• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 2014

Unconventional resources are natural resources which require greater than industry-standard levels of technology or investment to exploit the commercial development. The key point is that unconventional resources are lower quality fuel sources and are not as economically viable as crude oil and conventional gas. Over the past 100 years, Conventional oil and gas has been satisfied with the energy demands. But developing countries such as China and India, the introduction of the developed countries and the surge of energy due to the depletion of unconventional energy resources will be the limelight. According to be analyzed in the academic literature to unconventional gas and oil(2000~2012) by the program of 'web of science', the research activities 402 papers in unconventional gas and 1,581 papers in unconventional oil.

• 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.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.154-165
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• 2014

Development of unconventional natural resources such as shale gas, shale oil and coal bed methane, has been activated and improved the productivity due to the recent technology advance in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. However, the flowback water mixed with chemical additives, and the brine water containing oil, gas, high levels of salts and radioactive metals is produced during the gas production. Potential negative environmental impact due to large volumes of the produced wastewater is increasingly seen as the major obstacles to the unconventional natural resource development. In this study an integrated framework for the flowback and brine water treatment is proposed, and we reviewed the upcoming state of the art technology in water treatment. Basic separation processes which include not only membrane, evaporation, crystallization and desalination processes, but the potential water reuse and recycling techniques can be applied for the unconventional natural resource industry.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.361-369
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• 2015

Interest of unconventional Oil and Gas, which is produced in a different way, has been increasing due to exhaustion of traditional oil and gas. However production of unconventional Oil and Gas is closely related to its technology level. Accordingly in this research, we can analyze technology level of unconventional Oil and Gas with country/sector/year patent analysis. Through the result of this research, U.S is highest patent application national, patent application in oil sand is increasing. In addition, oil sands-realated patents and shale oil-realated patents applying actively in early 1970's and since the mid-1980's showed a decreasing trend. And patent application in unconventional oil and gas has been increasing due to the rise in the oil price 2000's.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.639-648
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• 2013

Unconventional natural gas resources are now estimated to be as large as conventional resources. Unconventional natural gas has became an increasingly important source of energy in the world since the start of this century. The factors that drive natural gas demand and supply point more and more to a future in which natural gas plays greater role in the global energy mix. The expansion of using natural gas will be expected in Korea. This research aims to analyze environmental impacts of expansion of unconventional natural gas. This research was carried out for comparative analysis between global energy mix and Korea energy mix, and developed a case that reflect the changed energy mix due to the expansion of unconventional natural gas in Korea. Also this research evaluate the production of air pollutants and the cost of the damage in power generation sector. The results of this research can be summarized as that natural gas portion of future global energy mix (about 25%) is greater than Korea energy mix (about 12%). This research developed a case that replace 10% energy of power generation sector to natural gas in the 6th demand supply program, reflecting the changed energy mix due to the expansion of natural gas use. In that case, air pollutants would be reduced gradually through 2015 to 2027. In detail, carbon dioxide reduces 22 million tons and environmental damage cost reduces 4500 billion won by 2027.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.223-224
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.20-30
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• 2014

To develop a unconventional gas reservoir, an analysis of tight rock property are required. Especially, conventional measurements are difficult to be applied to unconventional resources such as tight gas reservoir because the permeability are extremely low compared to a conventional gas reservoir. In this study, an apparatus was developed for measuring low permeability and porosity based on a pressure pulse decay method under unsteady state conditions. The apparatus was applied for measuring the porosity and permeability of tight sand core samples from Gyeongsang basin in Korea. As a validation of the measurement, regression analysis was carried out using the dimensionless pseudo-pressure between the measured data and analytical solution. The results show the correlation coefficients above 0.96. Therefore, it is believed that the apparatus has a high accuracy.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.30-34
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• 2012

Shale gas is one of the resources which require lots of new technologies for commercial production and has the most reserves among unconventional gas resources for commercial production at present. Especially, the growth of shale gas industry means the significant changes of paradigm and the development of shale gas is very different from conventional gas development in terms of geology, rock mechanics, petroleum engineering, development and production engineering. In this manner, shale gas may hold the key to expanding the long-term role of gas in the global energy mix.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.36-44
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• 2008

Natural gas in tight reservoirs, one of unconventional hydrocarbon resources, has become a significant exploration and exploitation targets. Tight gas reservoirs are the gas-bearing rocks that commonly have a permeability of less than 0.1 millidarcy (mD). Tight gas reservoirs are characterized by extensive and deep locations as well as abnormal pressure such as over- or under-pressure. The tight gas reservoirs are independent of structural or stratigraphic traps, whereas conventional gases normally occur at these traps. Tight gas reservoirs can be productive when stimulated by hydraulic fracturing. Better production areas within the tight reservoir beds are referred to as sweet spots that are commonly caused by natural fractures, which should be understood and identified to enhance the recovery of the gas from tight reservoirs. The exploration and production techniques allow the commercial production of tight gas, one of environmentally friendly resources. Slant and horizontal wells have best production when they intersect the fractures. Gas production from the tight reservoirs has rapidly grown in U.S. and Canada. Indeed, the U.S. gas production of tight sandstones increases from 11.1% in 1990 to 24.1% in 2005. The presence of tight gas reservoirs has been suggested on the Korean offshore block 6-1. Paradigm shift from conventional to unconventional tight reservoir is required to develop the tight gas from the block.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.201-212
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• 2016

Due to growing problems securing stable mineral and energy resources with international political and economic changes, China has dedicated itself to strategies and policies to enhance its stable mineral and energy resources security. China has established a rare earth elements(REE) industry policy after the abolition of the REE exports quota system. China's six large REE companies have also been integrated into REE mining, smelting and refining companies. Efforts have been increased to enhance China's energy security through unconventional oil and gas exploration and development investment, as well as effort in R&D. The country will focus on technology development and exploration to promote commercial production of unconventional oil and gas based on countries with shale gas. China is making long-term contracts and joint ventures to ensure the acquisition of reliable mineral and energy resources from abroad. Government of China has proposed a range of initiatives, such as the integration of resources development strategies and environmental development strategies, internationalization of resource management, supply diversification and advancement, strengthening industry linking strategy, grouping and diversification strategy.