SPE 158881

Shale Reservoirs: Improved Production from Stimulation of Sweet Spots

Khaled H. Hashmy, Weatherford Geoscience Development, David Tonner, Weatherford Surface Logging
Systems, Samir Abueita, Anadarko Petroleum, Jos Jonkers, Weatherford Reservoir Technology Manager

Copyright 2012, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition held in Perth, Australia, 2224 October 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 must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
In the quest to increase reservoir contact, horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing is the common theme in the
stimulation of productive shale reservoirs. Twenty to thirty stage fracs are not uncommon in some of these reservoirs. Cost,
and sometimes safety considerations, can lead operators to make do with minimal information in the laterals. The selection
of frac intervals is often guided by measurements in the pilot hole and stages are placed more or less evenly along the lateral.
Field examples presented here highlight the fact that comprehensive LWD or openhole wireline data, acquired with the
special deployment techniques in the lateral, clearly demarcate the good zones (sweet spots) from intervals with inferior
reservoir characteristics. LWD Spectral GR has proved its worth in this regard and an innovative acoustic LWD
measurement has provided valuable data in the laterals that has aided stimulation design.

An original approach involving real time monitoring of hydrocarbon (C1 C8, benzene, toluene) and non-hydrocarbon gases
(CO2, N2) dissolved in the drilling fluid in the mud stream has proven successful in independently identifying sweet spots in
the laterals. On the other hand, near real time measurements of XRF, XRD and pyrolisis measurements on drill cuttings at
the wellsite have clearly established their worth in identifying zones suitable for stimulation.

Field examples presented here demonstrate how these techniques have been successfully used to identify sweet spots and
have thus helped enhance the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing, resulting in improved production from shale reservoirs.
Production data are presented to show how productivity is enhanced by concentrating on sweet spots.

Introduction

Even though shale gas was first extracted as a resource in Fredonia, NY in 1825 in shallow, low-pressure fractured shales1, it
was not until the 1970s when production on a commercial scale commenced as a direct result of United States federal
government investments in R&D and demonstration projects that ultimately led to directional and horizontal drilling,
microseismic imaging, and massive hydraulic fracturing. Up until the public and private R&D and demonstration projects of
the 1970s and 1980s, drilling in shale was not considered to be commercially viable. An earlier offshoot of this federal
initiative includes the development of techniques for extraction of coal bed methane.

In 1991 the US Department of Energy subsidized Mitchell Energy's first horizontal drill in the Barnett Shale in north Texas
and since then, shale oil and shale gas production have upended the energy picture world-wide.

Among other peculiarities of shale reservoirs, the most significant is the extremely low permeabilities mainly in the nano-
darcy range. The exceptions are the Haynesville, Eagle Ford and some other shale oil producing reservoirs. Stoneberner2 has
presented a plot of over 2,500 matrix permeability measurements spread over many shale reservoirs where permeabilities in
the range of 10-13 mD to 10-3 mD have been reported. Figure 1, reproduced from the work of Bustin et al.3 again confirms the
very low permeabilities that have to be contended with in most hydrocarbon-bearing shale reservoirs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Now a Consultant upon retirement from Anadarko.
2 SPE 158881

Fig. 1: Porosity vs. Permeability plot highlights the low permeabilities in most shale reservoirs.

One of the key drivers for commercial hydrocarbon production from these reservoirs is to maximize reservoir contact and as
a consequence of the low permeabilities in shale reservoirs, operators have developed a strategy of drilling horizontal wells
where multiple stages of hydraulic fracturing is resorted to. As many as 30 stages per well have been used in certain
instances.

