Table of Contents

Vol. 6, No. 3
3rd Quarter 2000

Well Stimulation Advances

February 9, 2000 (Wichita, Kan.) by North Midcontinent Region

BOTTOM LINE

Advances in well stimulation enable operators to optimally increase well/reservoir productive capacity. Experience-based guidelines provide operators a leg up when designing stimulation treatments.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

There have been many advances both in knowledge of the stimulation processes and the technology incorporated in them. Although not expected to become stimulation experts, all operators must know the basic thrust of stimulation technology.

Miocene Deposition and Petroleum Geology—Northern Gulf of Mexico

November 10, 1999 (Jackson, Miss.) by Eastern Gulf Region

BOTTOM LINE

Exploration geoscientists working in the northern Gulf of Mexico and adjacent areas must develop insights into relationships between hydrocarbon occurrences and regional/global events.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

In the Gulf of Mexico, numerous hydrocarbon plays have been spawned by Miocene-age high frequency cycles of fluvial/incised valley fill, deltaic/neritic, and deep water slope/submarine fans deposits. Over past decades, technological advancement has fueled development of exploration trends to greater depths and into deeper water.

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Past, Present, and Future of Coalbed Methane in the Rocky Mountains

June 22, 1999 (Denver, Colo.) by Rocky Mountain Region

BOTTOM LINE

After 10 years, new technologies continue to increase both interest and production in previously discovered coalbed methane (CBM) plays. These technologies, plus the discovery of new CBM resources continue to attract new players.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

CBM development in the Rocky Mountains region grew from a modest level of activity over a decade ago to a current level that surpasses most conventional oil and gas activities in many basins. A large CBM resource base remains as a target for continued exploration and development by operators willing to learn and apply the technologies that have proven successful.

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Finding Affordable Geophysics in Tough Times

May 18, 1999 (Morgantown, W. Va.) by Appalachian Region

BOTTOM LINE

Seismic and non-seismic geophysical methods, used judiciously, are effective in high-grading exploration areas, re-evaluating old data, reducing risk, and increasing production.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

A computer-based system that re-evaluated old seismic lines particularly when combined with new processing, has helped generate new prospects adjacent to the Ordovician unconformity in the Appalachian Basin. Because the greatest obstacle for small operators in adopting seismic exploration is cost, non-seismic exploration methods can help high-grade prospective areas, reduce risk in locating hydrocarbons, and save money.

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Characterization of Carbonates Aids Exploration

September 2, 1999 (Jackson, Miss.) by Eastern Gulf Region

BOTTOM LINE

Applying reservoir characterization during exploration has great potential to improve the rate of drilling success. Geologically characterizing Lower Cretaceous Gulf carbonates facilitates identifying priority areas, focuses attention to areas with a greater probability for success, and ultimately saves exploration dollars.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

Exploration requires successfully predicting reservoir trends and connectivity, lithology, and petrophysical properties and sedimentary models for seismic interpretation.

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Fractured Coalbed Methane and Tight Gas Reservoirs in the San Juan Basin

September 29, 1999 (Framington, N.M.) by Southwest Region

BOTTOM LINE

Fractures associated with fault systems are responsible for commercial natural gas production from coals and tight sands in the San Juan and Green River basins.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

For optimum infill drilling, one must understand the association between structure, faulting, and fracturing and know the distribution and orientation of key fracture systems. Common geologic settings are faulting associated with differential compaction over channel sandstones in deltaic environments. These faults can be detected and understood using an integrated reservoir characterization approach, and observed relationships can aid in exploration for new reservoirs in similar structural and stratigraphic contexts.

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Microbial Options for Increasing Recovery

June 3, 1999 (Midland, Texas) by Texas Region. June 21, 1999 (Zanesville, Ohio) by Appalachian Region

BOTTOM LINE

Microbial technologies are a lower-cost option for operators to consider as they address well productivity, injectivity/disposal, or improved oil recovery in mature oil leases.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

Operators of mature oil leases need affordable solutions to improve oil productivity in often marginally economic properties. Microbial processes can be used for well stimulation/wellbore cleanup in producing wells and in water injection/disposal systems.

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Oklahoma’s Morrow Gas Play

February 23, 2000 (Tulsa, Okla.) by South Midcontinent Region

BOTTOM LINE

The Morrow Sandstone of the shelf and deeper parts of the Anadarko Basin in western Oklahoma has produced significant natural gas since the late 1950s. Regional geological mapping and production data summarized from contrasting settings from several fields can be used to define sub-plays within the basin.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

Large reserves are present in marine and nonmarine strata at moderate depth and significant development potential remains in many of the fields. Log correlations indicate that channels oriented north to northeast cut across predominantly west- to northwest-oriented marine influenced sandstone trends. The highest vitrinite reflectance values, greatest weight percent of organic carbon, and greatest depth of burial coincide with an area of high temperature methane.

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Cypress Sandstone in the Illinois Basin

April 5, 2000 (Mt. Vernon, Ill.) by Midwest Region

BOTTOM LINE

Recognition of reservoir compartments in the Cypress sandstone is essential to properly evaluate the recovery potential and to design a reservoir development and management program.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

Although production from the Cypress Formation in the Illinois Basin has exceeded 1 billion bbl of oil, significant reserves remain to be exploited. Production of remaining Cypress reserves will require a management plan that can deal with highly compartmentalized reservoirs.

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Downhole Water Separation Technologies

March 2, 2000 (Baton Rouge, La.) by Central Gulf Region

BOTTOM LINE

Evolving technologies for downhole separation are providing operators with additional options for managing water. Applied in the proper environment, these technologies can be profitable.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

Water production is often a fact of life in oil and gas production, but when it becomes excessive it can dramatically affect well profitability and recovery. In oil wells. separation can be achieved either in the reservoir itself through downhole water sink technology or in the wellbore through downhole oil/water separation technologies. Like all evolving technologies, field experience that refines application criteria and confirms performance is critical to more operators adopting these technologies.