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Completion and Production

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Reservoir modeling has changed dramatically with the ability to incorporate new technologies and imaging techniques. Welcome to an interview with Randal Utech, Geology and Geophysics Advisor for Schlumberger, who discusses new developments in building effective reservoir models that can be used for decision-making and generating new ideas.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Learn! Blog

The Petroleum Economics is designed for New Energy Professionals. The course consist of lecture and exercises to assist the new industry energy professionals with understanding the principles of petroleum economics; including the value of money, quantifying financials risks in petroleum investments, rates of return, forecasting cash flows and the fundamentals of capital budgeting.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Learn! Blog

Thinking about solutions at the nano-scale continues to be an area of opportunity for geoscientists, and it often requires new ways of thinking. Welcome to an interview with Monte Swan, whose experience in large-scale plate boundary research is complemented by his work in nano-scale environments where it is possible to find new ways to reduce the buildup of scale, paraffin, asphaltene, and more.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Europe Blog

Are you a 'deal maker?' AAPG Europe is looking for you. The annual Regional upstream A&D (Acquisition and Divestment) conference will be held in Warsaw, Poland 8-9 November. We are asking you to become one of the sought-after 20 minute ‘Keynote Speakers’ at this event.

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

There are a surprising number of AAPG Members (new and experienced) who are not familiar with the technical divisions of AAPG and what they do. Given how much excellent work is done in the divisions, everyone is encouraged to learn more about them.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Learn! Blog

Basin-scale modeling can provide new insights into depositional processes in extremely complex deepwater and shelf environments. New models can identify previously overlooked or unenvisioned traps, and can help propose the existence of an entirely new reservoir. Welcome to an interview with John W. Snedden, Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Gulf Basin Depositional Synthesis Project at the University of Texas-Austin.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Energy Policy Blog

The House Natural Resources Committee recently held a hearing to discuss energy development in the Mancos shale formation of the Piceance basin, which is a geographic area that spans Colorado and Utah and much of the resource is located on federal lands. The purpose of the hearing was to highlight the release of a recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment which found that the Mancos shale has a large volume of recoverable energy resources.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Learn! Blog

It is important for geologists to be polished and dynamic technical presenters, and Dr. David Pelton is committed to helping everyone achieve that goal by develop a series of four video tutorials for AAPG. Welcome to an interview with David Pelton, who shares tips and lessons learned in helping individuals engage audiences and be extremely effective communicators and presenters. At the end of the interview, you will see links to the four video tutorials. 

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Learn! Blog

Where is the oil? How much is there? and What is the best strategy for recovery? These are a few of the questions that we'll answer at the Making Money with Mature Fields - Geosciences Technology Workshop, October 5-6, 2016, Houston, TX. The goal of this workshop is to review mature fields and to identify the amount and nature of oil that can be recovered, and to evaluate competing strategies for economically producing the remaining reserves. In addition to looking closely at fields, we will review new and improved technologies that may help revitalize reservoirs and overcome problems such as low pressure, paraffin, corrosion, and more.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Registration is now open for the 4th annual Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC) to be held Aug. 1-3 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

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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