Selective wellbore coatings to control fines damage in coal seam gas wells. This project aims to develop a completely new approach to control solids production in coal seam gas wellbores using a selective phase-inversion polymer coating. The approach will take advantage of the low permeability of mudrocks to form a protective barrier across clay-rich layers while remaining permeable across the gas-producing coal seams. The production of fine solids is a key technical issue affecting the producti ....Selective wellbore coatings to control fines damage in coal seam gas wells. This project aims to develop a completely new approach to control solids production in coal seam gas wellbores using a selective phase-inversion polymer coating. The approach will take advantage of the low permeability of mudrocks to form a protective barrier across clay-rich layers while remaining permeable across the gas-producing coal seams. The production of fine solids is a key technical issue affecting the productivity of coal seam gas wells in Queensland, and leads to 10-15 days’ production downtime a year. The expected outcomes of the project include fundamental understanding of the solids breakage phenomena, a predictive tool to classify potential solids risks in coal seam gas wells, and a novel rock-selective wellbore coating technology to control solids production. The potential economic impacts from the project are lower gas production costs and improved gas supply security.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100213
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,000.00
Summary
x-ray transparent core flood apparatus . X-ray transparent core flood apparatus: This facility is a novel X-ray transparent flow vessel and ancillaries for achieving direct, near-real-time, 3D measurement and visualisation of material flow inside rock samples. It will enable direct evaluation of how liquid, liquid-solid, gas-liquid and gas-liquid-solid flows behave in cores replicating conditions in underground reservoirs. The coal seam gas, shale gas and oil, and geothermal energy recovery rely ....x-ray transparent core flood apparatus . X-ray transparent core flood apparatus: This facility is a novel X-ray transparent flow vessel and ancillaries for achieving direct, near-real-time, 3D measurement and visualisation of material flow inside rock samples. It will enable direct evaluation of how liquid, liquid-solid, gas-liquid and gas-liquid-solid flows behave in cores replicating conditions in underground reservoirs. The coal seam gas, shale gas and oil, and geothermal energy recovery rely on precise understanding and simulation of subsurface flow. This apparatus will provide a new method to measure and visualise otherwise inaccessible flow behaviour, at a high level of detail, providing characterisation and model validation data underpinning reservoir simulations.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC150100019
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,571,797.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas Futures. ARC Training Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas Futures. This training centre aims to deliver projects and training to enable future Australian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production from reserves in deep water, at small or remote on-shore locations, with greater efficiency, less environmental impact, and at lower cost than currently possible. This should be accomplished via research projects undertaken by the PhD students and research fellows ....ARC Training Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas Futures. ARC Training Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas Futures. This training centre aims to deliver projects and training to enable future Australian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production from reserves in deep water, at small or remote on-shore locations, with greater efficiency, less environmental impact, and at lower cost than currently possible. This should be accomplished via research projects undertaken by the PhD students and research fellows with guidance from the centre’s industrial partners. The centre’s expected legacy is a unique research and training facility, designed for future integration into a microscale LNG plant. The anticipated research and training outcomes will help to ensure Australia plays a leading role in future global LNG developments.Read moreRead less
Advanced environmental technologies for increasing coal seam permeability. This project aims to understand the physical/chemical mechanisms occurring when benign chemicals interact and dissolve minerals and coal surfaces in the natural fractures during the extraction of coal seam gas. Technologies for increasing the permeability of coal have become necessary for commercially viable coal seam gas (CSG) extraction in Australia. Currently available methods from the conventional gas industry, are pr ....Advanced environmental technologies for increasing coal seam permeability. This project aims to understand the physical/chemical mechanisms occurring when benign chemicals interact and dissolve minerals and coal surfaces in the natural fractures during the extraction of coal seam gas. Technologies for increasing the permeability of coal have become necessary for commercially viable coal seam gas (CSG) extraction in Australia. Currently available methods from the conventional gas industry, are problematic for coal, and fail to capitalise on coal’s existing fracture network. The intended project outcome is a range of new coal-specific technologies for enhancing permeability that avoid unwanted and irreversible damage to seams and protect the environment. Combined with reduced costs, these methods would benefit sustainable growth of Australia’s CSG industry.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100117
