SPWLA Houston Northside Meeting

Upcoming Meeting:

Comparative Study of Formation Evaluation Methods for Unconventional Shale Gas Reservoirs: Application to the Haynesville Shale (Texas)

by Thaimar Ramirez , Apache Corporation

Northside Seminar
Date: Monday Feb. 6, 2012
Lunch:  11:30   Talk:  12:00
Reservations:  Email Jack Douglas
RSVP before 9:00 A.M., Thursday, Feb 2.  Walk-ins are welcome, but lunch may not be available without an advance payment.

Venue is full

Cost:
$32 (lunch* provided pre-paid via paypal)

$20 (venue charge with no lunch purchased)

$35 (paid on-site lunch* provided with reservation)

Cash, credit card, or check is acceptable for payment. Receipts will be provided.  Advance payment via PayPal is required via link above.

Place:  The Greenspoint Club
16925 Northchase Drive, Houston, TX 77060
Click for Map

Parking: Parking is available on the Ground, 4th & 5th Levels. To access the 4th & 5th levels, pull up to the contract parking gates. There is a call box on the left-hand side. Press the button, release and gates will open. Follow park signs to the 4th and 5th level. The Greenspoint Club is located on the 5th Floor.

Special Instructions:
This is a fixed meal package including Chef's choice of salad, chicken entrée served with vegetable and starch, dinner rolls, dessert, iced tea, and coffee. The salads, desserts and beverages will be pre-set menu.

Directions:
1.  From I-45,go East on Greens Rd. Turn right at 3rd light, onto Northchase Drive. The Greenspoint club is 1/4 mile on the right.
2.  From Beltway 8 (going West), Exit Imperial Valley and turn right. Turn left at first light onto Benmar. Stay on Benmar to Northchase. Turn right onto Northchase Drive. The Greenspoint club is on the left.
3.  From Beltway 8 (going East), Exit and turn left on Greenspoint Drive. Go right at first light onto Benmar. Turn left at next light onto Northchase Drive. The Greenspoint club is on the left.

Abstract

Petrophysical evaluation methods for shale-gas plays include mineral-based workflows that use traditional nuclear, electrical, and acoustic measurements in combination with advanced geochemical logs. This approach seems to offer the most comprehensive petrophysical analysis for unconventional reservoirs as it seeks an integrated characterization of mineralogy, organic content, porous volume, and fluid distribution. However, this method requires a significant input data set and key model parameters that may not be well known e.g. mineral elemental weight fraction end points. We anticipate variability in geochemical modeling results may arise between operators and service companies, using different model(s) and parameters, or where cross-validation with core data is not possible. The role of geochemical modeling must also be understood in the context of field-wide application, as these data are only infrequently acquired. We discuss results from three interpretation techniques applied in a Haynesville well (Texas) that were calibrated to core analyses from crushed-rock (GRI) methods. First, a multi-mineral approach that includes the standard logging suite and geochemical logs shows that independent petrophysical assessments from two vendors and those from in-house analysis are not in agreement. Second, a petrophysical model that uses resistivity and a combination of two porosity logs is proposed when only these log measurements are available. This model is readily extended to many wells with a common logging suite and may be applied in horizontal boreholes. Third, given sufficient core data across multiple wells, we apply a cluster analysis technique that provides robust results suitable for large regional studies. We compare results from each method to available core measurements and provide recommendations for further applications. In this paper, we also study the role of laboratory NMR measurements to support reservoir characterization of shale gas. Laboratory NMR measurements on preserved core samples are performed in the as-received state. Core NMR porosity and water saturation values are significantly different from those of the crushed-core analysis. This observation suggests that additional laboratory NMR measurements may be required for log calibration. The work described here provides an independent and critical analysis of multiple formation evaluation techniques applied to a Haynesville shale well with core and extensive log measurements. Results highlight the difficulty in developing a mineralbased model using geochemical logs that is consistent with both core and vendor deliverables. Interpretation of NMR data remains an elusive opportunity requiring mostly unknown formation-specific evaluation parameters.

Biography
Thaimar Ramirez is a Petrophysical Engineer in the Exploration and Production Technology Department with Apache Corporation in Houston, TX. Previously, Thaimar worked for ConocoPhillips, where she gained experience as a petrophysicist in both business units and technology, including Alaska exploration, domestic and international production projects, and global unconventional resource play formation evaluation. Thaimar received a Master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 2004. She was elected 2010-2011 editor of the SPWLA Houston Chapter and she is currently the VP Westside. She is a member of the SPWLA technology committee and served as secretary of the SPWLA Unconventional Resources special-interest-group. Thaimar is also a member of the SPE, AAPG, and SEG.