Abstract
Core analysis has historically been held as the ground truth for petrophysical model calibration. With the advent of unconventional resources, vendors and operators alike have scrambled to improve and develop core analytical techniques to accurately measure the quality of these tight reservoir rocks. Fluid saturations are a critical component of this evaluation, and much effort has been made to quantify the as-received gas, water, and oil components of the pore space using Dean-Stark extraction, retort, and other complementary analyses.
While much of the focus has been on assessing the core in the condition it arrives in the lab, a key question remains: how have the fluid saturations changed as the core sample has traveled from the reservoir to the testing facility? Prior observations in the Permian Basin indicate an average of over 35% as-received air-filled porosity, suggesting that a third or more of the in-situ pore saturating fluids are never directly measured in the lab. This creates a significant uncertainty around estimation of in-place volumes and calibration of a predictive water saturation model.
Getting this analysis right is critical to one of the core tenets of a practicing petrophysicist: performing highly predictive evaluations that enable profitable and sustainable business decisions.
A Permian Basin comparison will be presented using a variety of core acquisition techniques. In this example, whole core, rotary sidewall cores, and pressurized rotary sidewall cores were each acquired over the same reservoir intervals. An experiment was designed to help mitigate fluid loss in the various methods, helping guide the petrophysicist on the reconstruction of accurate in-situ saturations. Additionally, this sampling program was designed to compare the methods in both their operational practicality and quality of core acquired.
A common assumption is that the void space at surface was previously occupied by hydrocarbon that escaped the rock due to gas expansion; this statement will be tested. Is there any water loss from in-situ to lab conditions? Can whole core or pressurized sidewall coring – with a controlled drawdown to atmospheric pressure – help maintain in-situ fluid saturations and retain oil within the rocks? Finally, does understanding this increase the predictive power of a practicing petrophysicist tasked with evaluating the productivity of unconventional reservoirs? Through detailed testing and analysis of the acquired rocks and other data, these questions are addressed.
Speaker Biography
Aidan Blount is a Petrophysicist and Opportunity Advisor with Shell. He joined the company in 2013 after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering. Since joining Shell, Aidan worked on several basins as part of a regional exploration team before joining the Permian Asset in 2015. Aidan has been an active member of SPWLA over the same time period, receiving the “Best Paper” award at the 2017 Symposium and serving as an SPWLA Distinguished Lecturer.
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Use the PayPal link above to make your luncheon reservation
But before you register!!! You may want to read the From the Editor article below for a special deal on the remaining luncheons for the year. If you choose to take advantage of that offer there will be no need for you to use this registration button.
If you are registering for someone else or using a PayPal account that is not in your name, please click here to send us an email with the correct registrant information. You should also use this link if you are registering multiple people; please provide the name and company affiliation for each registrant.
Forward this newsletter to a friend to invite them to the luncheon.
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When
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
11:20 am - 1:30 pm
Where
Wynkoop Brewing Company
(tell me how to get there)
Cost
$25 per person
$30 at the door (space permitting)
Next Month's Talk
A practical petrophysical model for a source rock play: The Mancos Shale
Jesús M. Salazar
Marathon Oil
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From the President
Shannon Borchardt
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Welcome to 2019. I am excited about all of the upcoming DWLS engagements planned for this year.
For the January luncheon, Aidan Blount will present a topic comparing whole core, sidewall core and pressurized sidewall core in the Permian Basin. Before you register for the lunch on our PayPal page, look for the ‘Discount Lunch Deal’ in Dominic's column below. You can pay upfront for the next five luncheons all at once, for a discounted rate. If you select that option, we will send you an email each month to ask if you're attending and kindly ask for your reply. Also, with regards to our monthly luncheons in January and February, we will be trying out a buffet style lunch and would appreciate any feedback.
We are in the process of planning several workshops this year. The first will be the 2019 DWLS Spring Workshop on April 3rd with the topic of ‘Data Analytics in Reservoir Evaluation’. See further details below from Patricia. We are also starting to plan the 2019 DWLS-RMAG Symposium for October and will be providing more details in the upcoming months.
Lastly, we want to thank our membership as DWLS was able to provide a generous contribution to the SPWLA Foundation for use in scholarships and grants. The funds will be preferentially provided to candidates studying in the Rocky Mountain region.
