Research

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Title :

Production of Shale Gas Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Fracturing in Shale Reservoir

Area of research :

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Principal Investigator :

Dr. Amit Verma, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gujarat

Timeline Start Year :

2022

Timeline End Year :

2024

Contact info :

Equipments :

Details

Executive Summary :

The global gas demand is expected to rise to 50% between 2010-2035, with unconventional resources contributing 1/3rd of its demand by 2035. India's energy situation is precarious due to expanding industry and population growth. The Indian government has decided to lower its energy import load to 10% by 2022 and increase gas contribution from 6% to 15%. This can be achieved by relying on renewable energy sources or developing current unconventional energy sources like shale gas. Shale gas plays a vital role in strengthening energy security and reducing anthropogenic emissions and environmental issues. India, which has been a significant contributor to gas production from unconventional sources, is yet to use shale gas. As a growing country, it may find shale gas a vital energy resource for economic growth. More money has been spent identifying commercially recoverable basins for natural gas exploration. India has 96 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of theoretically recoverable shale gas, with the first exploratory shale gas well drilled in 2013. Sedimentary basins of Cambay, Cauvery, Krishna-Godavari (K-G), and Damodar valley have been prioritized for shale gas assessment due to their significant potential. Shale formation is of extremely low permeability, making shale gas production complex and costly. Advancements in fracturing technologies have proven game-changers in shale gas production. The critical question needs to be addressed: what are the desired fracturing techniques for shale gas production? CO2 fracturing, an emerging technique in the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) portfolio, can be used as a novel waterless fracturing fluid to enhance shale gas production.

Total Budget (INR):

31,15,560

Organizations involved