In-situ conversion of process of oil shale has been technically proven as a pilot field project. Gradually heating the reservoir by using subsurface electric heaters converts the oil shale reservoir kerogen into oil, gas and other producible components. This process also enhances the internal energy of the porous media as well as the subsurface fluid. Heat is transmitted in the reservoir within each fluid by different processes i.e. , due to the flow of fluid called advective process, and due to molecular diffusion where dispersive and diffusive processes take place. Heat transfer through conduction and convection mechanisms in the porous media are modeled mathematically and numerically incorporating the advective, dispersive and diffusive processes in the reservoir. The results show the production of oil and gas as a result of conversion of kerogen due to modeled heat dissipation.
References
[1]
Brandt, A.R. (2008) Converting Oil Shale to Liquid Fuels: Energy Inputs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the Shell in Situ Conversion Process. Environmental Science & Technology, 42, 7489-7495. https://doi.org/10.1021/es800531f
[2]
Demirbas, A. (2016) Conversion of Oil Shale to Liquid Hydrocarbons. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 38, 2698-2703. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2015.1115925
[3]
Bai, F., Sun, Y., Liu, Y. and Guo, M. (2017) Evaluation of the Porous Structure of Huadian Oil Shale during Pyrolysis Using Multiple Approaches. Fuel, 187, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2016.09.012
[4]
El-Mofty, S.E., Khairy, N., El-Kammar, A.M. and El-Midany, A.A. (2018) Effect of Mineralogical Composition and Kerogen Content on Oil Shale Natural Floatability. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 40, 1144-1152. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2018.1474298
[5]
Haijun, F., Zafar, A., Alam, S.G., Kashif, M. and Mehmood, A. (2017) Analyses of Nature of Fault through Production Data. Open Journal of Yangtze Gas and Oil, 2, 176-190. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojogas.2017.23014
[6]
Mehmood, A., Yao, J., Fan, D., Bongole, K., Liu, J. and Zhang, X. (2019) Potential for Heat Production by Retrofitting Abandoned Gas Wells into Geothermal Wells. PLoS ONE, 14, e0220128. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220128
[7]
Taylor, O.J. (1987) Benefits, Requirements and Effects of Different Levels of Oil-Shale Development. Oil Shale, Water Resources, and Valuable Minerals of the Piceance Basin, Colorado, the Challenges and Choices of Development, USGS. https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1310
[8]
Wu, Y.-S. and Pruess, K. (2000) Numerical Simulation of Non-Isothermal Multiphase Tracer Transport in Heterogeneous Fractured Porous Media. Advances in Water Resources, 23, 699-723. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1708(00)00008-7
[9]
Zafar, A. and Fan, H.J. (2017) Combination of Geological, Geophysical and Reservoir Engineering Analyses in Field Development: A Case Study. International Journal of Environmental, Chemical, Ecological, Geological and Geophysical Engineering, 11, 36-43.
[10]
Zafar, A., et al. (2019) The Numerical Simulation and Well Bore Modeling of Steam Injection and Stored Heat Recovery from Light Oil Reservoir. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2019.1676331
[11]
Zafar, A., et al. (2019) The Numerical Simulation of Effects of Porosity, Permeability and Fluid Saturation on Heat Dissipation in an Oil Reservoir. 2nd International Conference of Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Tunisia, 25-28 November 2019.
[12]
Zafar, A., et al. (2020) Tight Gas Production Model Considering TPG as a Function of Pore Pressure, Permeability and Water Saturation. Petroleum Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12182-020-00430-4
[13]
Han, J., Sun, Y., Guo, W., Li, Q. and Deng, S. (2019) Characterization of Pyrolysis of Nong’an Oil Shale at Different Temperatures and Analysis of Pyrolysate. Oil Shale, 36, 151-170. https://doi.org/10.3176/oil.2019.2S.06
[14]
Jia, J., Qian, R. and He, J. (2019) Achieving Resilience and Sustainability through Innovative Design for Oil Shale Pyrolysis Process Model. Oil Shale, 36, 142-150. https://doi.org/10.3176/oil.2019.2S.05
[15]
Kashif, M., Cao, Y., Yuan, G., et al. (2019) Sedimentological Impact on Reservoir Quality of Es1 Sandstone of Shahejie Formation, Nanpu Sag, East China. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 12, 545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4671-y
[16]
Liu, D.X., Wang, H.Y., Zheng, D.W., Fang, C.H. and Ge, Z.X. (2009) World Progress of Oil Shale In-Situ Exploitation Methods. Natural Gas Industry, 29, 128-132.
[17]
Mehmood, A., Yao, J., Fun, D.Y. and Zafar, A. (2017) Geothermal Energy Potential of Pakistan on the Basis of Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells. Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology, 7, 332. https://doi.org/10.4172/2157-7463.1000332
[18]
Mehmood, A., Yao, J. and Fun, D.Y. (2017) Future Electricity Production from Geothermal Resources Using Oil and Gas Wells. Open Journal of Yangtze Gas and Oil, 2, 191-200. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojogas.2017.24015
