A method for calculating loss of shale gas during coring based on forward modeling

Abstract The loss of shale gas from conventional wells during coring directly affects the accuracy of measurement of shale gas content and the efficient development and utilization of shale gas. The existing methods to determine shale gas loss are not sufficiently accurate. This study used the forward modeling approach with consideration of the main influencing factors [FM (a, b)] to accurately calculate the volume of shale gas loss. Simulations of shale gas loss were run in an independently developed indoor experimental platform. A comparative analysis with established fitting methods showed that shale gas mainly exists in either a free state or an adsorbed state, and a pressure differential between the interior and exterior of the core is the primary cause of shale gas loss during coring. The FM (a, b) model simulations of shale gas loss showed reductions in average error of 16.77% and 4.6% compared to that of the improved US Bureau of Mines Method (USBM) and the curve fitting method, respectively. This study established a novel, highly accurate and widely applicable method of calculating the volume of lost shale gas.