Fig. 2: Multiple-stage hydraulic fracturing in horizontal shale gas and oil wells.
SPE 158881 3

GMX Resources Inc. recently announced4 that a horizontal Bakken well, drilled to a measured depth of 19,927' with a lateral
length of 8,305' was completed as a 31 stage frac Middle Bakken producer achieving a peak rate of 1,483 boepd @ 1,300 psi
flowing casing pressure. However, the industry practice, in most cases, is to stage the fracs geometrically i.e. perforation
clusters are spaced along the length of the lateral at regular intervals, very often without regard to variations in the reservoir
characteristics. The logic is that the fracs will propagate sideways as well as up and down the lateral and contact enough of
the reservoir rock to generate sufficient production. It is our contention that acquiring a reasonable amount of information
about the reservoir characteristics of the formations of the section traversed by the lateral will facilitate the operator in
correctly placing the perforation clusters in the most suitable sections of the lateral and ensure that clayey, ductile or low
TOC intervals are excluded from stimulation. This will optimize the frac program and has the potential to help reduce the
number of frac stages and ensure greater well productivity. Thus, the operators are liable to reduce costs, improve
completions and attain increased production. In this context it has been stated by Baihly et al.5 that to produce wells that
perform to their maximum potential, it is fundamentally necessary to understand both the placement of the lateral in the
reservoir and the placement of the perforations in the lateral. To optimize these placements, some measurements must be
taken in the lateral. Obviously, the value of understanding where to locate the lateral and the perforations must be greater
than both the direct costs associated with taking these measurements and the risk weighted costs associated with deploying
tools in the lateral.

A number of techniques are available to the industry to evaluate the characteristics of the reservoir in the laterals.
Reasonably rapid and relatively inexpensive approaches are available at one end. These grade to progressively more
sophisticated and exhaustive evaluations of the lateral at the other end of the scale. Their efficacy has been proven any time
the techniques have been employed. The goal of this paper is to re-iterate our contention that concentrating frac efforts on
the sweet spots that exhibit improved reservoir properties will give the operator a bigger bang for his frac buck. Sweet
spots are defined as areas along the lateral that exhibit enhanced TOC, increased gas saturation, higher porosity/permeability,
augmented brittleness, reduced clay content, etc.

Below various techniques for obtaining reservoir characteristics in laterals are described and examples are presented to
reinforce this assertion.

Advanced Mud Gas Extraction/Detection6

Advanced mud gas extraction methods have proven useful for real time fluid characterization in order to differentiate
between liquid hydrocarbons and gas. This information has been used to identify kick off points for the drilling of laterals.
The extraction of hydrocarbon gases through a gas permeable membrane was first applied to drilling fluid gas analysis by
Brumboiu et al7. The technique embodies an innovative approach for mud gas extraction which involves:

(i) The use of detectors both at the inlet and the return point of the mud the Delta System which ensures the
removal of the effects of recycled gas and the associated uncertainty as shown in figure 3 and
(ii) The use of a semi-permeable membrane on a probe. This probe is inserted directly into the drilling mud stream.
The result is a gas in mud and not gas in air measurement. The spectrum of gases being measured are Methane
(C1) through Octane (C8), aromatics, Benzene and Toluene and inert gas N2 and CO2.

With excellent separation of all component peaks and elution times, which yields full analysis, that incorporates C1-C8,
aromatics and non-hydrocarbon gases, within 50 seconds. This combination of membrane technology and Thermocouple
Detector Chromatography presents a significant advance in the real-time characterization of hydrocarbon bearing zones.

Fig.3: The Delta System reduces uncertainty caused by recycled gas (shaded yellow) being confused as potential sweet spot.
4 SPE 158881

The technique has been successfully employed in many pilot holes and mainly in horizontal laterals drilled in shale
reservoirs. As will be evident from figure 4a below, the technique can be very diagnostic. The increase in Total
Hydrocarbon, THC, between 10,600 and 10,870 feet (track 4), the separation between the C1 and Balance Ratio curves (track
5- yellow shading), the increase in the Gas/liquid ratio in tack 6 (shaded green) and the crossover of the HC curve and the
Aromatics to Alkene ratio ARO/ALK, together signify the presence of liquid hydrocarbons in this interval. Thus, mud gas
compositional data represents an effective approach for the identification of hydrocarbon bearing zones by means of
measurements at the surface in the mud stream. Even if no other measurements are made, the operator has positive
indications of zones that are hydrocarbon bearing and can concentrate the frac efforts in such zones.

