A new study of magnetic nanoparticle transport and quantifying magnetization analysis in fractured shale reservoir using numerical modeling

摘要

The application of nanoparticles has successfully attracted much attention due to the potential advantages of nanotechnology to lead to revolutionary changes in the oil and gas industry, such as nano-scale sensors, enhanced oil recovery and subsurface mapping. This paper will study the potential application of magnetic nanoparticles as contrast agents to enhance signals from well logging as well as improve reservoir and fracture characterization. Little work has been conducted to establish numerical models for investigating nanoparticle transport in reservoirs, and even less for unconventional reservoirs. Unlike conventional reservoirs, shale formations could contain four different pore systems: inorganic matter, organic matter dominated by hydrocarbon wettability, natural fractures and hydraulic fractures. These various pore media increase the difficulty to exactly describe the transport of nanoparticles along with aqueous phase. Concurrently, hydraulic fractures and the associated stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) from induced fractures need to be considered in hydraulically fractured reservoirs because of its significant assistance to well productivity.