FURI | Spring 2019

Oil Shale Imbibition

The goal of the oil shale imbibition research project is to improve the sustainability of the hydraulic fracturing process. Hydraulic fracturing is a process in which water is forced into the ground to split rock apart for oil extraction purposes. This process results in a large amount of water waste, so the researcher is analyzing the properties of the oil shale rock to ultimately prevent water run off. The main experiment involved is the single drop test which reveals the contact angle water makes with the oil shale surface.