The Center for Oil Shale Technology and Research … · The Center for Oil Shale Technology and Research ... COSTAR Colorado School of Mines Golden Colorado . ceri Purpose zColorado

ceri

The Center for Oil Shale Technology and Research

Jeremy BoakDirector, COSTARColorado School of MinesGolden Colorado

ceri

Purpose

Colorado School of Mines (CSM) initiated Center for Oil Shale Technology and Research (COSTAR) to integrate efforts in– Scientific and engineering research– Information management – Technical review, education, and communication

Related to development and production of hydrocarbons from oil shale

ceri

Major Research Objectives

Support development of oil shale resources to enhance global energy suppliesMinimize environmental consequences of developing oil shale

ceri

Initial Motivation for COSTAR

Presence of world-leading oil shale resources in the Green River Formation Historic connection of Mines with oil shaleClear energy security benefits for Colorado and the United StatesGrowing global interest in oil shale resources Potential for scientific leadership in research supporting development

ceri

Participation in COSTAR

Headquartered at CSM– Geology & Geological Engineering– Geophysics– Engineering (Civil, Petroleum)Research participants – University of Wisconsin, Madison – Binghamton University (SUNY) New York– National Center for Atmospheric Research

(NCAR) Boulder, CO Relationship with U. S. Geological Survey

ceri

COSTAR Member Representatives

Total Exploration & Production– Pierre Allix

Shell Exploration & Production– Matthew Holman

ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company– Michele Thomas

ceri

Initial COSTAR Research Projects

Geomechanical Behavior of Oil ShaleGeologic Controls on Oil Shale PropertiesGeochemical Properties and Analytical Methods for Oil Shale ProductionOil Shale Information Center

ceri

Geomechanical Behavior of Oil Shale

Physical properties of oil shale– Mechanical & elastic

properties of oil shale at ultrasonic & seismic frequencies

– Mike Batzle, Manika Prasad

Fracturing behavior of rock – Esp. elevated temperatures – Resource characterization – in situ process evaluation– John Berger, Graham

Mustoe, Vaughan Griffiths

Scanning acoustic microscope image of kerogen distribution in an organic-rich shale

ceri

Geologic Controls on Oil Shale Properties

Geologic, stratigraphic, petrologic and climatologic evaluation of oil shale– Green River Formation– Initial comparisons to other

basins internationally

Provide underlying framework for resource characterization and broader geologic understandingSarg et al. presentation in this Symposium

Personnel• Rick Sarg, CSM• Alan Carroll, U. Wisconsin• Tim Lowenstein, Binghamton

U.• Caspar Ammann, NCAR

ceri

Digital Scan of Sample

1 cm

ceri

Modal Mineralogy

volume %

Note: Accessory phases includes titanium-bearing minerals, apatite, zircon, halite, and chlorite.

Feldspar_Albite 30.0

Carbonate Mud 27.4

Dolomite 14.5

CaMgCO3 Fe-Bearing 11.2

Calcite 4.8

Quartz 3.9

Feldspar_Anorthite 3.2

Background 2.5

Mixed Fe-Phase 2.0

Illite/Muscovite 0.7

Biotite/Phlogopite 0.6

K_Feldspar 0.5

Fe-Sulfides 0.4

Accessory Phases 0.3

Anhydrite/Gypsum 0.2

Others 0.2

ceri

Geochemical Properties & Analytical Methods

Evaluation of options for standard assay of oil shale (Fischer Assay 2.0?)– Define need– Define requirements to meet need– Two workshops planned– Soliciting interest

Research on organic geochemistry of oil shale– Analytical development (follow on to above)– Characterization

ceri

Oil Shale Information Center

Development of a geographically referenced global database of oil shale information Research support & analysis for the data

ceri

Water Resource Geospatial Infrastructure for oil shale development

DOE-NETL grant$1.4 MM over three yearsGIS- and Web-based Leveraged participation from participants & AMSOCSM, U. Texas San Antonio, Idaho National LaboratoryIncipient collaborations with USGS, UGS, U. Utah

ceri

Future Directions

Environmental Research– Hydrology– Carbon managementPotential expansion of Information Office– Separate consortium opportunity– International in scope– Initial stagesRecruiting additional COSTAR members