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New Directions and the Importance of Geology

New Directions and the Importance of Geology. Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. AAPG. “Breakthrough” Days. These are revolutionary times New technologies New understanding of the science New motivations to pursue previously uninteresting resources Environmental pressures (coal / nuclear)

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New Directions and the Importance of Geology

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  1. New Directions and the Importance of Geology Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. AAPG

  2. “Breakthrough” Days • These are revolutionary times • New technologies • New understanding of the science • New motivations to pursue previously uninteresting resources • Environmental pressures (coal / nuclear) • New ways of financing ventures • International cooperation / investment

  3. New Technologies Used in Shale Plays / “New” Carbonates

  4. Horizontal Drilling Geosteering Logging while drilling New data acquisition modules Mathematical modelling: imaging, predictive qualities

  5. Multi-Stage Hydraulic Fracturing • New development in drilling fluids • Cross-linked gels • Slickwater • New proppants • Ceramic • Coated • Isolating the stages • Microseismic to understand induced fractures

  6. Water Purification • Sourcing water for drilling, completion, stimulation • Solutions for produced water • New technologies to purify • Stage 1: For use in drilling / stimulation • Stage 2: For agricultural use • Stage 3: For human consumption

  7. Geochemical Methods • TOC measurements • New “fingerprinting” • Biomarkers • Diamondoids • Diamondoids (found in all petroleum: nanometer sized) • Isotopic quantifications • No change during cracking

  8. Shale Plays New developments: Paradigm shifts

  9. Geologists & Shale Plays • Model heterogeneity • Explain natural and induced fractures • Discuss implications of lithology on fluid selection, etc. • Total Oil Content (TOC) and the “kitchen” (maturation processes, and timing of pulses) • Geological history • Depositional • Structural

  10. “New” Carbonates Resource plays, mature carbonates with “left behind” oil and gas in tight areas, and highly complex compartmentalized plays

  11. Geologists & Carbonate “Resource Plays” • Often incorrectly considered a shale • Eagle Ford • Bakken • Highly heterogeneous, with “sweet spots” • Geological history • Depositional environment • Generation / maturation / migration • Fingerprinting the hydrocarbons

  12. Geologists & “Left Behind” Oil in Mature Fields • Poor ultimate recovery due to • Reservoir compartmentalization • Bakken • Highly heterogeneous, with “sweet spots” • Geological history • Depositional environment • Generation / maturation / migration • Fingerprinting the hydrocarbons

  13. Geologists & Complex Carbonates • Systems include complex dynamics • Hydrothermal alteration • Heat flows • Chertification • Secondary dolomitization and porosity enhancement • Diagenetic alteration (replacement minerals) • Highly heterogeneous, highly complex “sweet spots” • Geological history • Uplifts • Structure vs. depositional environment • Self-sourcing

  14. Multi-Disciplinary Methods Geologists should establish themselves as an essential component of the teams

  15. Geomechanics • Integrate microseismic / geophysics • Important for drilling, completion, producton • Engineering (direct pressure / temperature) • Petrophysics • Integrated data / Big Data • Modeling • Data mining • Predictive imaging

  16. Imaging / 3D Seismic • Ground models with reasonable geological models • Microseismic • induced vs natural fractures • Open vs closed • Conduits • Workflows for integrating information, making decisions • Petrophysics • Integrated data / Big Data • Modeling • Data mining • Predictive imaging

  17. Geochemistry • Combine with geological history • Structural • Depositional environment • Tie to biomarkers • Palynology • Radioactive isotope markers • Reservoir Fluids • Core studies

  18. Big Data / Analytics • Integrate different data sets / databases • Tie seismic attributes with production information • Cluster analysis to determine trends and relationships • Patterns / frequencies: predictive models • Data mining of old databases • Imaging / digital sources • 4D / 5D modeling

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