Conference Theme: New Plays, New Science, New Possibilities

Studies of shales is a fast developing area of research and technology. Unconventional resources (gas shales is the example par excellence), carbon sequestration and storage of radioactive waste have commanded substantial public interest in the last few years. Detection of overpressures, as well as the monitoring of production by seismic methods are other examples where shales have a key role, and we have not even mentioned the issue of well bore stability. Thus, information exchange on the subject of shales will be of interest to all disciplines involved in rock physics, basin modeling, geotechnical engineering, drilling, pore pressure prediction, 4D pressure/stress prediction, exploration, production and geomechanics. Geologists, geophysicists, petrophysicists, rock physicists and geomechanical engineers all have key roles to play. Experimentalists, core analysts, theoreticians, field practitioners, whatever the discipline background, all give valuable input to our understanding.

With this workshop, we bring together practitioners from all these disciplines to broaden our collective knowledge through the sharing of discipline-specific experience. The three day workshop will be arranged around sessions on the physical and chemical properties of shale. There will be a strong focus on applications related to drilling wells and producing (conventional and non-conventional) hydrocarbons, and the challenges related to the way in which shale properties are affected by short and long term changes in the stress regime as well as by chemical influences. The geological and petrophysical description of shale is of no lesser interest. Each session will be followed by discussion sessions to enhance knowledge transfer between disciplines.

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