underground rock formations, particularly shale. This method has revolutionized the energy industry, enabling access to vast reserves of hydrocarbons that were previously uneconomical to produce. Here's a breakdown of how hydraulic fracturing works and its significance: Process of Hydraulic Fracturing 1.Drilling the Well:   - The process begins with drilling a vertical well deep into the earth until it reaches the rock layer containing the oil or gas, often several thousand feet below the surface.   - Once the desired depth is reached, the well is then drilled horizontally within the shale rock formation, sometimes extending for several miles. This horizontal drilling increases the surface area in contact with the rock, enhancing the recovery of oil and gas. 2.Creating Fractures:   - After drilling, a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals is pumped into the well at very high pressure. The pressure is so intense that it fractures (creates small cracks) in the surrounding rock formation.   - The sand in the mixture, known as a "proppant," is carried into these fractures to keep them open after the pressure is released. This allows the oil or gas to flow more freely from the rock into the wellbore. 3.Extracting the Oil or Gas:   - Once the fractures are created and the well is stabilized, the pressure is reduced, allowing the oil or gas to flow back to the surface through the well.   - The extracted hydrocarbons are then collected, processed, and transported for use in various industries. Significance of Hydraulic Fracturing -Increased Oil and Gas Production:  - Hydraulic fracturing has unlocked vast reserves of oil and natural gas, particularly in shale formations. This has significantly boosted domestic energy production in countries like the United States, reducing reliance on imported energy. -Economic Impact:  - The fracking boom has created jobs, stimulated local economies, and contributed to lower energy prices due to increased supply. Environmental Concerns and Management - Water Usage:  - Hydraulic fracturing requires large amounts of water, which can strain local water resources, particularly in arid regions. The industry is exploring ways to recycle and reduce water usage. - Chemical Use:  - The chemicals used in the fracturing fluid have raised concerns about potential groundwater contamination. Regulations and improved technologies are being developed to mitigate these risks. Hydraulic fracturing remains a key technology in the energy industry, driving significant advancements in oil and gas production. However, it continues to evolve as new technologies and regulations aim to balance the economic benefits with environmental protection. #HydraulicFracturing #Fracking #OilAndGas #EnergyInnovation #ShaleGas #NaturalGas #OilExploration #EnergyIndustry #Sustainability #EnvironmentalManagement #EnergyTechnology

𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗕𝗠 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗿 In this article, we explore the unique characteristics of CBM reservoirs, extraction methods, and the environmental advantages associated with harnessing methane from coal deposits. Formation and Characteristics: CBM is formed during the geological process of coalification, where organic material in coal undergoes microbial degradation, producing methane gas. Unlike conventional natural gas reservoirs, CBM is adsorbed onto the surface of coal particles rather than being trapped in porous rock formations. The coal acts as both the source and storage medium for methane, making CBM extraction distinct from traditional hydrocarbon reservoirs. Extraction Methods: 1. **Dewatering:** - CBM reservoirs are typically saturated with water, impeding methane release. Dewatering involves extracting water from the coal seams to reduce pressure and stimulate methane desorption. 2. **Well Stimulation:** - Techniques like hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling are employed to enhance the permeability of coal seams, improving gas flow to the wellbore. 3. **Pumping and Compression:** - Methane desorption is a gradual process, and pumping or compressing the coal seam helps expedite gas extraction. This method is particularly effective in low-permeability coal formations. 4. **Pressure Reduction:** - Lowering reservoir pressure encourages methane desorption from the coal, allowing it to flow more readily to the surface. This method is often used in conjunction with dewatering. Environmental Advantages: 1. **Cleaner Energy Source:** - CBM is considered a cleaner-burning fuel compared to conventional fossil fuels. It has a higher methane content, resulting in fewer carbon emissions and pollutants when burned for energy. 2. **Reduced Methane Emissions:** - Extracting methane from coal seams not only provides an energy source but also mitigates the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. CBM extraction can help reduce overall methane emissions from coal deposits. 3. **Land Reclamation:** - CBM extraction often involves dewatering coal seams, which can improve the safety and stability of coal mines. Additionally, the process facilitates land reclamation, allowing for the repurposing of former coal mining areas. Photo Reference, Credit: https://lnkd.in/eJ-tpKrp Contact Us for more details: Mail: Reservoir.Solutions.Egypt@gmail.com Website: reservoirsolutions-res.com WhatsApp: +201093323215

𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲 (𝗖𝗕𝗠) CBM Extraction Process 1. Well Drilling CBM production begins by drilling wells into the coal seam. Vertical or horizontal wells may be used, depending on the characteristics of the coal formation. Horizontal drilling is often preferred in cases where coal seams are thin but laterally extensive, as it increases the contact area between the well and the coal seam. 2. Dewatering One of the first steps in CBM production is dewatering the coal seam. Water (often referred to as produced water) fills the natural fractures and pores in the coal, and its presence holds the methane in place. By pumping out this water, the pressure in the coal seam is reduced, allowing the methane to desorb from the coal and flow towards the wellbore. Dewatering can take several months before significant gas production begins. 3. Gas Production Once the pressure in the coal seam is reduced, methane begins to desorb from the coal matrix and is collected at the surface. The gas is typically processed to remove any impurities before being transported through pipelines for use as a fuel. Key Characteristics of CBM CBM reservoirs exhibit several characteristics that distinguish them from conventional gas reservoirs: Low Permeability: Coal seams typically have low permeability, meaning the ability of gas to flow through the coal is limited. Natural fractures, or cleats, play a critical role in gas migration and production. Water Production: CBM wells often produce significant volumes of water, particularly during the early stages of production. This produced water can vary in quality and may require treatment before disposal or reuse. Long Production Life: CBM wells generally have a long production life, often spanning decades. However, gas production rates may start low and gradually increase as dewatering continues. Environmental and Economic Benefits CBM offers several environmental and economic benefits, making it an attractive resource in the global energy transition. 1. Cleaner Burning Fuel Methane is the primary component of CBM, and when burned, it emits less carbon dioxide compared to coal and oil. This makes CBM a cleaner alternative to conventional fossil fuels, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions in power generation and industrial processes. 2. Methane Emission Reduction CBM extraction helps prevent methane from escaping into the atmosphere from coal mines, particularly in active or abandoned mines. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and capturing it for energy use mitigates its environmental impact. 3. Local Economic Development In regions rich in coal resources, CBM development has the potential to stimulate local economies by creating jobs, increasing energy supplies, and generating revenue for governments through taxes and royalties. It can also reduce reliance on imported energy. Photo refrence, credit : https://lnkd.in/dcrmgnG2

A large scale shift from fossil energy to renewable energy (RE) will require astonishingly high quantities of metals and non-metallic minerals (NMM). If the life cycle analysis assessments from source to sink are done without properly capturing this issue, a lot of RE projects might cause more long-term environmental damage than they solve. Consider this: Electric cars need ~6x the mineral inputs of conventional cars. An offshore wind plant requires 13x more mineral resources than a similarly sized gas-fired plant. Photovoltaics are critically dependent on a single element, silicon Battery storage, essential to management of intermittent energy generation from solar, wind, tidal etc, is metal/mineral based. The increasing trend towards glass and tile elements in buildings is both mineral-intensive and energy-intensive; high temperatures and complex supply chains are required. Unless these industries focus immediately on overground mining - conscious collection and recycling of embedded metals and minerals in end-of-life electronics, construction and demolition waste, and other such wastes that are invariable by-products of anthropogenic activity - renewable energy alone may not solve the core sustainability challenges of our planet at all. In fact, those wastes may find their way as toxic or - at the very least - non-biodegradable residues that cause large scale contamination of soil, water and air. Howard Dryden - would be grateful for your thoughts on this.

Lithium Extraction Gets Faster and Maybe Greener, Too: Long-time Slashdot reader xetdog shared this report from IEEE Spectrum: High in the Andes mountains where the borders of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile intersect, white expanses of salt stretch for thousands of kilometers. Under these flats lie reservoirs of brine that contain upwards of 58% of the world's lithium. For decades, producers have extracted that lithium by pumping the water up to the surface and letting it evaporate until the lithium salts become concentrated enough to filter out. The process takes 12 to 18 months, leaving behind piles of waste containing other metals. It also evaporates nearly 2 million liters of local water resources, harming indigenous communities. To keep up, many companies are now developing processes to chemically or physically filter out lithium from brines and inject the brine back underground. These direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies take hours instead of months and could double the production of lithium from existing brine operations. Much as shale extraction did for oil, DLE is a "potential game-changing technology for lithium supply," because it could unlock new sources of lithium, according to a recent report by Goldman Sachs. But in contrast to shale's fracking risks, DLE brings environmental benefits, reducing land and water use, and waste... In China, a handful of commercial projects already use Chinese DLE innovator Sunresin's technology. More than 12 startups are pursuing new DLE processes, according to the article, "with the intent of commercial production as early as 2025." And America's Department of Energy is also investing millions of dollars in new DLE tech "to extract lithium from geothermal brines in the U.S., such as the Salton Sea in California, which the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates could provide over 24,000 metric tons of lithium a year." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

