Western Region Geological, hydrogeological,

technological and social aspects of natural gas

production from Silurian shale rocks

Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas

O.P. Petrovskyy, T.O. Fedchenko, O.M. Cihovska, N.P. Kukhar

© ІФНТУНГ 2015

1. Geological structure of western end of East European

platform and characteristic of gas perspective Silurian

shale rocks.

2. Hydrogeological characteristic of western end of East

European platform. The main sources of fresh water

and volumes of its consumption in Ivano-Frankivsk

and Lviv Region.

3. The main stages of exploration and development of

fields of natural gas from shale rocks.

4. Technical and social aspects of exploration and

development of fields of natural gas from shale rocks

in Ivano-Frankivsk Region.

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Administrative division of Ivano-Frankivsk

and Lviv Regions

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I

I

II

II

III

III

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Facies map of Silurian sediments

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I

II

II

III

III

Depth up to

upper

boundary: 2000

m

Thickness:

600-1200 m

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Map of thicknesses of Silurian sediments

and placement of wells

Hydrogeological zoning of

Western Ukraine Surface and subsurface water of Oleska area

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The main source of water – surface water

The largest shale gas fields in the USA

Perspective Oleska Area S=6 324 km2

Average annual volume of water used in the

course of development of Barnett field (15 000

wells): 5,3 million m3 (< 2% general Texas offtake)

Marcellus field: 75 million m3 (0,8% general offtake of New York,

Western Virginia and Pennsylvania)

PREDICTED

AVERAGE ANNUAL VOLUME OF

WATER, NECESSARY TO

DEVELOP

OLESKA AREA:

2,26 million m3

(0,63% general offtake of Lviv and

Ivano-Frankivsk Regions)

Average annual volume of water used to develop

km2 of shale gas field

Fraction of water used for shale gas field

development relative to general territory offtake

Sources of water withdrawal for wells drilling in the

USA (fraction of each fluctuates depending on

hydrogeological situation in a certain region):

- Surface water

- Groundwater

- Municipal and private water reservoirs

- Reuse of discharged water after treatment

With the establishment of technology and field

development methodology, volumes of water, used for a

well are decreased with the lapse of time!!! * http://fracfocus.org/

Correlation of fields’

square areas

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Water consumption by the main industrial bodies (in 2012)

Provision with water

resources per 1

person:

3,22 thousand m3/ year

(Ivano-Frankivsk

Region)

1,82 thousand m3/ year

(Lviv Region)

Fraction of water resources

consumption by different branches in

2012.

Surface and subsurface water

resources

Ти

по

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й г

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ECOLOGICAL HAZARDS

of formation hydrofracturing connected with:

- groundwater contamination;

-surface water contamination.

Perspective Silurian shales are

buried at least 2000 m deeper

than fresh waterbearing

horizons and are overlapped

by thick layers (1000-2000 m)

of tight rocks.

The main waterbearing

horizons, used for water

offtake are buried at the depth

of up to 1000 m.

Typical well design

Well design provides for reliable insulation of water bearing horizons

from technological fluids along the whole length of its shaft.

To eliminate ecological hazards it’s necessary to maintain operating

practices of drilling.

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THE MAIN ECOLOGICAL

HAZARDS: -salt contamination of surface and

subsurface water and soils;

-underflooding of living

accommodations and utility

buildings;

- overflowing of brines over bank

of tailing pit # 2 and its ingression

into outer water reservoirs.

INDUSTRIAL WATER RESERVOIRS OF KALUSH-GOLYN

POTTASSIUM SALTS FIELD:

Dombrovskyy opencast mine, mine fields of deep-mined

output of potassium salts, chemical plant tailing pits

Annual growth of brines only in Dombrovskyy opencast

mine at the expense of precipitation and inflow of water

from waterbearing horizon is 4 million cub.m.

Characteristic of artificial water reservoirs of

Kalush-Golyn pottassium salts field

За 1 рік За 5 років

За 10 років

It is enough for 11 years and 11

months of Oleska Area

development

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Mining industry objects of Lviv-Volyn coal basin

Min

es o

f V

oly

no

-Po

dil

skyy b

asin

Червоноградський ГПР

Нововолинський ГПР

Correlation of brines volume and mine pit

water of the region to predicted water needs

for Oleska Area

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1. Geophysical survey, in

particular 3D seismic

prospecting

2. Geological and

geophysical

modeling

3. Optimal place selection

for an exploration well

4. Ecological monitoring of

environment before drilling

8. Geophysical

monitoring of

hydrofracturing process

5. Exploration

drilling and wells

testing

7. Production drilling

6. Petrophysical

investigation

and analysis of

core samples

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Development of natural gas from shale rocks

will enable us to solve a number of social

and economical issues:

1.Citizens will be provided with domestically produced gas

resources.

