Solvent-pore interactions in Eagle Ford shale by ultra and small-angle neutron scattering

1 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 2 Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 3 Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 4 NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 5 Chesapeake Energy, Oklahoma City, OK 73154 T he interaction of fluids with porous materials is of interest for many applications including extraction of hydrocarbons from shales. In the field, shale fracturing can be done with pressurized water, hydrocarbons, or gases, depending on the depth and mineralogy of the formation. Although the technology is mature, the process is not well understood, leading to inefficiencies in fluid usage during fracturing and decreases in hydrocarbon production over time. In this study, we examined the effect of organic solvents and acidic aqueous solutions on rock porosity using small and ultra-small angle neutron scattering (U)SANS. The extracted material was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) to determine if there is a correlation between the type of organic extracted, shale maturity, and how the extraction process affected porosity.