Strategic Approaches To Unconventional Resources To Meet The Turkish Energy Demand

Year 2016, Issue: 1, 134 - 143, 30.01.2016

Necdet Karakurt , Oğuzhan Akyener

Abstract

Increasing demand
in energy makes the world revolve around it. Major oil companies have been
researching all around the world as to increase reserve and production. What
could we do to find more reserves? Thinking backwards is a way to discover new
methodology and associated new technology. That is how unconventional methods
stepped in to petroleum industry. As it is known, conventional methods are only
able to extract oil from reservoirs with fair enough permeability.
Unconventional methods focus on those reservoirs and or source rocks within the
range from little down to micron level permeability.

What is
challenging when we consider unconventional production?  As known, associated technology depends on
horizontally drilled wells and fracturing the rock to suck hydrocarbons out to
surface. Once the horizontal wells are drilled, water is injected through by
powerful pumps to crack the rock. Sand is a necessity to keep the cracks open
and some chemical additives provides stability of the cracks to efficiently
remove water and gas out, they also prevent bacteria growth. The amount of
injected water, sand and additives play a key role since millions of tons of
water and hundred thousands of tons of associated sand and additives are used
in the hydraulic fracturing process. At this point two main concerns should be
addressed. First, the wastewater that is pumped out during production requires
high attention due to the chemicals it contains. The chemicals pose serious
threats to human health and have to be handled carefully. It could be either
recycled for usage in another fracking procedure or injected into a sealed reservoir
to be sensitive to the environment. To define impermeable zones, which will
trap re-injected wastewater, a thorough stratigraphic evaluation has to be
achieved successfully. A leaking disposal formation is unwanted as it is
certainly undesired to see those wastes pollute our environment. Second, it has
been reported also that there has been an increase in the seismic events in
those areas where unconventional technology is used. Tactfully, cracking the
rock happens to affect natural balance and causes to stimulate more earthquakes.
That information points out that location for unconventional wells have to be
chosen far from active fault systems as fracturing might trigger earthquakes
with higher magnitude.

As we elaborate Turkey’s energy supplies,
demands and politics regarding the subject, we might try to answer a couple of
questions as follows: How much of unconventional potential Turkey has? Or, can
Turkey double its proven reserves by this methodology? Answers are not
complicated as one might think. Known facts about unconventional studies
suggest that they require using a unique but expensive technology and raise
important environmental concerns that might slightly change our lives. A few
companies worldwide have the technology required for unconventional hydrocarbon
production. Turkey has to pay for the expensive technology for its unconventional
reserves. On the other hand, information regarding source rocks of Turkey is
still questionable and poorly defined. Suitable source rocks need to be
examined thoroughly as in thickness and areal extent before going too deep into
unconventional business. As a result, Turkey has to carefully examine and
properly define its unconventional resources before thinking that
unconventional methods are the solution to ease high costs of energy import.

In this study, we share brief information from a
technical window regarding global unconventional energy practices, how it
affects the market, how it shapes Turkey’s energy policies and further on if
Turkey have enough reserves to cover its energy demands. Analysis of the
technology used and its economic aspects will certainly point out how Turkey’s
unconventional future will change its energy supply and security chain.

Keywords

Unconventional Resources, Turkish Energy Demand

References

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