Unconventional Natural Gas (UNG) Recoveries

Dear Colleagues,

Our energy resources are crucial; but they are under pressure from growing populations, urbanisation, and economic prosperity. By 2040, global demand for energy will increase by 40% over present levels. By then, it is forecast that approximately 75% of energy demand will still be met by fossil fuels—but oil and coal will have lessened in importance due to tight regulation and advances in more environmentally friendly alternatives. Which newer fossil fuel will emerge to dominate in the next few decades? There is one clear answer: Natural gas

Despite the challenges, climate change legislation and regulation to limit greenhouse gases have already allowed natural gas to compete favourably with oil and coal. It is now ranked third among the world’s major energy sources; and it is the cleanest and the richest in hydrocarbons, offering high energy-conversion efficiencies for power generation.

Conventional gas is easy to harvest. It has been produced across the world in the last few decades, so its reserves are now rapidly depleting. In contrast, the earth holds huge untapped reserves of unconventional—but locked within compact rocks, such as shale, coal seams, and tight sandstones.

The greatest challenge for exploitation of unconventional natural gas (UNG) is very low recovery rates, because of low permeability in its deep reservoirs. Reducing the complexity in exploration targets, using suitable exploration and production technologies (such as new stimulation technologies to prompt release of the gas), has potential to release vast quantities of UNG from highly impermeable format­ions. However, unique conditions in UNG reservoirs call for innovative technologies founded securely on new science. This proposal calls for papers in the areas of new sciences developed to enhance the recovery process of gas from coal seams, shale, and tight formations. 

We will therefore especially welcome submissions on the following topics:

• Gas flow and diffusions of coal seams, shales, tight gas reservoirs
• Techniques to enhance gas recoveries, such as hydro fracking and innovations in well drilling
• Caprock integrity and associated environmental issues
• Coupled hydro-chemico-mechanical processes
• Reservoir geomechanics, and wellbore and drilling mechanics
• Constitutive modelling and numerical methods
• Numerical modelling of THM
• Adsorption/desorption characterises of rocks
• Case studies of international interest
• Any other relevant research areas in Unconventional Natural Gas domain

Prof. Ranjith Pathegama Gamage
Gues Editor

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