ANPERC's Prof. Santamarina and Dr. Finkbeiner recently engaged in a new project funded by Saudi Aramco that investigates the properties of two prominent Saudi Arabian shale formations – namely the Jurassic Subair (~175 Mya) and the Silurian-age Qusaibah (~425 Mya). With the help of Fugro-Suhaimi (a geotechnical drilling contractor) a total of 60m of core samples were retrieved from near surface locations in the Qassim region.

The study will characterize the thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical (THCM) behavior of these fine-grained, thinly laminated shale intervals. The comprehensive experimental study in ANPERC's labs will range from grain/pore-scale to meso-scale measurements under a wide range THCM boundary conditions. The understanding gained from this study will lead to the development of enhanced models towards more robust and predictive behaviors of these shale formations, which is of importance to Saudi Aramco from a drilling and as well as source rock potential point of view. Below are some photographs of the process.