• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.423-429
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• 2014

Development of a reservoir pressure core sampler (PCS) with a built-in data logging system (DLS) for recording real-time temperature and pressure observations is critical in domestic hydrocarbon production to accurately measure and monitor reserves of shale gas, coalbed methane, and gas-hydrate. Another purpose of this new technology is to minimize the loss of gas from the core as the drill core is collected. This is accomplished by maintaining the pressure of the sample from the moment the drill core is obtained at depth, thus allowing an accurate analysis of shale gas, coalbed methane gas, and gashydrate within the core. Currently, the United States and European countries have monopolized the development and marketability of PCS technologies. We are thus developing a reservoir PCS by analyzing the operating principle and mechanisms of the existing PCS, and by conducting tests on the existing PCS. We further aim to develop a PCS with a maximum operating pressure of 100 bar, a maximum operating temperature of $-20^{\circ}C$ to $40^{\circ}C$, and a pressure loss rate of 10%.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.279-284
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• 2015

As non-conventional oil resources such as shale gas have been widely developed, proper treatment of flowback and produced water is becoming important. However, application of conventional water treatment techniques is limited due to high concentration of pollutants such as oil and grease, organics, harmful chemicals, and inorganic ions. In this study, we examined the feasibility of using forward osmosis (FO) and air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) as novel treatment options for shale gas wastewater. Laboratory-scale FO and MD devices were fabricated and used for the experiments. Results showed that FO could be used to treat the synthetic wastewater. Using 5 M NaCl as the draw solution, the flux was approximately $6L/m^2-hr$ during the treatment of low range wastewater (TDS: 66,000 mg/L). Nevertheless, AGMD was more effective to treat high range wastewater (Total Dissolved Solid: 260,000 mg/L) than FO.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.415-424
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• 1998

In order to investigate soil-gas $^{222}Rn$ concentrations, Kwanak Campus (Seoul National University), Boeun (Choong-buk) and Gapyung (Kyonggi) areas were selected and classified depending on their base rock types. Radon risk indices of these study areas decrease in the order of Gapyung>Kwanak Campus>Boeun areas, and in the order of rock type as banded gneiss>granite gneiss>granite>black slate-shale>mica schist>shale-lirnestone>phyllite-schist. Radon emanating trends with water content and grain size of soils were assessed by modified Morse 3 min. method. Radon emanation increases with the increase of water content in soils which is lower than 6~16 wt.%, and decreases in the range of higher than 6-16 wt. %. It shows that Rn emanation increases with the decrease of soil grain size. Radioactivity analysis of radionuclides of 238U series in some soil samples shows that radioactive disequilibrium state between $^{226}Ra$ and $^{238}U$ exists owing to different geochemical behavior of each radionuclide, and, it is necessary to carry out radioactive isotope geochemical approach for soil-gas $^{222}Rn$ study.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.128-134
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• 2016

Due to the great development made in converting the shale gas into the more valuable products, research and commercialization for production technology of olefins like propylene, butenes, butadiene from light alkanes have been intensively investigated. Especially the technology using oxygen like oxidative dehydrogenation or selective hydrogen combustion to overcome thermodynamic limit of direct dehydrogenation conversion has been extensively studied and some cases of applying this technology to the plant scale was reported. In this review, we have categorized the technology into two parts; gas phase oxygen utilization technology and lattice oxygen utilization technology. The trends, results and future direction of the technology are discussed.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.9
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• pp.973-980
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• 2015

With their wide geographical distribution, unconventional resources are continuously compared against conventional resources, but their development is expanding because TRRs (Technical Recoverable Resources) are similar to conventional resources. In particular, there is active development of unconventional gas resources such as shale gas, tight gas, CBM (coalbed methane) and gas hydrate. However, it is difficult to calculate the material properties of unconventional resources, especially the gas content, with current geophysical logging technology. Additionally, some overseas companies have monopolies on related equipment and materials. Therefore, this study developed a reservoir PCS (Pressure Core Sampler). It can collect core samples without gaseous loss by maintaining high pressure from the moment the core is sampled and record pressure and temperature in real time. Successful performance testing was also carried out for official verification of the manufactured PCS. The reservoir PCS will contribute to the acquisition of geophysical well logging data as well as accurate and reliable cores.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.119-125
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• 2017

A novel two stage cylindrical cyclone was developed for a 3 phase separator in shale oil production industry. The cyclone performance was compared with a cone type cyclone and multi cyclone at the same experimental condition using water and oil mists generated by a humidifier and atomizer at the flow rate 1 to $2m^3/min$. The removal efficiency of total suspended water droplets by the novel cyclone, calculated using inlet and outlet concentrations measured by an optical particle counter, was 99% which is higher than 90% of oil droplet removal efficiency at $2m^3/min$. It might be due to the evaporation of small water droplets during the tests. The water and oil droplet removal performance of the novel cyclone based on the quality factor which is a function of pressure drop and removal efficiency was the highest among three cyclones. The results indicate that the cyclone could be an economical device to remove water and oil mists from shale gas generation processes where a huge three phase separator is commonly used.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.645-667
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• 2015