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$940,000.00
Summary
An advanced, macro-scale, hydro-thermo-mechanical testing chamber for sustainable deep geological applications. The Advanced Macro-scale Testing Chamber (AMTC) is a novel laboratory testing device capable of recreating deep geological conditions which can occur at depths of up to 13km underground. The AMTC will help scientists and engineers understand the Earth's behaviour during deep geological activities such as geothermal energy collection, pollutant disposal, underground mining and earthquak ....An advanced, macro-scale, hydro-thermo-mechanical testing chamber for sustainable deep geological applications. The Advanced Macro-scale Testing Chamber (AMTC) is a novel laboratory testing device capable of recreating deep geological conditions which can occur at depths of up to 13km underground. The AMTC will help scientists and engineers understand the Earth's behaviour during deep geological activities such as geothermal energy collection, pollutant disposal, underground mining and earthquake modelling.Read moreRead less
New nanotechnology controlling wettability in unconventional gas reservoirs. This project aims to develop new nanoparticle technologies to change rock wettability and significantly increase gas production from shale and coal seam gas fields. The project plans to use a unique combination of new theoretical models for suspension transport in fractures and innovative mathematical modelling supported by laboratory studies and validated against field results, to test and develop the new strategies fo ....New nanotechnology controlling wettability in unconventional gas reservoirs. This project aims to develop new nanoparticle technologies to change rock wettability and significantly increase gas production from shale and coal seam gas fields. The project plans to use a unique combination of new theoretical models for suspension transport in fractures and innovative mathematical modelling supported by laboratory studies and validated against field results, to test and develop the new strategies for Australian gas fields. The project is expected to improve understanding of complex physical phenomena associated with natural gas production and to deliver economic benefit to the Australian gas industry.Read moreRead less
New Stratigraphy and Geostatistics for Gas and Water Resources . Management of gas and water resources is of significant importance to the Australian economy and society. Industry and government use digital modelling to assist in resources management. The first step in modelling is to correlate geological data and then use geostatistics to estimate properties in areas without data. This project aims to produce a new geological framework for the Surat Basin underpinned by new zircon ages and ages ....New Stratigraphy and Geostatistics for Gas and Water Resources . Management of gas and water resources is of significant importance to the Australian economy and society. Industry and government use digital modelling to assist in resources management. The first step in modelling is to correlate geological data and then use geostatistics to estimate properties in areas without data. This project aims to produce a new geological framework for the Surat Basin underpinned by new zircon ages and ages of fossils in sediments and a new geostatistical methodology to better represent flow properties in coal seams and aquifers. This is expected result in a more accurate modelling methodology that can be used by industry and government for modelling resources, including in other basins in Australia and worldwide.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the flux of fugitive greenhouse gasses associated with coal seam gas and calibrating it to natural baseline and anthropogenic sources. Recent studies show that fugitive methane emissions associated with coal seam gas extraction pose a source of greenhouse gasses. In addition to the possible environmental impacts of methane emissions, quantifying the magnitude of emissions has potentially significant implications for future tax liabilities that could change the economics of the unconv ....Quantifying the flux of fugitive greenhouse gasses associated with coal seam gas and calibrating it to natural baseline and anthropogenic sources. Recent studies show that fugitive methane emissions associated with coal seam gas extraction pose a source of greenhouse gasses. In addition to the possible environmental impacts of methane emissions, quantifying the magnitude of emissions has potentially significant implications for future tax liabilities that could change the economics of the unconventional energy boom in Australia. The proposed research by an interdisciplinary team representing regulators, industry, and university researchers would establish a methodology for quantifying the flux of methane from gas fields. It would establish the range of natural baselines and determine the major sources of methane emissions using newly available highly sensitive instruments.Read moreRead less
From organo-mineral nanocomposite to Australian basins; an integrated approach to unconventional gas exploration and development. Gas production from unconventional shale reservoirs is a potential major energy boom in Australia that will lower carbon emissions over comparable coal and oil use. The geological controls of shale are currently too poorly understood to direct effective exploration. This project will be the largest international effort to develop this knowledge.