Improved hydrogen geological storage via zeta potential measurements. Hydrogen is a clean fuel which has the potential to revolutionize the energy supply chain by complete decarbonisation. An estimated 50-fold increase in the global hydrogen market is expected by 2050, totalling AUD$16.3 trillion. However, the key barrier to a hydrogen economy is hydrogen storage, as hydrogen is highly volatile, compressible and flammable. Underground hydrogen storage, i.e. storage of hydrogen in sedimentary geo ....Improved hydrogen geological storage via zeta potential measurements. Hydrogen is a clean fuel which has the potential to revolutionize the energy supply chain by complete decarbonisation. An estimated 50-fold increase in the global hydrogen market is expected by 2050, totalling AUD$16.3 trillion. However, the key barrier to a hydrogen economy is hydrogen storage, as hydrogen is highly volatile, compressible and flammable. Underground hydrogen storage, i.e. storage of hydrogen in sedimentary geologic formations, is a potential option to solve this problem. In this project we will provide fundamental data required to establish hydrogen underground monitoring techniques, and to develop associated large-scale models with which underground hydrogen storage efficiency and security can be predicted.Read moreRead less
Mudstones as methane sources: gas production from coal seam interburden. Carbonaceous mudstones associated with coal measures already exploited for gas present an attractive reservoir of methane. This project seeks to provide methods for accessing this gas. Mudstone associated with coal seam gas developments are very extensive and gas quantities may exceed even that in the coal itself. Further infrastructure and access permits are already in place for coal seam gas recovery. Unlike shale, which ....Mudstones as methane sources: gas production from coal seam interburden. Carbonaceous mudstones associated with coal measures already exploited for gas present an attractive reservoir of methane. This project seeks to provide methods for accessing this gas. Mudstone associated with coal seam gas developments are very extensive and gas quantities may exceed even that in the coal itself. Further infrastructure and access permits are already in place for coal seam gas recovery. Unlike shale, which is fissile, mudstone is much softer, more malleable and plastic, and consequently will respond abnormally to hydraulic fracturing and propping, so new methods proposed to be developed in this project are needed for stimulation.Read moreRead less
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
Low-density high-performance proppants for hydraulic fracturing process . Australia has vast resources of unconventional oil/gas, which require hydraulic fracturing to stimulate production. This project aims to develop advanced low-density high-performance proppants from industry waste for hydraulic fracturing. This will be achieved by selecting purer SiO2 raw material, carefully designing the porous structure, and fully understanding its relationship with strength and pack conductivity. Low-den ....Low-density high-performance proppants for hydraulic fracturing process . Australia has vast resources of unconventional oil/gas, which require hydraulic fracturing to stimulate production. This project aims to develop advanced low-density high-performance proppants from industry waste for hydraulic fracturing. This will be achieved by selecting purer SiO2 raw material, carefully designing the porous structure, and fully understanding its relationship with strength and pack conductivity. Low-density means no chemicals in proppant transportation and application. Successful development of such high-performance proppants will significantly increase Australia oil/gas exploration and production with an environmental acceptable technology, a leap forward for the oil/gas industry in Australia and the world.Read moreRead less
Controlling hydrate slurry flow to enable deepwater oil and gas production. This project aims to investigate the plugging of hydrate slurries in pipelines to determine under what conditions they will flow satisfactorily without forming a blockage. Hydrate blockages are expensive and hazardous occurrences in oil and gas operations, so current prevention systems aim to avoid hydrate formation altogether through over-design. These over-designed hydrate prevention systems are extremely expensive to ....Controlling hydrate slurry flow to enable deepwater oil and gas production. This project aims to investigate the plugging of hydrate slurries in pipelines to determine under what conditions they will flow satisfactorily without forming a blockage. Hydrate blockages are expensive and hazardous occurrences in oil and gas operations, so current prevention systems aim to avoid hydrate formation altogether through over-design. These over-designed hydrate prevention systems are extremely expensive to build and costly to run during the operations phase. The project intends to examine the behaviour of hydrate slurry flow as a function of the oil's properties, amount of water and degree of turbulence. Outcomes are intended to be a sophisticated approach to avoiding hydrate blockages that is safe but more efficient and less costly.Read moreRead less