Another example of fluid identification is presented in fig. 4b. This is an example from the Barnett Shale. The two panels on
the left are from a well in Wise County. The increased level of Total Hydrocarbon, THC, coupled with a relatively low (50-
60%) of Methane points to the presence of liquid hydrocarbons and hence relatively lower maturity and Iso-reflectance
Coefficient. On the other hand, it is seen on the two panels to the right that the increased level of Total Hydrocarbon, THC,
coupled with a high (90-98%) of Methane points to the presence of gas and hence relatively high maturity and Iso-reflectance
Coefficient. This conforms to the well-recognized regional variation in the in the maturity levels in the Barnett Shale.

Fig. 4a: Identification of liquid hydrocarbons in a well using GC Tracer survey.

SPE 158881 5

Fig. 4b: Fluid types identification in two wells using GC Tracer

Mineralogy, Brittleness & Pyrolysis Determinations on Cuttings

Available to the industry are robust and portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and pyrolysis
devices that may be used at well sites to more precisely evaluate drill cuttings. The output is a spectrum of elements,
mineralogy, TOC, S1, S2 and TMax and geomechanical properties. These measurements have been used to generate near real
time data at the wellsite to assist with wellbore placement (Geosteering), mineralogical determination, identification of pay
zones and assistance with smart well completion designs.

Unlike other measurements that are conducted in the borehole (other than LWD), measurements on cuttings are available
within l5-30 minutes of the arrival of the cutting at the surface and may be used to (i) take corrective action in steering the
well and (ii) providing lithological information for selection of frac stages. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray
Fluorescence (XRF) devices are used to calculate rock mineralogy8. The former is a direct measurement, the latter measures
elements and once calibrated for a given field, can be used to estimate the mineralogy. Calibrations are field and play
specific. These wellsite tools can be used as a backup and in some cases replace or calibrate elemental capture logs (see
Fig.5) where results obtained from a Induced Neutron Capture Spectroscopy survey (smooth continuous lines) are overlain
on the minerals identified by X-Ray Diffraction, XRD, and X-Ray Fluorescence, XRF, shown by dark squares at discrete
intervals at which the drill cuttings were sampled. The close correspondence between the output from the XRD and XRF
measurements on cuttings and the Induced Neutron Capture Spectroscopy data clearly shows that mineralogy may readily be
estimated, in a reliable manner in near real time, by XRD and XRF measurements on cuttings during the drilling process.
This furnishes yet another tool in the operators arsenal for identification of suitable zones where frac efforts ought to be
6 SPE 158881

focused.

Scale : 1:750

ElementalGR Fe2O3 Al2O3 SiO2 CaO TIO2 SO3

0 180 0 % 60 % 25 0 % 70 0 % 40 0.2 % 0.9 0 - 5
GR DW Fe DW Al DW Si DW Ca DW Ti DW S
Formation EA Packages
0 API 180 0 - 0.05 0 - 0.075 0 - 0.25 0 - 0.4 0 - 0.006 -0.01 - 0.062
EA P6
D

EA P5

EA P4

EA P3

EA P2

A
EA P1

Fig. 5: Comparison of mineralogical determination obtained from XRD and XRF measurements on cuttings and the
output from an Induced Neutron Capture Spectroscopy survey.
.

The brittleness index is arguably one of the most contentious issues in shale Petrophysics. Dan Jarvie and co-workers9 were
possibly the first to offer an equation for computing brittleness of the Barnett shale. Their definition is reproduced below.

.
Fig. 6: Brittleness as per Jarvie et al.6 (Courtesy AAPG)
SPE 158881 7

In some other shales such as the Haynesville, Eagle Ford, Bakken and Vaca Muerta formations that have high carbonate
contents, this empirical equation does not apply. It is the carbonate composition in this instance which causes the rock to be
more brittle. It has been necessary to create formation specific algorithms in order to correctly calculate brittleness from an
equation of this form. In such instances, the brittleness equation is modified and expressed as given below. In addition, it is
imperative to evaluate the rock using microscopy to evaluate the nature of the crystal and matrix structure.

Fig. 7: Formation mineralogy from cuttings compared with that derived from wireline logs, TOC Indicator from trace elements Vanadium
and Nickel.

