PESA Brisbane: Hydraulic fracturing update delivered by UQ Centre for Natural Gas
UQ Centre for Natural Gas Chair, Professor Raymond Johnson Jr, gave a well-received update on hydraulic fracturing at the October meeting of the Brisbane section of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA).
Prof Johnson drilled down into recent learnings and opportunities to improve successful stimulation technologies, tailored to Australia’s complex unconventional gas plays.
The large differences between gas reservoirs in North America and Australia has meant that adaptation of North American strategies has resulted in less than adequate performance when applied directly in Australia.
Australian reservoirs are more complex and highly stressed than their North American counterparts, which has meant that new technologies and approaches have yet to be developed for many emerging plays in Australia.
Intensive research and innovation through the UQ Centre for Natural Gas is directed towards delivering technologies for Australian oil and gas operators. Advances in performance can be used to underpin additional investment into furthering the development of Australia's unconventional gas resources (e.g. low-permeability coals, deep coals, and basin-centred gas reservoirs).
About 7.5% of Queensland’s oil and gas wells require hydraulic fracturing technologies, making it a key technology for the sectors.
