Supercritical CO2 fracking for enhanced shale gas recovery and CO2 sequestration: results, status and future challenges

TLDR

Supercritical CO₂‑based fracturing can enhance shale gas recovery while reducing water use and offers potential for CO₂ sequestration. The study aims to deepen understanding of multiphase, multicomponent gas behavior in shale reservoirs—specifically ScCO₂, CO₂, and CH₄—through laboratory experiments, theoretical modeling, field validation, and to highlight future research challenges. Authors employed laboratory experiments, theoretical model development, and field validation to investigate ScCO₂ drilling and completion mechanisms, fracturing technology, CO₂/CH₄ adsorption competition, coupled multiphase flow, and sequestration.

Abstract

Supercritical carbon dioxide(ScCO 2 )-based fracturing technology associating with CO 2 enhanced shale gas recovery is a promising technology to reduce the water consumption of shale gas production and could provide the potential for CO 2 sequestration. Advancing the understanding of complex gas shale reservoir behavior in the presence ofmultiphase and multicomponent gases (ScCO 2 , gaseous CO 2 and CH 4 etc.) via laboratory experiments, theoretical model development and field validation studies is very important. In this paper, the progress of some key scientific problems such as the mechanism of S c CO 2 drilling and completion, the ScCO 2 fracturing technology, the competition adsorption behaviors of CO 2 /CH 4 in shale, the coupled multiphase and multicomponent CO 2 /CH 4 flow during the CO 2 enhanced shale gas recovery process and the CO 2 sequestration potential in shale formation were discussed. Finally, the challenges of the technique will face and the further research is needed in the future is also exposed. Cited as : Zhou, J., Hu, N., Xian, X., Zhou, L., Tang, J., Kang, Y., Wang, H. Supercritical CO 2 fracking for enhanced shale gas recovery and CO 2 sequestration: Results, status and future challenges. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2019, 3(2): 207-224, doi: 10.26804/ager.2019.02.10