Shale: Subsurface Science and Engineering

Advances in theories, methods and applications for shale resource use

Shale is the dominant rock in the sedimentary record. It is also the subject of increased interest because of the growing contribution of shale oil and gas to energy supplies, as well as the potential use of shale formations for carbon dioxide sequestration and nuclear waste storage.

Shale: Subsurface Science and Engineering brings together geoscience and engineering to present the latest models, methods and applications for understanding and exploiting shale formations.

Volume highlights include:

• Review of current knowledge on shale geology
• Latest shale engineering methods such as horizontal drilling
• Reservoir management practices for optimized oil and gas field development
• Examples of economically and environmentally viable methods of hydrocarbon extraction from shale
• Discussion of issues relating to hydraulic fracking, carbon sequestration, and nuclear waste storage 

Book Review: I. D. Sasowsky, University of Akron, Ohio, September 2020 issue of CHOICE, CHOICE connect, A publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries, A division of the American Library Association, Connecticut, USA

Shale has a long history of use as construction fill and a ceramic precursor. In recent years, its potential as a petroleum reservoir has generated renewed interest and intense scientific investigation. Such work has been significantly aided by the development of instrumentation capable of examining and imaging these very fine-grained materials. This timely multliauthor volume brings together 15 studies covering many facets of the related science. The book is presented in two sections: an overview and a second section emphasizing unconventional oil and gas. Topics covered include shale chemistry, metals content, rock mechanics, borehole stability, modeling, and fluid flow, to name only a few. The introductory chapter (24 pages) is useful and extensively referenced. The lead chapter to the second half of the book, "Characterization of Unconventional Resource Shales," provides a notably detailed analysis supporting a comprehensive production workflow. The book is richly illustrated in full color, featuring high-quality images, graphs, and charts. The extensive index provides depth of access to the volume. This work will be of special interest to a diverse group of investigators moving forward with understanding this fascinating group of rocks.

Thomas Dewers' research interests and experience range from theoretical coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological-chemical modeling, high temperature-high pressure and rock mechanics experimental methods, field investigations for geomicrobiology and hydrogeology, induced seismicity, and digital geologic mapping. Following graduation with PhD from Indiana University where he worked in the Department of Chemistry, he was a post-doc in the Center for Tectonophysics at Texas A&M. He then was appointed as a tenure-track and tenured professor at the University of Oklahoma School of Geology and Geophysics for thirteen years. After a short stint as a hydrogeologist for the State of New Mexico working on mining-related water quality issues, he joined Sandia National Laboratories as a Material Scientist and Principal Member of the Technical Staff, where he has worked since 2007. Current research at Sandia examines elasto-plasticity of pressure sensitive materials, acoustic tomography, aspects of subsurface carbon storage, multiphase flow, laser microscopy, coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological-chemical model code development, and all things mudstone. Professional affiliations include the American Geophysical Union, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and the Geochemical Society.

Jason E. Heath has M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geology and hydrology, respectively, from Utah State University (2004) and New Mexico Tech (2010). He started working for Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) as a student intern in 2008 and converted to senior member of the technical staff in 2010. His research interests include the combination of shale geology, multiphase flow and transport, and natural isotopic tracers. He has authored papers on geologic CO2 sequestration, including pore-scale effects and large-scale storage capacity, and the impact of pore types on capillary breakthrough and sealing behavior of shale caprock. Current research includes using natural tracers, such as helium, to characterize hydraulically-fractured shale oil and gas systems and forecast production decline. Professional affiliations include the American Geophysical Union, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists.

Marcelo Sanchez was appointed as an Associated Professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M in September 2009. He obtained his first degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad Nacional de San Juan (Argentina). His Master (1996) and Ph.D. (2004) degrees are from the Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC, Barcelona, Spain). His expertise lies in the analysis of Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical and Chemical (THMC) coupled problems in geological media. His effort focuses on advanced geomechanics, considering engineering problems involving mechanical, hydraulic, thermal, and geochemical couplings. Specific challenges include: design of high level nuclear waste disposals; behavior of hydrate bearing sediments, design of compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems; hydraulic fracturing; CO2 sequestration, desiccation cracks in soils; and the design of energy piles. He is the chairman of the Technical Committee TC308 on Energy Geotechnics of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).