This presentation describes a proven workflow that uses a standard narrow azimuth 3D seismic, conventional logs, image logs and core data to build five key reservoir properties required for an optimal development of shale plays.
Unconventional shale plays are changing the energy sector in many ways. At the macro-economic level, the shale plays are becoming a geopolitical game-changer with profound consequences on communities, energy companies, local and regional economies, and our planet. At the financial level, billions of dollars are invested each year in acquiring and developing existing and new shale plays. At the industry level, for the first time the integration of disciplines is actually happening thus forcing geophysicists, geologists and engineers to work together to solve the multiple challenges posed by the shale plays. Gone are the days where the buzzword “integration” meant for most people the ability to display in a 3D viewer well logs, seismic data and some engineering information. With the shale plays, the synergetic integration through algorithms and workflows combining multiple data types to create useful 3D models is an urgent necessity. This synergetic integration stems from the fact that a successful development of a shale play requires the knowledge of key reservoir properties that span the entire spectrum of disciplines. What are these key reservoir properties?
This presentation describes a proven workflow that uses a standard narrow azimuth 3D seismic, conventional logs, image logs and core data to build five key reservoir properties required for an optimal development of shale plays. The workflow uses pre-stack seismic data and the Extended Elastic Inversion (EEI) to estimate multiple elastic properties which are used to compute key rock properties such as brittleness. The same elastic properties are used with fracture indicators at the wells in the Continuous Fracture Modeling (CFM) workflow to generate a 3D distribution of the natural fracture system. Knowing the brittleness, the distribution of natural fractures and other key rock properties such as TOC, optimal wells can be placed and fracked at selective intervals thus producing the highest IP while reducing dramatically the completion costs. Some of these concepts are illustrated with the Niobrara shale using the Teapot Dome public data set.
Structure of the E-Symposium
Each e-symposium consists of one-hour live e-symposium, along with material for one full day of independent study. The live portion will be followed by a full day of independent study (not a live event). The one-hour live e-symposium can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world using a high-speed internet connection. After the event is over, you will receive via email information about accessing the asynchronous segment (not live) which consists of your independent study materials, to be accessed and studied at any time. You will be able to email responses to the readings, along with your study question answers for CEU credit (if you sign up for the extended package).