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Maximizing the EU shale gas potential by minimizing its environmental footprint

Fact Sheet

Result in Brief

Reporting

Results

Project information

ShaleXenvironmenT

Grant agreement ID: 640979

Project website

Start date

1 September 2015
End date

31 August 2018

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3.

Overall budget:

€ 3 399 201,75
EU contribution

€ 2 999 201,25

Coordinated by:

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

United Kingdom

Objective

Securing abundant, affordable, and clean energy remains a critical scientific challenge. Fortuitously, large shale formations occur within Europe. As the conventional gas production in Europe peaked in 2004, European shale gas could become a practical necessity for the next 50 years. However, the exploitation of shale gas remains challenging. Further, its environmental footprint is at present poorly quantified. Great care is needed to assess and pursue this energy resource in the safest possible way for the long-term future of Europe whilst protecting the European diverse natural environment.

With this in mind, ShaleXenvironmenT assembled a multi-disciplinary academic team, with strong industrial connections. A comprehensive approach is proposed towards ensuring that the future development of shale gas in Europe will safeguard the public with the best environmental data suitable for governmental appraisal, and ultimately for encouraging industrial best practice.

The primary objective is to assess the environmental footprint of shale gas exploitation in Europe in terms of water usage and contamination, induced seismicity, and fugitive emissions. Using synergistically experiments and modeling activities, ShaleXenvironmenT will achieve its objective via a fundamental understanding of rock-fluid interactions, fluid transport, and fracture initiation and propagation, via technological innovations obtained in collaboration with industry, and via improvements on characterization tools. ShaleXenvironmenT will maintain a transparent discussion with all stakeholders, including the public, and will suggest ideas for approaches on managing shale gas exploitation, impacts and risks in Europe, and eventually worldwide.

The proposed research will bring economical benefits for consultancy companies, service industry, and oil and gas conglomerates. The realization of shale gas potential in Europe is expected to contribute clean energy for, e.g., the renaissance of the manufacturing industry.

Field of Science

/engineering and technology/environmental engineering/energy and fuels/fossil energy/gas

/engineering and technology/environmental engineering/energy and fuels/renewable energy

/social sciences/social and economic geography/transport

Programme(s)

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3. - Develop competitive and environmentally safe technologies for CO2 capture, transport, storage and re-use

Topic(s)

LCE-16-2014 - Understanding, preventing and mitigating the potential environmental impacts and risks of shale gas exploration and exploitation

Call for proposal

H2020-LCE-2014-1

See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

RIA - Research and Innovation action

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Address

Gower Street
Wc1e 6bt London

United Kingdom

Activity type

Higher or Secondary Education Establishments

EU Contribution

€ 829 755

Contact the organisation

Participants (10)

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CONSORZIO INTERUNIVERSITARIO PERLO SVILUPPO DEI SISTEMI A GRANDE INTERFASE

Italy

EU Contribution

€ 309 985

ASSOCIATION POUR LA RECHERCHE ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT DES METHODES ET PROCESSUS INDUSTRIELS

France

EU Contribution

€ 249 938

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

United Kingdom

EU Contribution

€ 319 992

"NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ""DEMOKRITOS"""

Greece

EU Contribution

€ 250 000

UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE

Spain

EU Contribution

€ 280 000

USTAV FYZIKALNI CHEMIE J. HEYROVSKEHO AV CR, v. v. i.

Czechia

EU Contribution

€ 209 987,50

USTAV CHEMICKYCH PROCESU AV CR, v. v. i.

Czechia

EU Contribution

€ 150 000

HELMHOLTZ ZENTRUM POTSDAM DEUTSCHESGEOFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM GFZ

Germany

EU Contribution

€ 249 550

GEOMECON GMBH

Germany

EU Contribution

€ 149 993,75

HALLIBURTON MANUFACTURING AND SERVICES LIMITED

United Kingdom

Project information

ShaleXenvironmenT

Grant agreement ID: 640979

Project website

Start date

1 September 2015
End date

31 August 2018

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3.

Overall budget:

€ 3 399 201,75
EU contribution

€ 2 999 201,25

Coordinated by:

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

United Kingdom

This project is featured in...

RESEARCH*EU MAGAZINE

Increasingly smart, increasingly sustainable: Europe’s cities get an upgrade

Issue 83, June 2019

Project information

ShaleXenvironmenT

Grant agreement ID: 640979

Project website

Start date

1 September 2015
End date

31 August 2018

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3.

Overall budget:

€ 3 399 201,75
EU contribution

€ 2 999 201,25

Coordinated by:

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

DE EN ES FR IT PL

Making sure shale gas doesn’t fracture the society-energy relationship

With the effects of shale gas extraction uncertain within the EU, researchers assessed the possible environmental impact of this activity.