2.The region will obtain a significant number of additional

jobs incl. jobs that aren’t directly connected with

exploration, surveying and production of gas from shale

rocks.

3.Budgets of different levels will get stable financial income.

4.It will ensure development of oil and gas education,

science and technologies in Ukraine and its western region,

corresponding with the highest international standards.

5.Guaranteed development of other branches of industry

and agriculture.

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Technical forewarnings:

1. For wells drilling its necessary to use powerful drilling

rigs that ensure maximum efficiency of drilling and

decrease on state time of drilled rocks.

2.Reliable geophysical control of well cementing, especially

in the course of re-covering of waterbearing horizons with

drinking and mineralized water.

3.Hydrofracturing of shale reservoirs must be accompanied

by distant geophysical control.

4.Upon accomplishing of well exploitation it must be

properly abandoned by cementing of a well shaft itself and

outer well zone where hydrofracturing is accomplished.

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Ecological forewarnings:

1.Strictly comply with established standards concerning

environmental protection while wells drilling and placement

of other oil and gas equipment.

2.Improve working normative documents which regulate

environmental protection rules with consideration of

international and project experience.

3.Carry out preliminary ecological and hydrogeological

investigation of territory where shale gas is going to be

produced. Such an investigation will record current state of

environment and will provide the possibility to avoid

ecological hazards in future.

4.Maintain constant monitoring of ecosystem of the territory

comprising the area where a well is being drilled.

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Ecological forewarnings:

5.In the course of wells drilling it’s necessary to use cluster

drilling method (a number of directional wells are drilled

from one site) which creates minimum ecological load upon

surface.

6.Carry out reliable and controlled re-covering of surface

waterbearing horizons by steel pipes and cementing to

avoid their contamination or linking with other horizons,

fresh water horizons included.

7.Develop or use technologies which would allow recycling

of fluids used in drilling and hydrofracturing.

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Ecological forewarnings:

8.If there is a technological possibility, use for

hydrofracturing not only fresh water but also technical

water, obtained as a result of industrial activities of other

enterprises.

9.Recultivate area of drilling after abandonment of all

cluster wells.

10.Use modern world and domestic technologies to ensure

ecological safety in the course of drilling, hydrofracturing

and gas wells exploitation.

11.Invest in full recovery of ecological system in case of its

deterioration as a result of industrial activities.

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What must be done today? 1.It’s necessary to carry out complex geological investigations

aimed at generalization of all geological and geophysical

materials and creation of coordinated structure model of shale

rocks bedding territory, aimed at prediction of areas of the

most possible occurrence of gas saturated shales.

2.Provide decentralization of rent payments and value tax for

natural resources use, starting from the level of territories

owners and local budgets, where hydrocarbons are produced.

3.Reconsider the law about deduction of 10% of state income

on all product distribution agreements while hydrocarbons

production so that funds will be allocated first to the owners of

territories and only then to local budgets, district and regional

budgets.

4.Spread the application of this law to all oil and gas producing

enterprises regardless of ownership type.

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Start of exploration and surveying operations and possible

subsequent production of natural gas from shale rocks will

ensure economical upturn as well as rise of political

influence of Western Region and Ukraine in general.

Conclusion:

Reasoning from geological, technical and ecological

preconditions and in compliance with established technical

and ecological regulations concerning exploration,

surveying and production of natural gas, there are no

forewarnings as to carrying out of activities aimed at

investigation and development of prospective natural gas

resources from shale rocks.

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The list of Institutes of IFNTUOG that provide

training of engineers according to the

specialties that cover all stages of

exploration and development of natural gas

from shale rocks:

Institute of Geology and Geophysics

Institute of Environmental Engineering

Institute of Petroleum Engineering

Institute of Mechanical Engineering

Institute of Power Engineering

Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical

University of Oil and Gas (ІFNTUOG) is

the only higher educational institution in

Ukraine that trains specialists for all

areas of oil and gas industry.

The results of the mentioned studies were obtained in collaboration with Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences Drygant, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences P.V. Bodlak, Candidates of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences I.M. Kurovets, P.P.Chalyi, B.K. Polyniak, O.A. Kichko, O.V. Bulmasov The authors express their gratitude to Shevron and DEPROIL companies for initiating the study of Silurian shale sediments of Volyno-Podillia

© ІФНТУНГ 2015

Western region Geological,

hydrogeological, technological and social aspects of natural gas extraction from Silurian

shale rocks

Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas

O.P. Petrovskyi, T.O. Fedchenko, O.M. Tsikhovska, N.P. Kukhar

© IFNTUOG 2015