Driven by higher prices, oil and gas supply issues finally
have the attention of the U.S. public. It is an exciting time for the domestic
oil and gas industry, with the public’s attention (and Washington’s too) now
focused on energy, knowledge of how the exploration and production process
actually works is increasing.
This prompted me to think about my initial years in the
E&P industry, working as a reservoir engineer with a chemical engineering
degree and no prior oil and gas exposure. Equipped with basic tools by a major
company’s excellent training courses, I was functional, but really didn’t
appreciate what my geological brethren brought to the table.
With new engineers coming into the industry–and many
probably not being petroleum engineers–the next generation faces the same
challenge I did. But it is not only engineers; technicians and support staff
also can benefit from understanding basic geology. Recognition of this led
PTTC’s West Coast Region to host workshops in Bakersfield and Long Beach, Ca.,
on geology for the nongeologist. Delivered by Janice Gillespie at California
State University in Bakersfield, the workshop outlined sourcing, rock types,
seals, depositional environments, traps, and the different elements of the
exploration and development process.
At the most elemental level, one must realize that in
conventional reservoirs, hydrocarbons are generated within a source rock, which
can be either oil-prone or gas-prone, then migrate until they encounter a seal
and are trapped. Traps include folds (structure), faults or stratigraphic
changes.
Most hydrocarbon reservoirs are sedimentary rocks. There
are three kinds of sedimentary rocks: clastic, chemical and biological
(organic). Clastic rocks are formed when bits of rock settle, then are later
pressed and cemented together after burial in subsiding
basins. Fine-grained sediments are deposited in quiet water, while
coarse-grained sediments are deposited in higher-energy settings.
Chemical sedimentary rocks form when water becomes
supersaturated with dissolved materials such as salt, calcium carbonate and
silica. Organic sedimentary rocks (think coal, chalk, diatomites) form when
organisms die and their remains settle to be buried and compressed. Different
rock types are being deposited in different environments at the same time.
Characteristic shapes on wireline logs (gamma ray and SP)
reveal much about the depositional environments of different rocks. Depositional
environments greatly influence porosity, permeability and heterogeneity. Maps,
such as structure and isochore,
based on individual well data reveal the areal distribution.
All of the above is quite elemental, but even experienced
E&P professionals must keep basic concepts in mind as they work to maximize
recovery from a given reservoir.
There are many avenues for moving to the next level, and
doing so in an interdisciplinary fashion. One can do it for an investment
of less than $2,000 (travel expenses excluded) within the next few months. On
the geological side, an excellent resource is the online course, “Introduction
to Geological Reservoir Characterization,” delivered by Roger Slatt at the
University of Oklahoma through the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
The next course (www.aapg.org/education/online/details.cfm?ID=82)
starts Sept. 8 and runs through Dec. 12. It covers characterizing reservoirs
using geologic and engineering data, including well logs, sample descriptions,
routine and special core analyses, and well tests.
This course is done on a definite timetable with other
students taking the same course both online and in the classroom.
There is some flexibility, but it is not self paced. Emphasis is placed on
practical analysis of data sets from varied depositional
environments, and on compartmentalization.
In a coincidence of timing, the Society of Petroleum
Engineers is offering its short course, “Reservoir Characterization: From the
Laboratory to the Field,” (www.spe.org/spe-site/spe/spe/career/educ_training/sc_reservoir/char.pdf)
on Sept. 21 in conjunction with its annual meeting in Denver. Delivered by Larry
Lake from the University of Texas at Austin, the course teaches integrated
reservoir characterization from petrophysics through geostatistics. The emphasis
is on flow properties of porosity, permeability, capillary pressure and relative
permeability. It also addresses the statistics of the spatial distribution of
these properties and illustrates the benefits of using these properties.
Those wanting to really move into the complexity of
geology may consider AAPG’s fall education conference (www.aapg.org/education/fec/schedule.cfm),
held Sept. 15-19 in Houston. There participants can “mix-n-match” from three
concurrent sessions to meet individual needs.
Training
and professional development opportunities abound. In the mix of opportunities,
PTTC firmly believes its workshops
focusing on proven technologies and delivered locally with regional examples
provide great value. Readers are encouraged to check our calendar (www.pttc.org/national_calendar.htm)
often for workshops in their areas. Even though “under $2,000” is very
affordable in today’s environment, that may be out of reach for some, or
individuals may be so busy they can’t take the time for
travel. It may take a while longer for several PTTC courses to be delivered in
your area, but “local, affordable workshops” by PTTC
may just be your answer.
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