In fig. 7, the effectiveness of determining mineralogy from XRF data (track 4) is demonstrated. The XRF mineralogy
compares well with that derived from well logs (track 5). Brittleness derived from the quartz and calcite contents also appears
to be quite diagnostic. Such analyses, based on measurements made on cuttings in near real time, have been found to be very
useful in delineating sweet spots suitable for hydraulic fracturing- in this instance, the interval shaded black in the last two
tracks indicating high TOC coupled with indications of increased brittleness, higher calcite and quartz and reduced clay
content identifies the sweet spot. Case studies presented below again highlight the capability of identifying sweet spots based
measurements on drill cuttings combined with GC Tracer measurements in the drilling mud.

Sweet Spots: From Pilot Hole to the Lateral

A combination of X-Ray Florescence measurements on cores and cuttings, combined with Advanced Mud Gas data were
employed in this instance to determine a sweet spot in the vertical hole from where the lateral would be kicked-off (figure 8).
Lithologic packages identified from Chemostratigraphy are shown in track 2, followed by the Elemental Mineralogy in track
4, the cored interval is depicted in track 5, while the Relative Brittleness is presented in track 6, with red being more brittle
and green being ductile. The next three tracks show the abundances of Vanadium, Nickel and the Vanadium to Al2O3 ratio.
8 SPE 158881

These three combined serve as a proxy for TOC the black shaded area corresponds to high TOC. The Total Hydrocarbon
Content, THC, and the Gas to Liquids Ratio are depicted in the last two tracks. The combination of high Calcite content,
augmented brittleness level, indications of higher TOC from its proxies, enhanced THC magnitude combined with the light
oil/condensate signature together unequivocally demarcate the sweet spot in this pilot hole. This interval is marked in track
3. Based on these findings, the operator landed the lateral at the level marked by the dashed red line.

Figure 8: XRF and Advanced Mud Gas measurements delineate best zone to kick-off the lateral from the pilot hole

The lateral that was kicked-off from the pilot hole in to the sweet spot identified by a combination of Advanced Mud Gas and
XRF measurements was monitored by means of XRF measurements made in near real time at the well site on drill cuttings.
Results are presented in Figure 9 below. As expected, several intervals may be distinguished in the well trajectory that
displays characteristics as listed below:

(i) Higher carbonate content as evinced by the Calcium to Aluminum ratio.

(ii) Enhanced Brittleness indications
(iii) Reduced clay content as manifested by the Potassium to Aluminum ratio
(iv) Increased Enrichment Factor for Vanadium, the ratio of Vanadium to Al2O3, testifies to higher content of Total
Organic Carbon, TOC.

Taken in conjunction with other curves e.g. the K2O/Rb ratio, these indicators affirm that the sweet spot identified in the
vertical pilot hole was indeed correct and that certain intervals in the lateral that was kicked-off in to this zone exhibit all the
features that are considered desirable for hydrocarbon production. However, as expected, the entire target zone is not equally
suited for stimulation the more brittle zones which are likely to have lower fracture initiation pressure are enclosed by
ellipses in the Brittleness track. In this fashion it has been demonstrated that real-time Advanced Mud Gas results combined
with near real time XRF measurements on cuttings in the pilot hole and in the associated lateral can help in frac stage
placement, determining horizontal well length, etc.
SPE 158881 9

Figure 9: Results from XRF measurements made in near real time in the lateral drilled from the pilot hole in figure 8. The
purple bars below the Brittleness track highlight zones that are amenable to fracing,

Customized Hydraulic Frac Cocktails for Intervals in the Sweet Spot

The XRD and Source Rock Analyzer (SRA) data obtained in near real time on drill cuttings at the well site were used to pick
the target interval (shaded gray in fig. 10) primarily based on the high Brittleness Index, Calcite content and reasonably good
TOC, Hydrocarbons S1 and S2 (mg/g). The well was then kicked off horizontally in to this target zone and XRD and SRA
data were gathered for the lateral section as the well was drilled. Results in in Figures 11 highlight the variability of the
formation characteristics in the lateral. Three formation types labeled A, B and C are identified on the basis of the XRD and
SRA data. The productive intervals are required to have higher porosities, low water saturation and clay content, high
10 SPE 158881