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From the Editor
Dominic Holmes
In case you missed it in both last month's newsletter or November's, we are extending our luncheon offer into January. There are 5 luncheons remaining for the year (Jan-May). But you can pay just $105 now for all of them (normally $125) and you will not have to remember to register for the remainder of the year.
If you join this program, you will be getting a separate email from me each month requesting you contact me if you find you cannot make the meeting that month, so we don't order an extra lunch for you.
Small Print
There is no refund should you not be able to attend any of the luncheons. Consider it a generous donation to your favorite local society.
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From the VP - Technology
Patricia Rodrigues
The DWLS Spring workshop on “Data Analytics in Reservoir Evaluation” is coming to Denver on April 3rd, 2019.
Registration will open later this month; look for a special email invitation to the event.
The final agenda for the workshop is almost complete please check the DWLS website often for updates and registration information. We’ll feature speakers from the O&G companies, services companies, and academia. Among the confirmed speakers we have:
- Ridvan Akkurt from Schlumberger presenting “Accelerating and Enhancing Petrophysical Analysis With Machine Learning: A Case Study of an Automated System for Well Log Outlier Detection and Reconstruction”
- Richard Batsell from Rice University presenting “Toward a Management Science for Unconventional Wells: A Methodological Approach”
- Ishank Gupta from University of Oklahoma presenting “Rock Typing in Organic Shales: Barnett, Eagle Ford, Woodford and Wolfcamp”
- Hani Elshahawi from Shell O&G presenting “Machine Learning for Improved Directional Drilling”
- Reinaldo Michelena from Seispetro Geosoftware presenting “Petrophysical Multimineral Analysis Using a Genetic Algorithm: Applications to unconventional reservoirs”
- Richard Cao from Shell O&G presenting “Integrated stochastic workflow for optimum well spacing with data analytics, pilots, geomechanical-reservoir modeling, and economic analysis”
Other confirmed speakers are Siddharth Misra from Oklahoma University, Matt Belobraydic from Schlumberger, and Zoya Heidari from University of Texas at Austin. Topics will be published soon.
The workshop will be held at the American Mountaineering Center (AMC) at 710 10th St, Golden, CO 80401, just 20 minutes from downtown Denver, from 7:30 am and 4:00 pm. Free parking is available at the AMC.
If you have any questions please contact Patricia Rodrigues.
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From the Treasurer
Peter Kaufman
The finances of the DWLS remain on sound footing. Expenditures for Fall 2018 included a $30,000 donation to the SPWLA Foundation for Scholarships and Research Grants for candidates working in the Rocky Mountain region, three monthly luncheons at the Wynkoop Brewery, the DWLS Christmas party at Rialto, Cluff Awards plaques for Tony and Dominic Holmes, and reservation payment for Spring Workshop at American Mountaineering Center. Income from the fall included monies from DWLS luncheons and Christmas party reservations and a check from the RMAG for joint sponsorship of RMAG/DWLS Fall Workshop. The DWLS Board has also authorized both the President and Past President to have access to the DWLS accounts, to increase financial transparency and enable other people to pay expenses if the Treasurer is unable to attend an event. Please have a look at the thank you letter from the SPWLA President, Elton Frost.
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Calendar of Events
Click the calendar to the right to view events on the web.
Other Important Events
2019 SPWLA Annual Symposium, June 16-19, 2019 (The Woodlands, TX)
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DWLS Sponsors
Click here to view the sponsors on the website, or click on any image to contact a sponsor.
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Chapter Statistics
Statistic
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This Year
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3-Year Average
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| # of Active members * |
273 |
376 |
| # that are New members |
15 |
5 |
| # that are Students * |
2 |
10 |
| # that are Lifetime Members * |
252 |
297 |
| September luncheon meeting attendance |
44 |
57 |
| October luncheon meeting attendance |
29 |
62 |
| November luncheon meeting attendance |
43 |
55 |
| Holiday party attendance |
35 |
37 |
| January luncheon meeting attendance |
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67 |
| February luncheon meeting attendance |
|
60 |
| March luncheon meeting attendance |
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45 |
| April luncheon meeting attendance |
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47 |
| May luncheon meeting attendance |
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51 |
* Note that we did a thorough cleanup of bad email addresses that resulted in some of our members being removed until they can be tracked down again. So this year's membership numbers are going to be a bit lower.
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The DWLS Newsletter is published monthly September through June by the Denver Well Logging Society. For information on membership or advertising, contact the editor. For other inquiries, contact a member of the Board of Directors.
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