This is the place leading the way in green steel. We're making headlines in Sydney and worldwide after Australia's biggest iron ore producer, Rio Tinto, announced it is investing US$143m to develop a research facility, in collaboration with University of Nottingham to further assess its low-carbon ironmaking process, BioIron. Microwave Process Engineering researchers in our Faculty of Engineering has been working with Rio Tinto to advance an innovative new technology to deliver low-carbon steel. BioIron uses raw biomass and microwave energy instead of coal to convert Pilbara iron ore to metallic iron in the steelmaking process. When combined with the use of renewable energy and carbon-circulation by fast-growing biomass, BioIron has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 95% compared with the current blast furnace method. There's been international media coverage of the story, including this The Sydney Morning Herald article: https://lnkd.in/eZuur_Zs Read more about our Advanced Materials research group: https://lnkd.in/evWPK-Ng University of Nottingham Research UoN Zero Carbon Cluster

Indonesia understates methane emissions from coal, says report. JAKARTA – Methane emissions from Indonesia’s expanding coal mining sector are significantly under-reported, jeopardising the nation’s international climate commitments, according to new analysis from energy think-tank Ember. The world’s third-biggest coal miner after China and India undercounts methane emissions from production of the fuel by six to seven times, according to Ember, which cited independent estimates from scientists using satellites and mine-level data compiled by non-profit Global Energy Monitor. Indonesia neglected to include methane releases from underground reserves, Ember said. While the country’s last official report to the United Nations used an approved approach that applies an emissions factor to each ton of coal extracted or produced, Ember said given the nature of the country’s open-cut mines, a higher factor would have been more appropriate.  The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said it needs to review the findings, a spokesperson said on March 11, a holiday in Indonesia. The discrepancies could jeopardise Indonesia’s efforts to slash releases of the gas and meet emissions reductions commitments under the Global Methane Pledge. More than 150 nations have signed the agreement, vowing by the end of this decade to cut methane by 30 per cent from 2020 levels.  Methane is the primary component of natural gas, but it can also leak during coal production when rock strata or coal seams are fractured and operators routinely vent methane into the atmosphere to reduce health and safety risks for workers. Few mines use available above-ground capture technology.  According to Ember, to improve accuracy, Indonesia should collect data and analyse emissions from individual mines and distinguish between emissions from underground and surface mines when it reports the releases. Estimates from satellites and independent analysis suggest that many countries under-report their methane emissions. In 2022, Australia revised its calculations for methane pollution from open-cut coal mines, a change that meant total national annual emissions were on average 0.3 per cent higher than stated for more than 30 years.  Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide during its first 20 years in the atmosphere, and clamping down on avoidable emissions from fossil fuels is one of the cheapest, fastest ways to avoid levels of climate change that scientists agree would be catastrophic. BLOOMBERG https://lnkd.in/gfDZdn6Q