Fig. 10: XRD and Source Rock Analyzer (SRA) data obtained at wellsite on cuttings help identify target interval in the pilot hole

Kerogen content and relatively higher permeability. Moreover10 targeted siliceous, and/or calcite rich sweet spots need to be
brittle, and have a low fracture initiation pressure and ought to be less susceptible to proppant embedment after fracture
closure. Earth models are needed to simulate fracture geometry in order to:

(a) identify any barriers to fracture height growth,

(b) pinpoint and quantify water sensitive shales for damage mitigation
(c) understand formation dip magnitudes and strike orientation
(d) predict fracture orientation
(e) distinguish features that could complicate proppant placement (fissures, laminations, etc.)
(f) identify pay zones best able to resist proppant embedment and least likely to generate fines.

Optimal frac placement will result and higher productivity may be expected when such zones are stimulated. In this context,
separate frac designs were contemplated for each formation type. Thus, customized frac treatment schedules below referred
to as cocktails, were devised for formation types A, B and C. These cocktails" use the appropriate pressure, frac fluid and
proppants, etc., in each of the three formation types. In this manner frac stages were not only placed in the appropriate spots,
but additionally, the customization of the frac design resulted in optimization of the completion and significantly enhanced
productivity.
SPE 158881 11

Fig. 11: Lateral section drilled from the target interval identified in fig. 10. Note rapid variations in reservoir characteristics that
necessitate customized frac design for each of the three rock types A, B and C.

LWD Spectral Gamma Surveys

The recent introduction of a LWD azimuthal spectral gamma ray device11 has been successfully used both for geosteering
and evaluation applications in shale reservoirs. The tool design incorporates efficient gamma detectors and also ensures that
the metal between detector and the formation is minimized. The tool also includes X-Y magnetometers to track the azimuthal
position of the detector(s) as the tool rotates, which allows for the acquisition of 16-bin azimuthal total gamma ray data for
real-time and recorded borehole images.
12 SPE 158881

Fig. 12: Example of LWD Spectral Gamma ray recorded in a shale reservoir. High Uranium is associated with increased TOC and
Kerogen content.

The LWD spectral gamma ray measurements provide Uranium (U), Potassium (K), and Thorium (Th) content of the
formation. Many organic shale reservoirs exhibit a strong correlation between Uranium content and Kerogen content/TOC.
The Uranium normally dissolved in sea water becomes insoluble in the oxygen-depleted reducing environment associated
with the deposition of typical organic shales, and has a particular affinity to precipitate onto organic carbon. The association
of Uranium with Kerogen, and hence TOC, has been well documented in the work published by GRI12. U-Kerogen
transforms, or better still customized transforms established for given shale, can then be used to compute the Kerogen content
along the lateral section and, where the density data are available, Total Organic Carbon, TOC, may be computed. If other
measurements are absent, these curve values will serve to highlight potential sweet spots since high organic content is
associated with development of porosity and generation of hydrocarbons. Used singly and preferably with other
measurements, the Uranium curve can be used to pick suitable spots for perforation and stimulation thus optimizing the frac
efficiency by eliminating barren zones from the stimulation effort. The elevated Uranium levels in fig. 12 noted between
12,200 and 13,100 feet measured depth highlights the potential sweet spot in this well.

While the high Uranium values provide a proxy for organic content, the organic-associated Uranium drives the total gamma
ray value high, often prohibiting the evaluation clay of content or shale volume from the total gamma ray log. However,
the potassium and thorium measurements from the spectral gamma ray log provide a basis for evaluating clay content and
SPE 158881 13

clay typing13, even in the presence of high Uranium. Clay content evaluation can be particularly important in shale
reservoirs, as it is often a major factor affecting the formation ductility and hydraulic fracturing behavior. Under favorable
circumstances, the thorium and potassium contents may be used to compute the relative abundances of individual clays like
Smectite, Chlorite, Illite, Kaolinite, etc. Zones where expandable clays are present in sufficient amounts will not be suitable
candidates for stimulation as considerable formation damage could occur in the course of fracing. The LWD Spectral Gamma
data then can be used to avoid stimulating zones with relatively higher amounts of expandable, allowing the operator to
concentrate on zones that are less susceptible to formation damage.

