Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
Novosibirsk State University is the lead organization of a consortium that won a 210 million ruble grant to develop digital core methods, an innovative tool that will help the Russian oil industry improve the efficiency of extracting hard-to-recover oil and gas reserves. The research will be conducted using the latest synchrotron, the Siberian Ring Photon Source (SKIF), located in the science city of Koltsovo.
Modern oil production increasingly encounters so-called hard-to-recover reserves — oil hidden in geological formations with extremely low permeability. For such formations, it is especially important to understand all the features of oil flow during its production. The key role here is played by core research — samples of deep-layer rocks taken during well drilling. Two approaches are usually used: experimental (laboratory core research using special equipment) and mathematical modeling, during which a “digital twin” of the core is built. The basis of the digital core is detailed models that are built based on X-ray tomography data from real samples. The more accurate the X-ray research methods, the better the mathematical models can be built.
The project, implemented within the framework of the won grant, will be a continuation of research in the field of digital core, which was launched within the framework of the Synchrotron Radiation for Oil and Gas Technologies consortium, the agreement on the creation of which was signed in August 2023 at the international forum of technological development “Technoprom”. In 2024, Skoltech joined the consortium. On the part of NSU, the preliminary work on this project was financed within the framework of the strategic project “Scientific Engineering” Priority 2030 programs.
The key element of the project is the use of synchrotron radiation, a powerful source of X-rays that allows opaque objects to be “seen through” at high speed and in detail. Unlike conventional laboratory X-ray installations, the synchrotron produces a beam that is orders of magnitude more intense and focused. The SKIF Center for Collective Use, which is currently being prepared for launch, will become one of the most modern installations of its kind in the world.
— SKIF makes it possible to observe microscopic processes inside the rock in real time. This is a real revolution in geological and oil research, — noted the director of the Gazpromneft-NSU Scientific and Educational Center, professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Golovin.
The NSU project is being implemented as part of a consortium of seven organizations, including Tomsk Polytechnic University, the Institute of Hydrodynamics SB RAS, the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB RAS, the SKIF Collective Use Center, and the KI Research Center. The project has three main areas: development of synchrotron core measurement methods, creation of specialized research cells, and an educational program. Continuing education courses, work with students, and even schoolchildren are planned.
As a result of the project, new scientific methods will be developed, patents will be protected, articles will be published, and personnel for the high-tech oil industry will be trained. But most importantly, a real tool will appear that can accelerate the implementation of new approaches to oil production in difficult conditions.
Work on the “digital core” is scheduled to take three years. Funding was provided by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation as part of the federal program for the development of synchrotron and neutron research.
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