Europe has an abundance of shale formations of such potential that their extraction could become a practical necessity for the next 30-50 years. Yet, shale gas production faces many challenges, chief among which is the uncertain environmental footprint of this process. The EU-funded ShaleXenvironmenT project was established to better understand the environmental impacts of shale gas extraction in Europe. “Securing abundant, affordable and clean energy remains a critical scientific challenge,” says project leader Professor Alberto Striolo. Great care is needed to assess and pursue this energy resource in the safest possible way for the future of Europe whilst protecting its diverse natural environment. The team assessed the environmental footprints of this process by examining its impact on freshwater usage, seismicity and greenhouse gas emissions. Finding the best data to protect the environment Project work was set up to ensure safeguarding of the public, to encourage industrial best practices in shale gas extraction in Europe. The research team used experiments and models to learn about many fundamental properties around rock-fluid interactions, fluid transport and fractures initiation and propagation in rocks. “The underlying rationale was that understanding is key to minimise the environmental footprint related to producing a unit amount of shale gas,” notes Prof. Striolo. “If the community learned to extract more of the gas ‘in place’, with environmentally acceptable technologies, the environmental footprint would decrease.” The research team began by identifying the main unknowns, and they built upon collaborations with research groups in North America and elsewhere. They delivered results that could grow the collective understanding of the processes that go into shale gas production. Technological advancements Among other achievement, group members designed an instrument that allowed them to observe a fracture as it occurred in a rock sample. The researchers performed the experiment using a synchrotron and obtained results that can help the scientific community understand how fractures occur in different materials. The team also designed a fluid for fracturing that only contains environmentally friendly chemicals that are even edible, and that can work better than conventional hydraulic fracturing fluids. The ShaleXenvironmenT team identified best practices to reduce water consumption while stimulating shale formations, which could increase public acceptance of the technology. They also discovered some important relationships between minerals found in shale and their mechanical properties. This result should help the community better understand, and maybe predict the mechanical properties of shale formations around the world. Project partners developed instruments to simulate the conditions found in geological formations, and they discovered relationships between porosity and permeability. “What is truly remarkable is that all these individual advancements have been obtained synergistically and collaboratively in understanding shale gas production,” underlines Prof. Striolo. “We expect that, in due time, our contributions will promote progress toward several grand scientific challenges.” While hydraulic fracturing has remained controversial worldwide due to its contested environmental impacts, the team maintained an open channel of communication with other researchers and the public. Project researchers maintain that the public is the ultimate decision-maker with respect to what resources are to be exploited and how they should be exploited.

Keywords

ShaleXenvironmenT, shale gas, gas extraction, fracking, environmental footprint, environmental impact, clean energy, fracking fluids

Project information

ShaleXenvironmenT

Grant agreement ID: 640979

Project website

Start date

1 September 2015
End date

31 August 2018

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3.

Overall budget:

€ 3 399 201,75
EU contribution

€ 2 999 201,25

Coordinated by:

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

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Project information

ShaleXenvironmenT

Grant agreement ID: 640979

Project website

Start date

1 September 2015
End date

31 August 2018

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3.

Overall budget:

€ 3 399 201,75
EU contribution

€ 2 999 201,25

Coordinated by:

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ShaleXenvironmenT (Maximizing the EU shale gas potential by minimizing its environmental footprint)

Reporting period: 2017-03-01 to 2018-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Shale gas has generated enormous economical benefits in North America. For example, using natural gas instead of coal reduced the US CO2 emissions, the availability of abundant natural gas prompted large investments in new chemical plants, and the US is now exporting natural gas. However, producing and exploiting any natural resource comes with inherent environmental risks.

The objective of ShaleXenvironmenT is to develop a framework to quantify the environmental impact of shale gas exploration and production, with emphasis on Europe.

The society will benefit from the success of this project because an independent assessment of the risks associated with shale gas exploration and production will be provided, because fundamental understanding of a number of phenomena will be achieved, and because state-of-the-art technologies will be improved and new ones potentially introduced. Such innovations could lead to the creation of new jobs in highly technical sectors, and the reduction of environmental impact.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Characterization of rock properties. We obtained rock samples from the Bowland formation in the UK, from other EU formations, and from North America. We demonstrated that understanding the mineral-scale control on permeability in these rocks is essential to calculate realistic estimates of the extent of recoverable gas reserves of many European countries. We undertook novel 3D imaging of the microstructure of the shale samples at multiple scales from micro- to nano-metres. We imaged the pores (where gas would be held), the connection between the pores (which control flow of gas) and the natural fractures present (that enhance gas production). In one innovative experiment, we monitored fracturing and healing of rock samples using the synchrotron. We analysed the geomechanical properties of some European shales: Bowland shales, which are clay—poor, deform in a relatively brittle manner. Other European shales are more ductile. The results suggest a low fracture healing rate of Bowland shale and a good potential for hydraulic fracturing.

