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Western Australia
Copyright 2012, Society of Petroleum Engineers This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Canadian Unconventional Resources Conference held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 30 October-1 November 2012. This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract mus t contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright. Abstract This paper presents a methodology for connecting geology, hydraulic fracturing, economics, environment and the global natural gas endowment in conventional, tight, shale and coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs. The volumetric estimates are generated by a variable shape distribution model (VSD). The VSD has been shown in the past to be useful for the evaluation of conventional and tight gas reservoirs. However, this is the first paper in which the method is used to also include shale gas and CBM formations.. Results indicate a total gas endowment of 70000 tcf, split between 15000 tcf in conventional reservoirs, 15000 tcf in tight gas, 30000 tcf in shale gas and 10000 tcf in CBM reservoirs. Thus, natural gas formations have potential to provide a significant contribution to global energy demand estimated at approximately 790 quads by 2035. A common thread between unconventional formations is that nearly all of them must be hydraulically fractured to attain commercial production. A significant volume of data indicates that the probabilities of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluids and/or methane contaminating ground water through the hydraulically-created fractures are very low. Since fracking has also raised questions about the economic viability of producing unconventional gas in some parts of the world, supply cost curves are estimated in this paper for the global gas portfolio.
- North America > United States > Texas (1.00)
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- North America > Canada > Alberta > Census Division No. 6 > Calgary Metropolitan Region > Calgary (0.34)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline (1.00)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Rock > Mudrock > Shale (0.70)
- Geophysics > Seismic Surveying > Passive Seismic Surveying > Microseismic Surveying (0.46)
- Geophysics > Borehole Geophysics (0.46)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Oceania > Australia > Western Australia > Perth Basin (0.99)
- North America > United States > Wyoming > Sand Wash Basin (0.99)
- North America > United States > West Virginia > Appalachian Basin > Utica Shale Formation (0.99)
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- Well Completion > Hydraulic Fracturing (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs > Tight gas (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs > Shale gas (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs > Coal seam gas (1.00)
A Variable Shape Distribution (VSD) Model for Characterization of Pore Throat Radii, Drill Cuttings, Fracture Apertures and Petrophysical Properties in Tight, Shale and Conventional Reservoirs
Aguilera, Roberto F. (Center for Research in Energy and Mineral Economics (CREME), Curtin University) | Ramirez, John Freddy (Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary) | Ortega, Camilo (Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary) | Aguilera, Roberto (Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary)
Abstract Fractal and power law distributions have been found in the past to be useful for modeling some reservoir properties following the assumptions of constant shape and self-similarity. This study shows, however, that pore throat apertures, fracture apertures, petrophysical and drill cuttings properties of unconventional formations are better matched with a variable shape distribution model (as opposed to constant shape). This permits better reservoir characterization and forecasting of reservoir performance. Pore throat apertures, fracture apertures, petrophysical properties and drill cutting sizes from tight and shale reservoirs are shown to follow trends that match the variable shape distribution model (VSD) with coefficients of determination (R) that are generally larger than 0.99. The good fit of the actual data with the VSD allows more rigorous characterization of these properties for use in mathematical models. Data that could not be described previously by a single equation can now be matched uniquely by the VSD. Examples are presented using data from conventional, tight and shale formations found in Canada, the United States, China, Mexico and Australia. In addition, the study shows that the size of cuttings drilled in vertical and horizontal wells can also be matched with the VSD. This allows the use of drill cuttings, an important direct source of information, for quantitative evaluation of reservoir and rock mechanics properties. The results can be used for improved design of stimulation jobs including multi stage hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells. This is important as the amount of information collected in horizontal wells drilled through out tight formations, including cores and well logs, is limited in most cases. It is concluded that the VSD is a valuable tool that has significant potential for applications in conventional, low and ultra-low permeability formations and for evaluating distribution of rock properties at the micro and nano-scale.
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- Research Report > Experimental Study (0.88)
- Research Report > New Finding (0.54)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Rock > Mudrock > Shale (1.00)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline > Geomechanics (1.00)
- Oceania > Australia > Western Australia > Perth Basin (0.99)
- North America > Canada > Saskatchewan > Western Canada Sedimentary Basin > Alberta Basin (0.99)
- North America > Canada > Quebec > Appalachian Basin > Utica Shale Formation (0.99)
- (9 more...)