PTTC Delivers Gas-Related Information To U.S. Operators

(Tech Connections Column, December 2001, American Oil and Gas Reporter)

Ready access to natural gas-related information remains a critical need for domestic operators. Especially in the last couple years, the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council has aggressively pursued organizing relevant data and delivering it to industry in several regions. This column outlines recent data and how to “connect” with PTTC’s regions to get it.

Not surprisingly, the PTTC’s Appalachian Region focused on the Trenton-Black River during 2001. Attendees at an initial workshop in May got a solid overview of the geology of the basin and of the Trenton-Black River. Three weeks later, the Independent Oil & Gas Association of Pennsylvania complemented this workshop with a technical program focused on engineering aspects of the play. Because demand exceeded space, the region hosted an updated workshop in August, plus a half-day core workshop.

The region also serves those interested in coalbed methane, and hosted a three-day short course during August to complement an earlier workshop on Appalachian coalbed methane plays. The region also follows applied research and development projects dealing with keeping marginal gas wells unloaded. The Atlas of Major Appalachian Gas Plays, and a companion paper regarding how to add value to it, are available through the region.

Although not typically regarded as a natural gas basin, there is interest in unconventional gas in PTTC’s Midwest Region. Late in 2000, the region hosted a workshop dealing with the New Albany Shale in the Illinois Basin, and the Illinois Geological Survey is in the midst of a project where whole cores and gas content analyses of selected coal intervals are being gathered in five wells. A coalbed methane workshop is planned for this summer. There is also a wealth of gas-related information available through the Michigan satellite office.

Coalbed methane is of high interest in Southeast Kansas, and PTTC’s North Mid-Continent Region has held one workshop and plans another for this summer. Staff have focused on the operations and engineering aspects of producing coalbed methane. Dwayne McCune delivered these insights to the Eastern Kansas Oil & Gas Association, and working under the auspices of the University of Kansas’ Tertiary Oil Recovery Project, he has completed a coalbed methane manual.

Considering PTTC’s Rocky Mountain Region is located in the heart of western gas operations, it has consistently been part of major gas-related events, including workshops this year on structural traps and fractured reservoirs, the coalbed methane potential of the Denver Basin, basin-centered gas, and a coalbed methane symposium in Denver. PTTC’s Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions will host a workshop on subsurface fluid pressures and their relation to oil and gas generation, migration and accumulation early next year in Durango, Co., and will co-sponsor an April 2002 workshop with the Society of Petroleum Engineers on how to estimate reserves in tight gas sands.

In PTTC’s South Mid-Continent region, coalbed methane interest covers both northeastern Oklahoma and portions of the Arkoma Basin. Beyond conventional workshops, an important resource is a coalbed methane database maintained by the Oklahoma Geological Survey.

For many operators though, conventional reservoirs continue to be the mainstay of natural gas activity. One of the more recent plays focuses on the Springer reservoir group. Working cooperatively with the Oklahoma City and Tulsa geological societies, play-based workshops are presented in half-day versions.

Like the Rockies, tight gas is an important resource in PTTC’s Southwest Region. Two workshops during this year focused on approaches to tight-gas shale plays in the San Juan Basin’s Lewis Shale, and the low-permeability and underdeveloped natural gas reservoirs of New Mexico. An earlier workshop on infill drilling for Mesa Verde tight gas explored software developed by New Mexico Tech for estimating infill drilling potential.

In the West Coast Region, a week-long series of gas-related events in Alaska this year included a field trip in the Kenai Peninsula, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling short courses, and a coalbed methane and shallow gas workshop. Also, a March workshop addressed challenges faced in California’s thermal operations using high-priced natural gas. Bill Keese with the California Energy Commission also reviewed California’s natural gas situation.

In addition, PTTC and Maurer Technology Inc. have cooperated to bring workshops condensed from Maurer’s five-day course focused on optimizing development with horizontal well technologies. These technologies can be applied to developing natural gas reserves.

Primary contact points for accessing gas-related information in PTTC’s regions are: Appalachia—Doug Patchen, dpatch@wvunrcce.nrcce.wvu.edu; Midwest—Dave Morse, Morse@isgs.uiuc.edu; North Mid-continent—Rodney Reynolds, reynolds@cpe.engr.ukans.edu; Rocky Mountain—Sandra Mark, smark.95@alum.mines.edu; South Mid-continent—Michelle Summers, mjsummers@ou.edu; Southwest—Martha Cather, martha@prrc.nmt.edu; and West Coast—Iraj Ershaghi, ershaghi@usc.edu.