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Shale Gas

Explorer Article

The Marcellus Shale is a hot topic in the gas industry these days. Many have hopes that the gas found will assist in our energy needs until a better solution can be found.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

It is approximately 80 miles between Titusville, Pa., and Fredonia, N.Y. – and while nobody is suggesting the rivalry between these two cities is on par with, say, the competition between the Red Sox and the Yankees, the origins of the petroleum industry is becoming a bone (a well?) of contention.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

AAPG’s prestigious Distinguished Lecturer program, which offers audiences a chance to hear the latest in geoscience research, understanding and practical applications, kicks-off its new season with three speaking tours planned for September.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

A $3.5 million proprietary 3-D seismic survey was recorded in central Pennsylvania region to determine the effectiveness of modern 3-D/3C seismic data in extracting certain rock properties of the Marcellus Shale.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

An AAPG member believes the New York village of Fredonia should be recognized as the birthplace of the natural gas industry.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Regions and Sections

With expertise as both a professor and consulting geologist, AAPG President Paul Weimer’s background is well-aligned with the energy industry renaissance currently under way in Latin America.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Division Column EMD

It’s a new year, with a new EMD Executive Committee and president, and there is renewed interest in unconventional and alternative energy resources.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

The attention-grabbing antics of rapscallion Louisiana politicians who often rule the roost, so to speak, have long overshadowed the state’s considerable importance to the United States, particularly in the energy milieu.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

The fast-approaching AAPG International Conference and Exhibition in Milan will showcase – in association with EMD – a comprehensive unconventional resources program with global scope, ranging in scale from the nanopore to the petroleum system, exploring the latest in applied geoscience and engineering.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Frack checking: The ongoing and intensifying public debate over the impact of hydraulic fracturing is about to get an infusion of scientific observations.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
VG Abstract

Production from unconventional petroleum reservoirs includes petroleum from shale, coal, tight-sand and oil-sand. These reservoirs contain enormous quantities of oil and natural gas but pose a technology challenge to both geoscientists and engineers to produce economically on a commercial scale. These reservoirs store large volumes and are widely distributed at different stratigraphic levels and basin types, offering long-term potential for energy supply. Most of these reservoirs are low permeability and porosity that need enhancement with hydraulic fracture stimulation to maximize fluid drainage. Production from these reservoirs is increasing with continued advancement in geological characterization techniques and technology for well drilling, logging, and completion with drainage enhancement. Currently, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Egypt, USA, and Venezuela are producing natural gas from low permeability reservoirs: tight-sand, shale, and coal (CBM). Canada, Russia, USA, and Venezuela are producing heavy oil from oilsand. USA is leading the development of techniques for exploring, and technology for exploiting unconventional gas resources, which can help to develop potential gas-bearing shales of Thailand. The main focus is on source-reservoir-seal shale petroleum plays. In these tight rocks petroleum resides in the micro-pores as well as adsorbed on and in the organics. Shale has very low matrix permeability (nano-darcies) and has highly layered formations with differences in vertical and horizontal properties, vertically non-homogeneous and horizontally anisotropic with complicate natural fractures. Understanding the rocks is critical in selecting fluid drainage enhancement mechanisms; rock properties such as where shale is clay or silica rich, clay types and maturation , kerogen type and maturation, permeability, porosity, and saturation. Most of these plays require horizontal development with large numbers of wells that require an understanding of formation structure, setting and reservoir character and its lateral extension. The quality of shale-gas resources depend on thickness of net pay (>100 m), adequate porosity (>2%), high reservoir pressure (ideally overpressure), high thermal maturity (>1.5% Ro), high organic richness (>2% TOC), low in clay (<50%), high in brittle minerals (quartz, carbonates, feldspars), and favourable in-situ stress. During the past decade, unconventional shale and tight-sand gas plays have become an important supply of natural gas in the US, and now in shale oil as well. As a consequence, interest to assess and explore these plays is rapidly spreading worldwide. The high production potential of shale petroleum resources has contributed to a comparably favourable outlook for increased future petroleum supplies globally. Application of 2D and 3D seismic for defining reservoirs and micro seismic for monitoring fracturing, measuring rock properties downhole (borehole imaging) and in laboratory (mineralogy, porosity, permeability), horizontal drilling (downhole GPS), and hydraulic fracture stimulation (cross-linked gel, slick-water, nitrogen or nitrogen foam) is key in improving production from these huge resources with low productivity factors.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

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