Hydrocarbon Exploration & Production

References:
Frank Jahn et al, Hydrocarbon Exploration
and Production (Developments in
Petroleum Science), second edition, 2008

Method of Deliverance
Method of Deliverance
Lecturing with open discussion
Trivia/ Quiz
Questions and Answers

Rules
Keep cellphone/ laptop/ tablet off or in
silent mode
Active participation is a must
Out-of-topic discussion please outside the
class

Outline
Introduction [15 mins]
Part 1: Data Gathering and Interpretation
[60 mins]
Part 2: Reservoir Management [15 mins]
Part 3: Reservoir Simulation [15 mins]
Part 4: Discussions Q&A [15 mins]

The Two Important Things!

How much hydrocarbon does the
reservoir contain (HCIIP: Hydrocarbons
Initially In Place)
How much can be recovered (the UR:
Ultimate Recovery)

How to Calculate ?
HCIIP (HC Initially In Place)

OIIP:
Area x thickness x NTG x Porosity x So

GIIP:
Area x thickness x NTG x Porosity x Sg

UR (Ultimate Recovery)

UR:
HCIIP X RF

Basic Physical Parameters of Reservoir

Net Reservoir Thickness

Porosity
Hydrocarbon Saturation
Permeability

DATA GATHERING

Definition
Activities which provides geologist and
engineers with the information required to
estimate
Volume of HC in reservoir
Its fluid content
Reservoir productivity
Potential for development

Data Gathering & Interpretation

Direct methods
Mud-logging
Conventional Coring
Sidewall Sampling / Sidewall Coring
Formation Tester
Fluid Sampling

Data Gathering & Interpretation

Indirect methods
Wireline Logging
Logging while Drilling
Seismic

Drilling System

Coring
Coring is performed in between drilling
operations
While drilling, there is mud-logging data
recorded and analyzed
Once the interval for coring is identified
from mud log data
A special assembly is run on drill pipe
comprising a core bit and a core barrel

Conventional Coring

Conventional Coring

Permeability from Core

Side Wall Sampling

Using explosive

Side Wall Coring

Mudlogging
Cuttings from shale shaker
Lithology description, gas detection

Example: 7230 Sandstone:

gray pinkish, fine to medium
grain size, angular,
unconsolidated, fair
intergranular porosity, good
oil stain, good cut
fluorescence, contain mica

Wireline Logging
Basic Product: Open Hole
Log Data
Represent 5-15% of total
well cost
Wireline logging was
considered better quality
than LWD (we will discuss
this later in the next
section)
But as technology
advances LWD is
considered much
improved

Sonde Types
Natural Gamma ray tools: detecting
radiation
Electrical logging/ resistivity tools: to
measure conductivity
Gamma ray generation/ density-neutron
tools: total porosity
Acoustic logging/ sonic tools: primary
porosity (prefer to go to solid and bypass
the pore with fluid inside)

Basic Logs Typical Log of Ideal Reservoir

Natural Gamma Ray

Key concept: Natural radioactive (K, U, Th)
from formation is capture by the tool
Quartz/ Carbonates: have little/ no
radioactivity
Shale: have naturally occurring
radioactive components

Electrical Logging/ Resistivity Tools

Oil and gas are more resistive than the
salty formation water

Gamma Ray Generation/ Density-Neutron

Tools
Some logging tools use chemical sources that
generate radioactive particles.
The particles interact with the surrounding
formation, and detectors on the sonde pick up the
resulting signals.
Gamma radiation is absorbed proportionally to
the density of the formation.
Other radioactive particlesneutronsare
absorbed proportionally to the amount of
hydrogen.
Measurements from both of these types of logs
can be converted to porosity values.

Porosity

Density Porosity

Neutron Porosity

Devices - summary

Triple Combo Summary

Gamma Ray Log
Low GR sand
High GR shale
Resistivity Log
Low resistivity formation water
High resistivity hydrocarbon or could
also indicate tight formation.

Triple Combo Summary

Density Log
Low Density high porosity
High Density low porosity

Neutron Log
Low NPHI more Hydrogen Index high
porosity
High NPHI less Hydrogen Index low
porosity

Formation Tester: Pressure &

Mobility

Fluid Sampling
Collect samples from a formation, bring
them to surface, and analyze them insitu
or in a laboratory.

Image Logs
Resistivity and acoustic wave based log
data could be acquired and converted to
produce image of formation

Image logs - examples

Seismic Related Data Gathering

Surface Seismic
3D high quality (high fidelity seismic
data)
VSP
Cross-hole seismic
Cross well-bore seismic
Microseismic
Usually related to fractures in the
reservoir

Surface Seismic
Seismic Inversion
When reservoir condition allows and
data is of sufficient quality
The seismic data could be inverted to
impedance
The impedance could be linked to
reservoir porosity

Microseismic
In the tight formation reservoir
permability is so limited
Hydraulic fracturing is applied to improve
permeability
Essentially this fractures network is the
porosity of the reservoir
During fracc-ing microseismic survey is
recorded to analyse and understand
network of fractures

RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT

Part 2: Reservoir Management

Managing The Subsurface

Key Steps/Milestones:
Gathering data,
Monitoring (& gathering other data
sets),
Updating the strategy.

The Big Picture - Integration

Cost vs. Gain

The philosophy behind is always to include
How much is it to pay for the
information?
How much could we gain from the
additional information?

Typical Change of Estimate of UR

EOR and IOR

EOR and IOR

Before we do improvement or
enhancement on the hydrocarbon
recovery we should consider
Type of reservoir and fluids
Available access and facilities
Impact to environment

Wetting Surface in Reservoir Rocks:

Mobile Oil and Immobile Oil

RESERVOIR SIMULATION

Part 3: Reservoir Simulation

Simulation is one of the most powerful
tools for guiding reservoir management
decisions.
Analogue Reservoir
Reservoir Model and Simulation
Keyword: What if ??

Source: http://9gag.com/gag/aEGGLEO/geologist-cake

Source: http://oilandcareers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Reservoir-Engineer.jpg

Production Simulation

Simulation Model Generation

Input: reservoir geometry, rock properties,
fluid and well properties

Simulation Model Generation

(2)
Input: reservoir geometry, rock properties,
fluid and well properties

History Match and Prediction

History matching is the act of adjusting a reservoir model until its simulated production
response closely reproduces past behaviour. Once a reservoir model has been history
matched, it can be used to simulate future reservoir behaviour.

LWD and Wireline

LWD

Wireline

Divided Core

Log Measurements

Well to Well Correlation

Grid Type

Water Flooding

Gamma Ray
LOW

Permeability
HIGH

Clean sand

Shaly sand

Shale

LOW

HIGH

Oil Water or Gas?

3. GAS (1989.51 m)
Last fluid analysis: gas
Resistivity: 10
T1: 3
Capacitance: -3.7
HI: 0.15
Bubble Point: 1909.29
Mobility before and after: 23 and 148 mD/cP
Viscosity index: 3.29
Compressibility: 2.85e-4

3. GAS (1989.51 m)

3. GAS (1989.51 m)

(2977.8 m @ well-xyz_8.5in-phase)

Formation Tester

Formation Tester

WATER (2977.8 m @ well xyz_8.5in-phase)

Last fluid analysis: water
Resistivity: 13
Fluid resistivity: 12.48
T1: 5
Capacitance: 58.7
HI: 0.76
Bubble Point: Mobility before and after: 16.2 and 23 mD/cP
Viscosity index: 0.82
Compressibility: -

WATER (2977.8 m @ well xyz_8.5inphase)