The example shown in Fig. 13 below not only highlights the sweet spot identified by the elevated levels of Uranium (red
curve, track 2) and hence, TOC, in the interval 7,700 to 8,620 MD, but also indicates the possible presence of Chlorite clay
in portions of the interval where the Thorium (green curve, track 2) to Potassium (blue curve, track 2) ratio rises well above
the background value typified by Illite/Mixed-layer clays. This too will provide critical information for designing the frac
and completion strategies.

Fig. 13: Example of LWD Spectral Gamma ray recorded in a shale reservoir. High Uranium is associated with increased TOC and
Kerogen content. Also, note the elevated Thorium levels (green curve, track 2) indicating change in clay type.
14 SPE 158881

Open-hole/Cased-hole Well Surveys in the Lateral

By far the most diagnostic means for establishing sweet spots in the lateral is to run a complete suite of openhole wireline
logs and then to follow up with production logging in the cased hole after the well has been stimulated. In the example
shown in figure 14, a comprehensive, quantitative formation evaluation was performed on a suite of quad-combo logs

Fig. 14: Comprehensive, quantitative evaluation of the quad-combo indicates deterioration of reservoir properties at the toe of the lateral,
highlighting intervals that need not be stimulated.

run in the lateral. The onset of a significant decline in permeability (track 8) is evident around 10,300 feet MD, which is also
reflected on the resistivity measurement. Porosity and hydrocarbon saturation also show a declining trend starting at 10,420
feet with a corresponding increase in the clay content. This information convinced the operator that the reservoir properties
at the toe of the lateral did not warrant stimulation. Consequently, only the section above 10,200 was stimulated. The
Flowmeter in track 9 clearly shows that the rest of the stimulation portion of the lateral produced hydrocarbons as indicated
by the log evaluation. The key fact is that at least one and possibly two frac stages were avoided as a result of the available
detailed, comprehensive petrophysical analysis of the log data.

Seismic and Other Techniques for Sweet-spots

A text book example of the benefits of sweet-spot identification prior to well stimulation was presented by J. D. Hall14 of
Pioneer Natural Resources. Hall (ibid.) compares results from two wells, the first of which was drilled solely on the basis of
data from the pilot hole. No measurements on drill cuttings were made nor wireline, LWD or seismic was used to identify
sweet-spots. Neither was geosteering attempted logs were run through-casing at TD. Up to 85% of the well was out of
zone, most of the lateral could not be hydraulically stimulated and high frac gradients prevented placement of proppants.
This is shown on the upper part of fig. 15.

In contrast to this, seismic data, integrated with other geological information, was used to identify sweet-spots in another well
shown in the lower part of fig. 15. LWD GR was used for geosteering. The lateral remained entirely in the target zone,
fracture gradients were low, every stage was successfully fraced and 208 to 324 lbs. of proppants were placed in the different
stages. A radioactive tracer survey confirmed the proper placement of the proppant. This is a seminal example that supports
the contention of the authors of the necessity to obtain data from the laterals and focus stimulation efforts on sweet spots
where reservoir characteristics are favorable.
SPE 158881 15

Fig.15: Combination of LWD and Seismic for sweet-spots and geo-steering (reproduced from Hall, 2011, Presented at the Tight Oil -Eagle
Ford 2011 Conference, Houston-TX, August 30, 2011)
16 SPE 158881

Conclusions.