Rock-fluid interactions. We quantified the amount of hydrocarbons that can be adsorbed at down-hole temperature and pressure conditions in shale rocks. We calculated transport properties of shale gas in mature kerogen and of a variety of fracturing fluid models in clays. Several important data related to the relative strength of interactions of important compounds such as naturally occurring radioactive materials with clay basal and edge surfaces, and their relative mobility. To validate our understanding, we produced engineered materials that contain micro- and mesoscale pores and we used them to address the pore size effect on fluid behaviour. By studying carbon dioxide and light hydrocarbons we obtained results that support the prospective use of CO2 for enhanced desorption of gas from shales.

Hydraulic fracturing fluids. We developed and characterized ‘green’ formulations, based on polysaccharides and viscoelastic surfactants. All formulations exhibited suitable mechanical and rheological properties as well as good thermal resistance. Rhamnolipids, saponins and sodium citrate were found to significantly modify the rheological properties, even in small amounts; carbon black induces electro-responsiveness, increases viscosity and improves thermal resistance; azorubine, a food dye approved by FDA, imparts light-responsiveness. Moreover, the implementation of magnetic field revealed to be an effective strategy in order to further reduce the scale formation and precipitation.

Fluid transport modelling. We developed a molecular-level understanding of the mechanisms by which fluids transport within rock formations. We integrated this understanding in stochastic models to predict the permeability of shale formations when pore distribution, chemical composition, and fluid content are known. We developed software to describe fluid transport in a rock with existing fractures, and we demonstrated that this software can describe the propagation of a fracture network upon hydraulic fracturing stimulation. The software can also describe the alteration of the stress in the sub-surface, which could be used to reduce the likelihood of induced seismicity.

Risk assessment. We developed modelling tools for assessing the safety hazards of shale gas wells. Models for predicting explosion and jet fire consequences of a well blowout, with a computational flow model simulating transient discharge from a well, have been developed. Computational methodologies to assess the risk of induced seismicity during reservoir stimulations have also been developed. The effectiveness of the well-blowout model in a case study based on realistic design of a shale gas exploration site has been demonstrated. The induced seismicity model was successfully applied to a case study at an Enhanced Geothermal System in Basel, Switzerland.

Reduction of the environmental impact. We applied optimization methods to minimize the amoun

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

We pushed the limits of experimental characterization of heterogeneous porous materials, and we developed, e.g. tools and workflows for imaging fracture formation, propagation and healing. Instruments have been developed to measure rock properties at high pressure and high temperature conditions, with a variety of applications. We improved our collective understanding of the behaviour of fluids in narrow pores, with possible outcome the improvement of industrial separation and catalysis processes, in addition to enhanced production of shale gas. We developed new software, which has resulted in competitive economic advantage for small and medium enterprises. The project has identified both similarities and differences between the production of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons, and the connected risks, which is expected to benefit the society at large via the minimization of the environmental impact of hydrocarbons production.

Project logo

Project information

ShaleXenvironmenT

Grant agreement ID: 640979

Project website

Start date

1 September 2015
End date

31 August 2018

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3.

Overall budget:

€ 3 399 201,75
EU contribution

€ 2 999 201,25

Coordinated by:

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

This project is featured in...

RESEARCH*EU MAGAZINE

Increasingly smart, increasingly sustainable: Europe’s cities get an upgrade

Issue 83, June 2019

Project information

ShaleXenvironmenT

Grant agreement ID: 640979

Project website

Start date

1 September 2015
End date

31 August 2018

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3.

Overall budget:

€ 3 399 201,75
EU contribution

€ 2 999 201,25

Coordinated by:

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

United Kingdom

Project information

ShaleXenvironmenT

Grant agreement ID: 640979

Project website

Start date

1 September 2015
End date

31 August 2018

Funded under:

H2020-EU.3.3.2.3.

Overall budget:

€ 3 399 201,75
EU contribution

€ 2 999 201,25

Coordinated by:

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

This project is featured in...

RESEARCH*EU MAGAZINE

Increasingly smart, increasingly sustainable: Europe’s cities get an upgrade

Issue 83, June 2019

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Last update: 24 June 2019

Record number: 193771

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Making sure shale gas doesn’t fracture the society-energy relationship

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Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ShaleXenvironmenT (Maximizing the EU shale gas potential by minimizing its environmental footprint)

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Making sure shale gas doesn’t fracture the society-energy relationship

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Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ShaleXenvironmenT (Maximizing the EU shale gas potential by minimizing its environmental footprint)

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