(613a) Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas – Science & Technology Advancement

Unconventional oil and natural gas (UOG) resources, which include resources contained in shale and other low-permeability geological formations, are transforming the energy industry in the United States and around the world. Rapid growth in the availability of UOG resources is an opportunity, but recovery efficiencies are commonly low in these reservoirs. Current development approaches are not yet achieving an optimal balance of high resource utilization and low environmental impact. The United States Department of Energy, through its National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), has an active UOG program.  This presentation will focus on critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of the operational and environmental optimization of UOG operations, and the technological improvement and operational development of subsurface hydraulic fracture geometry and optimal completion/stimulation strategies for the most efficient recovery of UOG resources.