1. A wide variety of techniques are available to evaluate the lateral sections to optimize the positioning of the
perforation clusters, horizontal well length, and proppant schedules, etc. Often, customized frac treatment
schedules can be designed to match frac parameters (like treating pressure, frac fluids and additives and
proppant) to the reservoir properties of individual stages.
2. The GC Tracer, an advanced mud gas extraction technique, offers a quick and relatively low cost means of
evaluating many properties in the horizontal which can help identify sweet spots by itself and preferably in
conjunction with XRD, XRF, SRA, etc.
3. Well site XRD and XRF measurements on drill cuttings offer elemental and mineralogical analyses in near
real time during drilling. This can help in geosteering and also in picking zones suited for stimulation.
4. A newly introduced LWD Spectral Gamma tool has proven its worth both for geosteering, clay mineralogy
identification and for identifying intervals with high TOC.
5. A triple- or quad combo suite run in the lateral can be most diagnostic in identifying sweet spots.
6. Most of the time, the cost of the measurements alluded to in the foregoing is far less than that of single frac
stage. Thus, the cost of acquiring the data would be more than justified even if the operator avoids
stimulating one stage by identifying one interval that is unsuitable for stimulation. Moreover,
concentrating the stimulation in the portions where the reservoir has superior characteristics will lead to
improved flow rates and enhanced EUR.

Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the operators who released the data for publication. Thanks are owed to Scott Ball for
critically reviewing the document and for many suggestions for improvements.

References.

1
Milam Ken, Name the Gas Industry Birthplace: Fredonia, NY? AAPG Explorer, Sept. 2011.
2
Stoneburner, Richard (2010): What We Have Learned in the First Two Years, Developing Unconventional Gas Eagle Ford Conference,
October 5, 2010.
3
Bustin, R. M., Bustin, A. M. M., Cui, X., Ross, D. J. K., and Murthi Pathi, V. S.: Impact of Shale Properties on Pore Structure and
Storage Characteristics, SPE 119892, Presented at the 2008 SPE Shale Gas Conference, Ft. Worth, TX, 16-18 Nov. 2008.
4
GMX Resources Successfully Drills, Completes Middle Bakken Well: UGCenter.com Daily News, May 9,2012
5
Baihly, J. D., Malpani, R., Edwards, C., Han, S. Y., Kok, J. C. L., Tollefsen, E. M., and Wheeler, C. W.: Unlocking the Shale Mystery:
How Lateral Measurements and Well Placement Impact Completions and Resultant Production, SPE 138427.
6
Tonner, David, Hughes, Simon, Dix, Michael: Wellsite Geochemistry New Analytical Tools Used to Evaluate Unconventional
Reservoirs and Smart Completions in Vertical and Horizontal Wells, Trans. SPWLA 53rd Annual Logging Symposium,
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7
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8
Tonner, D., Hughes, Simon, Dix, Michael: Wellsite Geochemistry - New Analytical Tools Used to Evaluate Unconventional Reservoirs
to Assist in Well Construction and Smart Completions in Vertical and Horizontal wells, Trans. SPWLA 53rd Annual Logging
Symposium, June 16-20, 2012.
9
Jarvie, D. M., Hill, R. J., Ruble, T. E. and Pollastro, M.: Unconventional Shale-gas Systems: The Mississippian Barnett Shale of North-
central Texas as One Model for Thermogenic Shale-gas Assessment, AAPG Bulletin, v. 91, no. 4 (April 2007), pp. 475499.
10
Abou-Sayed, I. S., Sorrell, M. A., Foster, R. A., Atwood, E. L. and Youngblood, D. R. (2011): Haynesville Shale
Development Program From Vertical to Horizontal, SPE 144425, Presented at the SPE North American
Unconventional Gas Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, TX, 14-16 June 2011.
11
Hashmy, K. H., Abueita, Samir, Barnett, Craig and Jonkers, Jos: Log Based Identification of Sweet Spots for Effective Fracs in Shale
Reservoirs, CSUG/SPE 149278-PP, Presented at the Canadian Unconventional Resources Conference held in Calgary, Alberta,
Canada, 1517 November 2011.
12
Development of Laboratory and Petrophysical Techniques for Evaluating Shale Reservoirs Final Technical Report: GRI-95/0496, Gas
Research Institute, Chicago, IL, Oct. 1986 Sept. 1993.
13
Serra, Oberto, Baldwin, J. and Quirein, J.: Theory, Interpretation and Practical Applications of Natural Gamma ray Spectroscopy,
Trans. SPWLA XXI Annual Symposium, Paper Q, July 8-11 1980.
14
Hall, J. D.: Pioneer Natural Resources Presentation, Tight Oil -Eagle Ford 2011 Conference, Houston-TX, August 30, 2011.