Lithium Extraction Gets Faster and Maybe Greener, Too: Long-time Slashdot reader xetdog shared this report from IEEE Spectrum: High in the Andes mountains where the borders of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile intersect, white expanses of salt stretch for thousands of kilometers. Under these flats lie reservoirs of brine that contain upwards of 58% of the world's lithium. For decades, producers have extracted that lithium by pumping the water up to the surface and letting it evaporate until the lithium salts become concentrated enough to filter out. The process takes 12 to 18 months, leaving behind piles of waste containing other metals. It also evaporates nearly 2 million liters of local water resources, harming indigenous communities. To keep up, many companies are now developing processes to chemically or physically filter out lithium from brines and inject the brine back underground. These direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies take hours instead of months and could double the production of lithium from existing brine operations. Much as shale extraction did for oil, DLE is a "potential game-changing technology for lithium supply," because it could unlock new sources of lithium, according to a recent report by Goldman Sachs. But in contrast to shale's fracking risks, DLE brings environmental benefits, reducing land and water use, and waste... In China, a handful of commercial projects already use Chinese DLE innovator Sunresin's technology. More than 12 startups are pursuing new DLE processes, according to the article, "with the intent of commercial production as early as 2025." And America's Department of Energy is also investing millions of dollars in new DLE tech "to extract lithium from geothermal brines in the U.S., such as the Salton Sea in California, which the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates could provide over 24,000 metric tons of lithium a year." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Conventional vs. Unconventional Hydraulic Fracturing: Key Differences and Impacts Hydraulic fracturing, often referred to as "fracking," is a critical technique in the oil and gas industry that has revolutionized energy production. However, not all hydraulic fracturing is the same. There are distinct differences between conventional and unconventional hydraulic fracturing methods and here’s an overview on these important distinctions. Conventional Hydraulic Fracturing: - Overview: Typically applied to traditional oil and gas reservoirs where hydrocarbons are trapped in porous rock formations. - Process: Involves injecting high-pressure fluid into the well to create fractures in the rock, allowing oil or gas to flow more freely to the wellbore. - Reservoirs: Used in relatively permeable and porous rock formations such as sandstone and limestone. - Challenges: Primarily related to managing the pressure and ensuring the fractures are properly placed to optimize production. Unconventional Hydraulic Fracturing: - Overview: Applied to unconventional reservoirs such as shale, tight sands, and coalbeds, where hydrocarbons are trapped in low-permeability rock formations. - Process: Similar high-pressure fluid injection is used, but often involves more complex techniques like horizontal drilling to access extensive areas of the reservoir. - Reservoirs: Used in less permeable formations that require more extensive fracturing to release hydrocarbons. - Challenges: Includes managing larger volumes of water, proppant, and chemicals, as well as addressing environmental concerns and more complex geological conditions. Key Differences: 1. **Reservoir Characteristics**: - **Conventional**: Targets permeable and porous rock formations. - Unconventional: Targets low-permeability formations such as shale and tight sands. 2. Fracturing Techniques: - Conventional: Generally involves vertical wells with less extensive fracturing. - Unconventional: Often uses horizontal drilling and extensive fracturing to access hydrocarbons trapped in challenging formations. 3. Resource Extraction: - Conventional**: Typically easier and more straightforward extraction processes. - **Unconventional: Requires advanced technology and techniques to economically extract resources. 4. Environmental Impact: - Conventional: Generally lower environmental footprint due to less intensive operations. - Unconventional: Potential for higher environmental impact due to greater water usage, chemical use, and land disturbance. By understanding the differences between conventional and unconventional hydraulic fracturing, we can better appreciate the complexities and innovations driving the oil and gas industry. Let’s continue to pursue responsible and sustainable energy production practices that balance economic benefits with environmental stewardship. #HydraulicFracturing #OilAndGas #EnergyProduction #ConventionalFracturing #UnconventionalFracturing #SustainableEnergy

Lithium Extraction Gets Faster and Maybe Greener, Too: Long-time Slashdot reader xetdog shared this report from IEEE Spectrum: High in the Andes mountains where the borders of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile intersect, white expanses of salt stretch for thousands of kilometers. Under these flats lie reservoirs of brine that contain upwards of 58% of the world's lithium. For decades, producers have extracted that lithium by pumping the water up to the surface and letting it evaporate until the lithium salts become concentrated enough to filter out. The process takes 12 to 18 months, leaving behind piles of waste containing other metals. It also evaporates nearly 2 million liters of local water resources, harming indigenous communities. To keep up, many companies are now developing processes to chemically or physically filter out lithium from brines and inject the brine back underground. These direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies take hours instead of months and could double the production of lithium from existing brine operations. Much as shale extraction did for oil, DLE is a "potential game-changing technology for lithium supply," because it could unlock new sources of lithium, according to a recent report by Goldman Sachs. But in contrast to shale's fracking risks, DLE brings environmental benefits, reducing land and water use, and waste... In China, a handful of commercial projects already use Chinese DLE innovator Sunresin's technology. More than 12 startups are pursuing new DLE processes, according to the article, "with the intent of commercial production as early as 2025." And America's Department of Energy is also investing millions of dollars in new DLE tech "to extract lithium from geothermal brines in the U.S., such as the Salton Sea in California, which the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates could provide over 24,000 metric tons of lithium a year." Read more of this story at Slashdot.