I-Corps: Electric Reservoir Stimulation

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is a novel, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly solution for production improvement in oil, gas, geothermal, and groundwater reservoirs. Fracking/stimulation is a required step after drilling to increase permeability and get access to the trapped geofluid in sedimentary and rock formations. This method provides an alternative or complimentary reservoir permeability enhancement solution to current high-pressure water/acid injection-based method such as hydraulic or acid fracking. This proposed innovation will allow for an economical permeability increase without water contamination and induced seismic activities. Furthermore, this method will alleviate the demand in water stressed areas. This I-Corps project will identify the commercial potential for developing a novel Electric Reservoir Stimulation (ERS) method that increases reservoir permeability for petroleum and geothermal applications, without requiring pumping material into the subsurface. This method will consist of controlled high voltage electrical pulses applied in two electrodes placed at the depth of interest between wells. In this method, the conductivity of the geofluid along with the pulse discharge parameters (amplitude, width, frequency), and treatment time will determine the effect on the permeability of the reservoir rock. Fluid mobility is increased due to viscosity reduction and reservoir permeability is increased in the direction of interest from the vibrational removal of particles within pores. We're performing experimental analysis in our lab on different core samples to see the effects of the proposed electric treatment. Additionally, numerical simulations are used to predict the effect of proposed method and power requirements in reservoir scale. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.