WGA Friday Lunch Speaker October 22

Stephanie E. Perry, (GeoMark Research Inc.) J. Alex Zumberge and Kai Cheng

Talk: Advancing Core Analysis Forward Towards an Integrated Rock and Fluid Laboratory WorkFlow; Focused on Dual Retort Application and Results

Abstract : As the oil and gas industry continues to transition from primary exploration-focused efforts towards development and enhanced oil recovery opportunities, the applicability of legacy core analytical measurements becomes taxed with the value of information generated and its relevance to forward-looking operations. With that understanding, we focused efforts towards advancing the rock and fluid characterization through a combined laboratory workflow where nuclear magnetic resonance, geochemistry on rock and fluids, bulk and grain densities as well as a dual retort design propel quantification capability forward, helping to maintain the relevancy of supporting subsurface characterization in the new decade. The step-by-step measurements performed on a single sample result in the ability to quantify total storage (porosity) from three different independent approaches thereby reducing uncertainty and providing increased accuracy in the total storage for data scientists, engineers, geologists, and petrophysicists to model and use to predict differentiating factors in performance behavior. Quantification also applies into the Midstream application where injection capacity often needs to be constrained.  Complimenting the above laboratory focus is a unique approach to fluid saturation quantification where both the hydrocarbon and the water phase liberated from the storage volume are measured. The design of the workflow is intended to differentiate the partitioning ability of mobile versus immobile (free versus bound) water as well as hydrocarbon fraction. Differentiating these fractions provides a revised approach to understanding the hydrocarbon in place versus potential recoverable volumes based on what is ‘more’ mobile in the rocks investigated. To flip that around, the increase in accuracy in total water saturation is critical to better understand and hopefully predict water cut, expected water-oil ratios, or if seeking water for flooding or other alternative energy purposes, our closed retort fluid collection efficiency sets the fluid quantification apart from other legacy approaches. We briefly share examples of a case study where the generated laboratory data is then linked to wireline-based characterization to demonstrate how the data can impact subsurface understanding and therefore business decisions.

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