WTI 93, Brent 111...... So?
World is going gaga over Shale oil and gas. Hell..... even China is allowing foreigners to come in and tell them how to exploit their shale resources!! (Can you believe that?!!!)
Does that mean do we know a lot about it? Nopes. Nada.
Self-proclaimed experts abound as they do whenever some new stuff comes around. But the fact remains that not many people have any data which can be used to see if any theories make any sense.... and those who do have some data, are not talking!
Where is the oil? How does it flow? What kind of pore-spaces does it come from? Do nano-pores have an effect on the composition of the hydrocarbon fluid? Do the intermediate pore throats connecting the pore spaces cause the fluid to change behavior?
So many questions..... But are they the questions one should be concerned about? Of course..... how else will we be able to 'simulate' shale oil? But currently, the questions being raised are the easier ones, concerning the hydraulic frac designs, effect of natural fracs, completion techniques etc etc. Answering these will help the initial development but won't be able to take us too far unless we can answer the more detailed unknowns....
World is going gaga over Shale oil and gas. Hell..... even China is allowing foreigners to come in and tell them how to exploit their shale resources!! (Can you believe that?!!!)
Does that mean do we know a lot about it? Nopes. Nada.
Self-proclaimed experts abound as they do whenever some new stuff comes around. But the fact remains that not many people have any data which can be used to see if any theories make any sense.... and those who do have some data, are not talking!
Where is the oil? How does it flow? What kind of pore-spaces does it come from? Do nano-pores have an effect on the composition of the hydrocarbon fluid? Do the intermediate pore throats connecting the pore spaces cause the fluid to change behavior?
So many questions..... But are they the questions one should be concerned about? Of course..... how else will we be able to 'simulate' shale oil? But currently, the questions being raised are the easier ones, concerning the hydraulic frac designs, effect of natural fracs, completion techniques etc etc. Answering these will help the initial development but won't be able to take us too far unless we can answer the more detailed unknowns....