Core-scale geodynamic rock-typing of reservoir rock. This project aims to develop a robust classification method for reservoir rock incorporating static, dynamic and mechanical attributes via multiscale digital core analysis using the concept of regional measures. Rock-types are used to populate reservoir models in a sophisticated routine of geological classification, spatial modelling and uncertainty analysis. Introducing high-resolution rock-types incorporating hydraulic properties and compact ....Core-scale geodynamic rock-typing of reservoir rock. This project aims to develop a robust classification method for reservoir rock incorporating static, dynamic and mechanical attributes via multiscale digital core analysis using the concept of regional measures. Rock-types are used to populate reservoir models in a sophisticated routine of geological classification, spatial modelling and uncertainty analysis. Introducing high-resolution rock-types incorporating hydraulic properties and compaction allows the development of a new generation of reservoir simulators. The project aims to derive a consistent high-resolution definition of rock-types incorporating compaction for petrophysical, geological and reservoir engineering purposes. This would greatly enhance our capacity to develop thinly layered reservoirs with direct applications in 4-D seismic reservoir characterisation and the development of unconventional reservoirs.Read moreRead less
Enhanced productivity of coal seam gas wells by continuous gas circulation. This project aims to develop foam assisted continuous gas circulation for dewatering new and existing coal seam gas wells. The potential benefits of this new method include enhanced gas production, better well control, reduced costs and better environmental effectiveness. The proposed solution eliminates the need for mechanical pumps which are currently used for dewatering, and which fail regularly due to gas and solids ....Enhanced productivity of coal seam gas wells by continuous gas circulation. This project aims to develop foam assisted continuous gas circulation for dewatering new and existing coal seam gas wells. The potential benefits of this new method include enhanced gas production, better well control, reduced costs and better environmental effectiveness. The proposed solution eliminates the need for mechanical pumps which are currently used for dewatering, and which fail regularly due to gas and solids accumulation within the production wells. Continuous gas circulation could achieve significant savings in downtime and maintenance costs. In addition, reducing onsite maintenance will minimise access requirements for maintenance rigs which disrupt rural activities where the wells are located, thus easing local traffic and reduce the environmental impacts that are associated with well workovers.Read moreRead less
Mobile and rapid nuclear magnetic resonance characterisation of oilfield emulsions. Oilfield emulsions, which can severely disrupt crude oil production, require droplet sizing in order to enable separation of the emulsified water. This project will provide this measurement capability based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance techniques, as are frequently used for chemical identification and medical diagnostics.
In-situ Characterisation of Coal from Coal Seam Gas Developments. We aim to develop advanced methods for determination of coal properties required for optimising gas recovery, scheduling future developments and water management by Queensland Gas Company. We will characterise multiphase flow of gas and water in coal cores by Positron Emission Tomography and flooding experiments. Advancement in knowledge is achieved by using massive data from 4D-imaging to predict evolution of petrophysical proper ....In-situ Characterisation of Coal from Coal Seam Gas Developments. We aim to develop advanced methods for determination of coal properties required for optimising gas recovery, scheduling future developments and water management by Queensland Gas Company. We will characterise multiphase flow of gas and water in coal cores by Positron Emission Tomography and flooding experiments. Advancement in knowledge is achieved by using massive data from 4D-imaging to predict evolution of petrophysical properties at in situ condition in different types of coal. This will future proof Australia as the world’s largest exporter of natural gas and will provide significant benefit for the industry in satisfying domestic gas security, maintaining international commitment and addressing environmental concerns. Read moreRead less
Coal seam gas: Experimental and theoretical developments. This project aims to reduce the uncertainty and risk associated with the coal seam gas industry – control water production and optimisation of methane production. Understanding multi-physics in coal beds is necessary to address this challenge. This project will explore two-phase flow in fractures, sorption and diffusion mechanisms, stress dependency, and the complex coupling of these processes in coal beds. This is expected to enhance kno ....Coal seam gas: Experimental and theoretical developments. This project aims to reduce the uncertainty and risk associated with the coal seam gas industry – control water production and optimisation of methane production. Understanding multi-physics in coal beds is necessary to address this challenge. This project will explore two-phase flow in fractures, sorption and diffusion mechanisms, stress dependency, and the complex coupling of these processes in coal beds. This is expected to enhance knowledge of fluid transport in coal beds and improve the capacity to safely and efficiently exploit this resource.Read moreRead less