Single treatment and staged treatments in vertical wells are widely applied in sandstone and mudstone thin interbedded (SMTI) reservoir to stimulate the reservoir. The keys and difficulties of stimulating this category of formations are to avoid hydraulic fracture propagating through the interface between shale and sand as well as control the fracture height. In this paper, the cohesive zone method was utilized to build the 3-dimensional fracture dynamic propagation model in shale and sand interbedded formation based on the cohesive damage element. Staged treatments and single treatment were simulated by single fracture propagation model and double fractures propagation model respectively. Study on the changes of fracture vicinity stress field during propagation is to compare and analyze the parameters which influence the interfacial induced stresses between two different fracturing methods. As a result, we can prejudge how difficult it is that the fracture propagates along its height direction. The induced stress increases as the pumping rate increasing and it changes as a parabolic function of the fluid viscosity. The optimized pump rate is $4.8m^3/min$ and fluid viscosity is $0.1Pa{\cdot}s$ to avoid the over extending of hydraulic fracture in height direction. The simulation outcomes were applied in the field to optimize the treatment parameters and the staged treatments was suggested to get a better production than single treatment.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2016

Recently, the studies about rock physics model (RPM) in shale reservoir are widely performed. In shale reservoir, the degree of the maturity can be estimated by kerogen and GOR (Gas-Oil Ratio). The researches on the rock physics model of shale reservoir with the amount of kerogen have been actively carried out but not with GOR. Thus, in this study, we analyzed the changes in seismic velocity and density, and AVO (Amplitude Variation with Offset) response depending on changes in GOR and the amount of kerogen. Since the shale consists of plate-like particles, it has vertical transverse isotropy (VTI). Therefore we estimated the seismic velocity and density by using Backus averaging method and analyzed AVO responses based on these estimated properties. The results of analysis showed that the changes in the velocity with the GOR variation are small but the velocity changes with the variation in kerogen amount are relatively larger. In case, GOR 180 (Litre/Litre) which is boundary between heavy oil and light oil, when volume fraction of kerogen increased from 5% to 35%, the P-wave velocity normal to the layering increased 51%. That is, it helps estimating maturity of kerogen through the velocity. Meanwhile, when rates of oil-gas mixture are large, the effect of GOR variation on the velocity change became larger. In case volume fraction of kerogen is 5%, the P-wave velocity normal to the layering was estimated $1.46km/s^2$ in heavy oil (GOR 40) but $1.36km/s^2$ in light oil (GOR 300). The AVO responses analysis showed class 4 regardless of the GOR and amount of kerogen because variation of poisson's ratio is small. Therefore, shale reservoir has possibility to have class 4.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2016

This paper presents development of an appropriate procedure and flow chart to analyze shale gas production data obtained from a multi-fractured horizontal well according to flow characteristics in order to calculate an estimated ultimate recovery. Also, the technical considerations were proposed when a rate transient analysis was performed with field production data occurred to only $1^{st}$ transient flow. If production data show the $1^{st}$ transient flow from log-log and square root time plot analysis, production forecasting must be performed by applying different method as before and after of the end of $1^{st}$ linear flow. It is estimated by an area of stimulated reservoir volume which can be calculated from analysis results of micro-seismic data. If there are no bottomhole pressure data or micro-seismic data, an empirical decline curve method can be used to forecast production performance. If production period is relatively short, an accuracy of production data analysis could be improved by analyzing except the early production data, if it is necessary, after evaluating appropriation with near well data. Also, because over- or under-estimation for stimulated reservoir volume could take place according to analysis method or analyzer's own mind, it is necessary to recalculate it with fracture modeling, reservoir simulation and rate transient analysis, if it is necessary, after adequacy evaluation for fracture stage, injection volume of fracture fluid and productivity of producers.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.418-429
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• 2014

Induced seismicity related to four energy development technologies that involve fluid injection or withdrawal: geothermal energy, conventional oil and gas development including enhanced oil recovery (EOR), shale gas recovery, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) is reviewed by literature investigation. The largest induced seismic events reported in the technical literature are associated with projects that did not balance the large volume of fluids injected into, or extracted from the underground reservoir. A statistical observation shows that the net volume of fluid injected and/or extracted may serve as a proxy for changes in subsurface stress conditions and pore pressure, and other factors. Energy technology projects that are designed to maintain a balance between the amount of fluid being injected and the amount of fluid being withdrawn, such as geothermal and most oil and gas development, may produce fewer induced seismic events than technologies that do not maintain fluid balance, such as long-term wastewater disposal wells and CCS projects.