Experimental and Numerical Simulation of Water Vapor Adsorption and Diffusion in Shale Grains

Advances in deep horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have lead to large increases in production from unconventional shale gas reservoirs. Despite the success of this technology, uncertainties associated with basic transport processes require understanding in order to improve efficiency and minimize environmental impacts. The hydraulic fracturing process introduces large volumes of water into shale gas reservoirs. Most of the fracturing water remains in reservoirs to interfere with gas production. The quantification of the amount of water retained in shale gas reservoirs is crucial for predicting gas shale formation productivity and for optimizing extraction conditions. In this study, water vapor adsorption isotherms were gravimetrically measured on granular fractions of Woodford formation shales sieved after crushing. The isotherms were obtained at 30℃ and 50℃, for relative humidities from 11.1% to 97.0%. Water adsorption in these shale grains conformed to the typeⅡisotherm, and were nearly identical for the two experimental temperatures. In order to better understand the isotherms, a computational model based on the Maxwell-Stefan Diffusion equations (MSDM) was constructed to analyze the water adsorption and gas diffusion in shale grains. Based on the experimental results, the Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) isotherm model for gas adsorption was included in the model.