Primary migration of hydrocarbons in the source rocks - Maya KOBCHENKO

Sujet de thèse : Primary migration of hydrocarbons in the source rocks.

Encadrants : Dag Dysthe (Univ. Oslo), François Renard (ISTerre, UJF) Thèse en cotutelle entre les Universités d’Oslo et de Grenoble

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Summary :

This thesis involves development of several types of experimental methods on natural organic-rich rocks as well as analogue material. We perform in-situ experiments on the production of hydrocarbon fluids (gas and oil) from organic-rich rocks (primary migration) using high resolution X-ray computed tomography to determine how the rock microstructure evolves during hydrocarbon generation and delineate how oil and gas escape (1). Using 3D image analysis we investigate formation and propagation of micro-fractures in the organic-rich shale (Figure 1). We study fracture pattern behaviour using analogue gelatine layers, where we model hydrocarbon generation by CO2 production from baking yeast (Figure 2).

Figure 1 : Developped fracture pattern in an organic-rich shale during induced maturation.

Figure 2 : Fracture pattern developed in a gelatine layer during CO2 generation.

References

Kobchenko, M., H. Panahi, F. Renard, D. K. Dysthe, A. Malthe-Sørenssen, A. Mazzini, J. Scheibert, B. Jamtveit, and P. Meakin (2011), 4D imaging of fracturing in organic-rich shales during heating, J. Geophys. Res.